What’s Your Six-Word Memoir?
The Six-Word Memoir is an internet meme that is ancient (born 2008) by meme standards, yet it still maintains popularity due to the endless possibilities. The memoirs get much love on Tumblr, including lots of photos of Honest Tea caps. According to Smith Magazine, which started the online project and published a book or two, “a Six-Word Memoir® is the story of your life—some part of it or all of it—told in exactly six words.”Hemingway’s “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” is credited as being the very first.
On the First Floor at Main, following in the Teen tradition, we asked patrons to share their Six-Word Memoirs. As always, we were not disappointed. My favorites include “the pub quiz ended in bloodshed” and “never gotta mustard, always gotta ketchup.”
Because I am a super-nerd (Hey, I’m a librarian!), I also think it’s fun to create Six-Word Memoirs for literary characters. Here are some, and the only rhyme or reason for their choosing is that they are from my favorite classics. Please feel free to create your own memoirs – for yourself or anyone else – in the comments of this post!
Anonymous, Beowulf: Grendel’s gonna die! His mama too!
Cather’s My Ántonia, Ántonia: Hey Jim, you totally missed out.
Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Underground Man: I’m inventing existentialism. I feel weird.
Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Emma Rouault: Country life is boring. Hi, handsome!
García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Narrator: I don’t care about your feelings.
Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, Jude: It is hard to be me.
Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles, Tess: You think Angel’s a bit much?
Roché’s Jules Et Jim, Kate: French, German, tall, short. Can’t decide.
Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Romeo: She died. I will. Wait, what? AND Juliet: Just until he’s back. Wait, what?
Thoreau’s Walden, Henry: Shhh! Sometimes Mom brings me cookies.
Happy memoiring!
Holly
This was really cute. I love the board. How awesome!
Here’s a more modern one: Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five’s” Billy Pilgrim: Dresden. Suburbs. Tralfamadore. Death. Shuffle. Cool.
Oh, so glad that you chose Vonnegut. This is a great six-word memoir!
Holly
Fantastic stuff! Excellent post;
Hugo’s Les Misérables:
Jean Valjean: Stole some bread, shit went down.
Javert: Everything I knew was wrong.
Fantine: Society has made me a slave.
Marius: Vive la…LOVE ME, PRETTY GIRL!
Eponine: No love from anyone. I’m crazy.
Cosette: My two men: Marius and père.
Enjolras: I live and die for Patria.
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Reblogged this on alicewondershere.
Great stuff. I’ve never heard of this meme but I think it’s a great exercise on writing. You know what I’d implement if I were a grade school teacher…
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