‘If I get chlamydia, blame MySpace,’ is not what is normally expected when someone hears the word memoir.’ However, the creators of Smith Magazine have compiled thousands of memoirs that range from hilarious to tragic, each contained in only six words.
Smith Magazine editors Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser recounted the love stories behind their newest book, ‘Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak’ at the Brookline Booksmith Tuesday night.
The book compiles six word memoirs from contributors ranging from sex columnists and love experts to ordinary people.
Smith Magazine was inspired by a legend that Ernest Hemingway was asked to write a story with just six words. It read, in its entirety, ‘For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.’
Since 2006, the online magazine has challenged readers to submit their own six-word memoirs, and Smith and Fershleiser’s first book, ‘Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure,’ was published last year, drawing its content from the submissions.
After sifting through thousands of submissions, they began to notice themes, particularly love, Smith and Fershleiser said.
‘When we first approached the topic of love, there was some discussion that it’s just going to be this sweet, Valentine-y thing to put on front tables of bookstores,’ Fershleiser said. ‘But when you actually flip through the book, there’s a whole lot of misery going on, which I tend to like better.’
Scott O’Neil, an information technology manager from Waltham, said he submitted his six-word memoir for both books because he enjoyed the project. His six-word memoir, published in the book about love, was ‘they all came before they left,’ he said.
‘It opened up my emotional life a little bit more,’ O’Neil said. ‘It forced me to go back and live through those [memories] and experience them again.’
Universty of Massachusetts- Boston sophomore Sarah Roberts attended the event because she wanted to expand her mind and hear what the authors had to say.
‘The simplicity is really intriguing,’ Roberts said. ‘Love and heartbreak is a pretty deep topic, and there’s a lot to say about it, and after hearing and reading articles about it, I’m just really intrigued to be here.’
Boston University College of Communication graduate student Eric Schwartz said after reading the book he was interested in the way people compressed and chose their words to describe love.
‘It’s interesting to see what language people use to describe what’s near and dear to their hearts,’ Schwartz said. ‘Each author has a different experience, and at the same time, there’s consistency because it’s on the same subject.’
Even though the book may be too mature for children, Smith said that there was no specific age range for the book.
‘Everyone has a story and everyone should have a place to tell,’ he said. ‘That’s why we started the [Smith Magazine] site. The book helped make that mission come more true.’
Even when it became hard to choose which stories to print, Smith and Fershleiser read them all, they said.
‘Some people ask if we have some computer program or have like secret monkeys, but no, we go through them all, and we just pick them,’ Smith said. ‘There might be 30 great ones about being gay or cheating on their wives, but we just try to mix up the topics a little bit.’
Fershleiser said the book provides an easy means for people to communicate the message on love.
‘Love can get f —- up 78 ways from today, and you still want to do it,’ Fershleiser said.
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