Tootsie Farklepants tagged me to write a memoir in six words. We actually used this exercise as an assignment in our Advocacy classes at school and, being the fine & compassionate teacher I am, I have already done it (sort of - mine aren't precisely autobiographical, just provocative). However, I wasn't as adventurous as Tootsie and only came up with two. I'll try for a couple more that reflect my actual life.
FYI and in case you care, there are lots of variations of this activity. I first discovered it through Wired magazine, which referenced Ernest Hemingway's 'story': For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. I use that in my creative writing class to demonstrate the power of few words. (Of course I tell my students if they try to turn in a six word short story for their final, they had better hope they're as talented as Hemingway).
This recently published book is sweeping the nation and is what we based our classroom assignment on, and it's a result of SMITH magazine's Story Projects. Finally, NPR has this brilliant slideshow version.
Without further ado (what you might politely call my longwindedness) here are my wacky offerings:
Something smells weird. Where's the cat?
No more chocolate? Surely you jest.
Where are my clothes? I wondered.
She talks too much, they say.
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Now for the tagging! Please to condense your life into 6 words: My bff Lisa, Elaine at Blog In My Eye, and Suz.
