Six-Word Memoirs

Over a year ago, my friend copperwise IMed me with a succinct phrase: "6 Word Memoirs."

copperwise: 6 word memoirs.
talkstowolves: 6 word memoirs?
copperwise: Yes.
copperwise: Mine is: Never played well with others. So?
talkstowolves: Hah!
talkstowolves: I must think of mine.

I didn't actually think of mine at that point, though. I was distracted by the horrors and tedium of my current teaching job at the Crossroads School, so "6 word memoirs" completely slipped my mind until copperwise linked me to the recent contest at Powells to get your Six-Word Memoir published and told me to go play.

I hadn't realized this mini-memoir phenomenon was the subject of whole books! Yes, plural. It seems the editors have collected enough short sentences encapsulating entire lives to fill at least three and a half books so far: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Both Famous and Obscure (a revised and expanded edition of the original), Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak by Writers Both Famous and Obscure, and the forthcoming I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure. And it doesn't stop there; if you check the Six-Word Memoirs website, you'll find tons of user-generated content, so many tiny life-sentences.

I was inspired. Who, in this era of blogging and memery, wouldn't be tempted by the exercise of succinctly capturing one's life in six words? I wasn't only tempted. I was hooked!

I penned five tiny memoirs for the contest, then chose the one I liked best to submit.

This? I asked for a lesson. (The submitted piece.)
I danced in dreams. They ended.
I believed in life; life, complications.
A dynamic dervish whirls indefinitely still.
Industrious bee encoded life in honey.

I don't think I'm done with this particular exercise, though. The practice of trying to write such a precise, evocative sentence is invaluable practice for a writer and the memery aspect lends an extra element of socialization and fun. And, so, in that spirit:

What's your Six-Word Memoir?

RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY: Magic in the Bard's Name (A Review, Part III)

You guys remember Ravens in the Library, right? If you're not sure what I'm talking about, allow me to sum up: S.J. Tucker, traveling musician and fire-spinner extraordinaire, became terribly ill this past winter and had to undergo several very expensive medical procedures. Unfortunately, she did not have health insurance (which is the lamentable lot of many, many people in this country); what she did have, however, were amazing friends (writers, editors, and artists among them) and fans who created and bought a benefit anthology to assist her in paying off her medical debt.

Ravens in the Library is that anthology. It is a limited edition collection edited by SatyrPhil Brucato and Sandra Buskirk, available only until Tucker's medical expenses have been covered. This is my review: specifically, the third part. Click on the following links to read the prior sections of this review: [Part I] [Part II]

As important as the stories to Ravens in the Library is the artwork: visual artists were part of this community that came together and donated their pens and paints and finished art to the cause of rescuing S.J. Tucker from overwhelming medical debt. (Note: Although this anthology only evidenced the participation of editors, writers, and artists in the "Save our s00j !" campaign, you only have to visit the saveours00j community to discover how musicians, Tarot readers, knitters, balm-makers, etc. also bound together in support.)

James A. Owen (of Imaginarium Geographica and Starchild fame) turned out an awesome cover set for the anthology: his image of ravens cavorting in a library while books fly about captures the whimsy of the titular song beautifully. While his brother Jeremy colored the cover set in dark and appropriate hues accentuating James' penwork, even James' simple inked drawing is excellent in itself (as you can see paired with Tucker's song in the opening pages of the collection). Owen also provided an illustration for Valente's "The Ballad of the Sinister Mr. Mouth," perfectly capturing the menace and style of that macaw-headed pirate.

Bryan Syme, tattoo artist from Seattle, provided the playful yet macabre illustration "The Ominous Toaster" to accompany Neil Gaiman's story. A simple push-lever toaster lurks in the foreground, while a scene in stark black and white of dark and stormy night tropes (complete with murdered brother and raven-watching-a-writing-desk) blaze forth from the background. While Syme provides another three pieces for the anthology, this is the best and most evocative of the story it depicts.

He works with the editor, Brucato, to bring us his second illustration "Hind and Seek" accompanying the songs "Creature of the Wood" and "Daughter of the Glade." A satyr and a nymph play hide and seek around a tree in this very competent illustration full of movement and mischief. His next illustation, for Storm Constatine's "Built on Blood," is entirely too busy, especially when squeezed onto a 9x6 page next to the story. (Also, I'm unsure where the upside down blazing car with punk demonic protesters came from. I don't recall that scene in Constantine's story.) In some ways, his last illustration ("Best Friends") for Brucato's "Ravenous" attempts to convey the most emotion and yet comes across the flattest. The expression in the faery girl's eyes is almost vacant, while the lounging posture of the angsty hard-rocker belies the sincerity of her tears.

( Read the rest of the art reviews behind the cut... )

We are finally coming to the end of my surprisingly-thorough review of Ravens in the Library; I honestly had no idea it was going to be this long when I began composing the first part several days ago. There is only one section now that I wish to comment upon, and that is editor SatyrPhil Brucato's Introduction, "Voices, Magic, and Change."

This is a truly excellent introduction. It seeks to introduce you to S.J. Tucker, the brilliant musician and amazing person, and situate her in a generous and loving social context. It succeeds at this, but then goes beyond to address a truly heinous problem: the lack of affordable healthcare for so many across the United States, who don't necessarily have the same far-reaching and supportive community by which S.J. Tucker is blessed to be surrounded. Brucato illuminates this problem for us, then shouts forth a call to action: to be aware of each other, to be generous to each other, to take care of each other. Each other is all we have. I thank Brucato for his stirring words and I hope they warm the souls of those who read them... so that they, in turn, can spread that fire into the greater community, spreading love.


Other reviews of Ravens in the Library:
talkstowolves: Part I of my review. And Part II.
k_crow's review blurbs.
thewronghands' thoughts.
maverick_weirdo 's write-up.
jennifer_brozek's preliminary thoughts.
(Anyone know of any other reviews? Let me know and I'll add them here!)