book club - March/April

Susan was in charge of book club for this month and picked a good one! Not Quite What I Was Planning edited by Larry Smith

The subtitle to this book explains a lot: 6 Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. And that's literally what it is - 200+ pages of 6 words from various authors.

According to the editors of the book, who are also the editors of an online magazine SMITH Magazine, legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story in just 6 words and penned: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." This legend was the inspiration behind the book for which they solicited 6 word memoirs from well-known writers and celebrities as well as from their readers.

At no more than 30 words to a page (or no more than 45 if you include the writer of each entry), I was able to read the entire book in about 2 hours - not that it needs reading straight through. Actually, it's perfect for the "pick a random page, read a few entries, and move on" method of reading.

The entries range from silly to sweet to sad to pointed. Many leave you wondering about people's lives. There were quite a few that I identified with - "Overjoyed I'm not like my sister" (p. 117) or "Can't read all the time. Bummer" (p. 140) or "Must remember: people, gadgets. That order" (p. 195). Or ones that would work for people I know - "Four children in four decades; whew!" for Mom (p. 53) and "Girls aren't 6'; I am 5'12"" for my sister (p. 148).

One thing you can't do is read this without starting to pen your own 6-word memoir. Here's the few that I came up with:

• Too tall. Can't hardly touch toes.
• Friends. Roommates. Dating. Married. What next?
• Born "old." Rebelled some. Old again.
• Uncertainty is maddening. Need decisions soon.
• Youngest wants kids before parents go.
• NJ. TX. OH. MD. VA. CO?
• Three degrees equals well-paid, boring job.
• Love Winter. Need Spring, Summer, Fall.
• Too many countries, not enough time.