6 word memoirs

Memoir (noun)

1. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation.

2. Usually

   1. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography.

   2. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.

3. a biography or biographical sketch.

Ernest Hemmingway:

"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

The success of Ernest Hemingway’s story lies in the multiple questions and possible meanings that lie between the lines.

• Why is the narrator selling the shoes?

  • Is the baby grown?
  • Did the baby die?
  • Did the baby simply go barefoot?
  • Was the baby never able to walk?

• Is the narrator

  • the mother?
  • the father?
  • the sibling?
  • the former baby?

• Is the story about:

  • the end of childhood?
  • the end of parenthood?
  • the end of innocence or justice or happiness or all of the above?

Synonym

• A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another

  • joyful, elated, glad

• Synonyms can be any part of speech (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or prepositions), as long as both members of the pair are the same part of speech.

• Synonyms do express similar meanings but they also vary according to connotation, register, and sound/rhythm.

Constructing Six-Word Memior

• Consider the similarities and differences within word groups on the basis:

  1. Connotation: the emotional or personal associations the word carries, beyond its literal definition

  2. Register: the level of formality or informality associated with the word.

  3. Sound and rhythm: the way words sounds can contribute to their appropriateness

• Create a six word memoir, taking into account word choice and message.