Six-Word Personal Essay (& More)

This week after reading, annotating, and discussing a chapter, "Old Father, Old Artificer," from Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir Fun Home you each wrote down particular memories about a particular relationship in your own life. Then we arranged those memories two different ways: chronologically and in another manner of your choice. I told you that next week we'll be using these memories to write two personal essays, each of which will be fewer than 750-words. I told you that personal essays consist of vivid, suggestive storytelling and thoughtful, insightful reflection. Then we dug back into Bechdel's graphic memoir for examples of both. I then said we'd deal with the personal essay assignment more deeply next week but that you could get started.

Because it's difficult to compress our memories into so few words we're going to practice concision by writing six six-word memoirs. Choose six memories (or scenes) from your brainstorm. Turn each of the six memories into a six-word mini-personal experience essay about that memory. Due Monday (either typed or neatly handwritten).

Example: Let's say I want to write about my relationship with my first AP English Language and Composition class. Now let's say I choose, as one of my memories, Friday's class. I might write: Note to self: Manage time better.

Here are five more six-word compositions about my relationship with AP English Language:
My Southie memories are not MacDonald's.
Spent summer thinking about food, ecosystems.
I want to write like Galeano.
Barack Obama's mantra: "Pass this bill."
Webs. Soap. Stones. Triangles. Child labor. 

Below you'll find links to more examples of six-word memoirs.

Six-Word Memoirs at Smith Magazine

Six-Word Teen Memoirs at Smith Magazine

Six-Word Memoirs from Not Quite What I Was Planning (scroll down for examples)

Six-Word Memoirs at National Public Radio (with art!)

Have fun. Be inventive. Be introspective. Be insightful. Be clever. Avoid being boring.