Book Wish List - Six-Word Memoirs

I was listening to Jean Chatzky on XM 156 yesterday where they were talking about summing up your life in six words. A new book on the topic called Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, edited by Smith Magazine, was just released February 5.


Here's the premise - choose six words that could explain your life or be used on an epitaph. I used the idea as an ice breaker with a development group the other day and it was quite fun. Here are some examples:

• When I'm gray I'll go red (that was Jean Chatzky's)
  
• Two young kids, no free time (that's mine)

From the book:

• Seventy years, few tears, hairy ears - Bill Querengesser
• Extremely responsible, secretly longed for spontaneity - Sabra Jennings
• Painful nerd kid, happy nerd adult - Linda Williamson
• I'm my mother and I'm fine - K. Bertrand
• Grumpy old soundman needs love, too - Lenny Rosengard
• Joined army. Came out. Got booted. - Johan Baumeister

This isn't just a fun activity. Challenge yourself to be profound, witty, topical, provocative, spiritual, intellectual, etc. Who knows - you might find your genius in there!