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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Can you describe your life in six words? That's what the editors of storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers in 2006; the results, though decidedly uneven, make for compulsive reading and prove arguably as insightful as any 300+ page biography. Taken as a whole, this cascade of quotes from contributors famous and unknown creates a dizzying snowball effect of perspectives and feelings. Highlights from professional writers and artists include journalist Chuck Klosterman wondering, "Nobody cared, then they did. Why?"; pop singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger lamenting, "We still don't hear a single"; and comic strip artist Keith Knight illustrating "I was a Michael Jackson impersonator." At their best, these nano-memoirs evoke the same kind of rich emotional responses as a good story: 9 year old Hannah Davies considers herself "Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends"; Zak Nelson says "I still make coffee for two"; Scott Birch claims "Most successful accomplishments based on spite." Some entries read like bumper stickers (Rip Riley: "No wife. No kids. No problems"), and others are just plain weird (Amy Sedaris: "Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched"), but this compelling little book will have readers and their friends hunting for favorites and inventing six-word self-definitions of their own. This review in six words? Read. Enjoy. Pass it on. Repeat.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“In six words: Gimmicks should always be this fun.” (Style.com )
“A fabulously appealing exercise both for writers and for readers.” (Daily Telegraph (London) )
“The pithiest of life stories.” (O magazine )
“Compulsive reading...as insightful as any 300+ page biography.” (Publishers Weekly )
“You could spend a lifetime brainstorming.” (The New Yorker )
“A perfect distraction and inspiration, and a collection that begs to be shared.” (Denver Post )
“Perfect for the American attention span...Will thrill minimalists and inspire maximalists.” (Vanity Fair )
“These tiny windows into people’s lives are at once addictive and illuminating, challenging and accessible.” (Blackbook )
“Six-word review: Buy it, keep it in bathroom.” (Philadelphia Magazine )
“Smith seems to have struck a chord in the current zeitgeist, unleashing a torrent of self-expression not unlike the one launched by Frank Warren when he began inviting people to write their secrets on the back of postcards.” (Toronto Star )
“The brilliance is in the brevity.” (New York Post )
“Irresistibly clever.” (Chicago Tribune )
“A fabulously appealing exercise both for writers and for readers.” (Daily Telegraph (London) )
“The pithiest of life stories.” (O magazine )
“Compulsive reading...as insightful as any 300+ page biography.” (Publishers Weekly )
“You could spend a lifetime brainstorming.” (The New Yorker )
“A perfect distraction and inspiration, and a collection that begs to be shared.” (Denver Post )
“Perfect for the American attention span...Will thrill minimalists and inspire maximalists.” (Vanity Fair )
“These tiny windows into people’s lives are at once addictive and illuminating, challenging and accessible.” (Blackbook )
“Six-word review: Buy it, keep it in bathroom.” (Philadelphia Magazine )
“Smith seems to have struck a chord in the current zeitgeist, unleashing a torrent of self-expression not unlike the one launched by Frank Warren when he began inviting people to write their secrets on the back of postcards.” (Toronto Star )
“The brilliance is in the brevity.” (New York Post )
“Irresistibly clever.” (Chicago Tribune )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (69 customer reviews)
57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tell your story. Make it brief., May 21 2008
By Linda Bulger - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure (Paperback)
In November 2006, Smith Magazine challenged readers to write their memoirs in six words--no more, no less. One thousand of the submissions are printed here, with more to be found on their website. Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure is not an easy book to review, so don't think of this as an actual review; think of it a challenge. Here is a sampling of six-word memoirs from the book to provide inspiration.
Some writers tell their stories with humor and self-deprecation:
>> Woman Seeks Men--High Pain Threshold.
>> My first concert: Zappa. Explains everything.
>> Aging late bloomer yearns for do-over.
As you would expect, there are many bitter or bittersweet references to relationships gone bad:
>> Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said.
>> Just in: boyfriend's gay. Merry Christmas.
>> Let's just be friends, she said.
Some lucky people sent memoirs that radiate contentment.
>> Alone at home, cat on lap.
>> Hope my obituary spells "debonair" correctly.
>> Wasn't born a redhead; fixed that.
There is the contingent who describe themselves without judgment:
>> Gave commencement address, became sex columnist.
>> Mormon economist marries feminist. Worlds collide.
>> Still lost on road less traveled.
And last but not least, the philosophers who distill life experience into a greater truth:
>> Palindromic novels fall apart halfway through.
>> Cheese is the essence of life.
>> Wandering imagination opens doors to paradise.
We're all busy people, each with a story to tell. C'mon, what's yours?
Linda Bulger, 2008
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If I were you, I'd buy six copies., Feb 5 2008
By Joseph Ippolito - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure (Paperback)
In short, I love this book.
I'd have never imagined you could get so much out of six words. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
From clever and funny to poignant and sad, the breadth of the memoirs in this book is astounding. They truly make every word count. I should warn you, though: It's addictive. Countless times, I found myself sitting down, intending to read merely a few, only to find myself completely engrossed.
This is one of those books I think everyone should own. Whether you're on the bus in the morning or reading before bed, it provides the perfect break from the day.
It's a wonderful sampling of both established and up-and-coming talent. "Not Quite What I Was Planning" is chock-full of writers you love, writers you've never heard of, and--if six words can be considered a hint of things to come--writers you're soon going to be hearing much, much more about.
My six word review? "Buy this book. Seriously, do it."
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Addictive!, Feb 7 2008
By Susan Henderson "Up from the Blue (HarperColl... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure (Paperback)
Highly addictive. Hard not to read selections out loud to people sitting near you. Equally hard not to think of ways to condense your own life into six words. A bit of an emotional roller coaster, but in the best way.
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