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Six-Word Memoirs
Everyone has a story. Can you tell yours in six words? Submit yours to be considered for SMITH's next six-word memoir book. The first book, Not Quite What I Was Planning, is out now.
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(all the stories submitted to the site, even ones we write)
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Last American smoker. Stands alone outside.
Obituary: Off Beaten Track. Worth it.
Afraid of becoming like my father
I lied; And then he died
Birthed two. Adopted four. Super Mommy!
Loneliness: one egg in the pan.
stood on head, horseshoe points up.
Eat. Bloat. Fingers down throat. Shame.
Marti Gras; Beads, Laughter, Faint Memories.
the truth would kill him instantly.
i don't belong to him anymore
Foster Parent.
I now know heartbreak.
mums wig is my biggest secret.
I am undiagnosed, unnoticed and unhappy.
You can't be gay in Tennessee
Made poor choices, lived through them.
My mind danced, they suggested ADD.
At 27. Married. Divorcing. Starting over.
It was different than I thought
By Nadzir_Jamal 3 days ago Last American smoker. Stands alone outside.
By Simply_Susan 7 days ago Obituary: Off Beaten Track. Worth it.
Afraid of becoming like my father
I lied; And then he died
Birthed two. Adopted four. Super Mommy!
Loneliness: one egg in the pan.
stood on head, horseshoe points up.
Eat. Bloat. Fingers down throat. Shame.
Marti Gras; Beads, Laughter, Faint Memories.
the truth would kill him instantly.
i don't belong to him anymore
Foster Parent.
I now know heartbreak.
mums wig is my biggest secret.
I am undiagnosed, unnoticed and unhappy.
You can't be gay in Tennessee
Made poor choices, lived through them.
My mind danced, they suggested ADD.
At 27. Married. Divorcing. Starting over.
It was different than I thought
New Release!
Six-Word Memoirs On Love & Heartbreak
Our newest book of six-word memoirs showcases 500 true stories about the complexities of the human heart. Brilliant in their brevity, the memoirs celebrate life in all its shades of red, with contributions from Elizabeth Gilbert, Dr. Drew, Marc Ecko, Robert Hass, Armistead Maupin, and hundreds of SMITH readers. And it's just $10.
Available now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booksense, just in time for Valentine's Day.
Mrs. Nixon's Third-Graders' Six-Word Storybook
About the storybook
The Original Six-Word Memoirs Book
Not Quite What I was Planning: Six Word Memoirs from Writers Famous and Obscure collects almost 1,000 six-word memoirs, including additions from many celebrities including Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Deepak Chopra, Moby, and more. A New York Times bestseller and subject of hundreds of stories from The New Yorker to NPR and hailed as "American haiku," SMITH's book of six-word memoirs is both a moving peek at the minutia of humanity and the most inspirational toilet reading you'll ever find.
Six-Word Memoirs: The Legend
Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Starting in 2006, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).