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Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure [Paperback]

Rachel Fershleiser , Larry Smith
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 5, 2008

Deceptively simple and surprisingly addictive, Not Quite What I Was Planning is a thousand glimpses of humanity—six words at a time.

One Life. Six Words. What's Yours?

When Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too. The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving.

From small sagas of bittersweet romance ("Found true love, married someone else") to proud achievements and stinging regrets ("After Harvard, had baby with crackhead"), these terse true tales relate the diversity of human experience in tasty bite-sized pieces. From authors Jonathan Lethem and Richard Ford to comedians Stephen Colbert and Amy Sedaris, to ordinary folks around the world, everyone has a six-word story to tell.


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Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure + It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure + I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure
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Editorial Reviews

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.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—The editors of SMITH magazine invited readers to contribute brief life stories in the vein of Hemingway's bravura tale, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The hundreds selected for publication include offerings from children and adults, professional writers, bereaved parents, recovering broken hearts, and people with great pride in showing off their wit. Teens will recognize some of the "memoirists," including Janet Tashjian, author of The Gospel According to Larry (Holt, 2001), Ned Vizzini of It's Kind of a Funny Story (Hyperion/Miramax, 2006), and Deepak Chopra. The six words by the latter are followed by a handsome pun penned by his son: "Soul'd out so I could prophet." Some entries include cartoons, self-portraits taken with a camera, or other artwork. The index allows access by topic, some of which are adoption (two entries), coffee (five entries), and love (28 entries). A good combination of inspired, inspiring, and entertaining, this title is eminently browsable and shareable. It's a fine book to offer reluctant readers as well as teens who are interested in creative writing.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 225 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial (February 5, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061374059
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061374050
  • Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

This book is great fun to read yourself or to read aloud with others. RHCharnas  |  14 reviewers made a similar statement
I read a review of this book in The New Yorker; it convinced me to buy the book. Mary in Maine  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement
I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting, often stopping to read bits aloud to my husband. Myfanwy Collins  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 66 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Tell your story. Make it brief. May 21, 2008
Format: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
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars If I were you, I'd buy six copies. February 5, 2008
Format: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."
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive! February 7, 2008
Format: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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars For the minimalistic fan
I am a fan of obituaries and was led to this book in search of classic lines. This is not exactly what I was looking for, and some of the entries are not comprehensible. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Biotexts2
5.0 out of 5 stars Something to Savor
The six-word memoirs in this little book range from poignant to funny. It's something to keep handy are read when you have a few minutes, something to lighten your load. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Sxx words tell so much....
I like to be entertained when I read so I will move around from fiction to biographies to science and business but everyone in a while a quirky title gets my attention. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Tom G
3.0 out of 5 stars Meh.
Can be read in an hour. Less than half of the entries are remarkable at all. More of something you'd love to find in a waiting room or on a friend's coffee table than something... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Papaya Girl
3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay
The cover of the book was bent backwards when I received it, which for a perfectionist like me, was really bothersome. Also, the overall quality was just very low. Read more
Published 7 months ago by afussner
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging
Very engaging, entertaining and thought provoking. Many parts bear reading again and again. Some are funny, some sad; all are revealing.
Published 9 months ago by Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars "Take a left turn, then fly."
Here are some of my favorites:

"I was born with some assembly required."

"I live the perfect imperfect life."

"You are all in my imagination. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Debnance at Readerbuzz
5.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet.
I loved this book. I first heard about it because it was quoted in a section of my English 101 book. Right after I read the excerpt, I signed on to Amazon and ordered it. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Cassie
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating...and inspiring...what are YOUR six words??
I was intrigued by this premise. Inspired by Hemingway's famous six word story (For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn), Swift magazine challenged people to write their own life story in... Read more
Published on January 31, 2011 by Angela Wolf
5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing and Inspiring
I came across this book while browsing in a bookstore. I had previously heard of fifty five word short stories, Haiku and similar exercises in minimalist creativity, but six word... Read more
Published on September 10, 2010 by Dr. Bojan Tunguz
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blew my inheritance, so what now
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