under waterline, originally uploaded by Marcus Vegas.
A friend sent around an email:
There is a new book out called 6 Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. Some samples are:
Steve Colbert – Well, I thought it was funny.
Elizabeth Gilbert – Me see world! Me write stories!
A.J. Jacobs – Born bald. Grew hair. Bald again.
And the very strange Amy Sedaris – Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched.
I wonder what each of ours would be.
The book is actually titled Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure
My first response was that I don’t feel ready to write a memoir yet — so much in process, so much to do, and so little overall clarity to what I’ve done before. So I wrote this memoir:
Not finished. Please wait. Thank you.
Then again, that makes it seem like I’m in stasis when instead I feel like I’m in constant motion. More to the point, I am constantly moving from one thing to the next. So I came up with this:
Ooh, interesting! I’ll try that too.
I’m sticking with that one. (For now….)
What’s your six-word memoir?
Never give up! Sieze the day!
It’s tempting to borrow from the Godfathers song:
Birth. School. Work. Death.
Two problems with that, though — I’d need a couple more words and I’m not dead yet.
Hm. I’ll get back to you…
Wait — that last line is six words, right? That’s not bad…
I would like to revise mine:
Never give up! Carpe Diem! Truth.
Just living. I might understand someday.
Knows it all and forgets everything. (Describes knowing me, but not being me.)
Late to class. Slept. Then learned. (A more accurate account.)
This is so hard. Maybe “I’m just here for the laughs” Do contractions count as one?
Hmm. Maybe something geekier. Will work on this.
Move along, nothing to see here.
Hello! Good-bye! Hello! Good-bye! Hello! Good-bye!
Ambition gets the better of me.
Wake me up before you go-go.
Nicely done, everyone! It’s interesting how tempting it is to write a motto rather than a memoir. Of course it’s hard to sum up something while it is in progress.
Vanessa: Yes, a contraction counts as one. I’m not sure what the rule on hyphenated words is, but I’m inclined to think a hyphenated word also counts as one, which could allow for some interesting memoirs.
Who’s that? Oh, its just me.
My memoir to date:
Stop the world! Now I’m bored.
Cindy,
Your “Ooh, interesting! I’ll try that,too!” Had me in hysterics. That is SO you :-)
These are great. I agree – it’s hard to write about your demise when yo are not looking forwrd to it. As of now, mine remains:
Had fun. Had kids. Now what?
However in the end, maybe:
Not bad for a Kittanning boy.
Although I tried to come up with something brilliant and prophetic, alas, it should come from the heart… So here goes…
Margaritas with friends make life enjoyable.
I love how each person’s memoir gives a window to a world view.