Six words

Smith Magazine has a site and a book full of six-word memoirs. It could be apocryphal, but it's said that Hemingway thought this was the best story he ever wrote: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Now that's a solid short story.

I think memoirs are less amenable to the form; it's a writer's prerogative to quickly dismiss others, but it reads like low self-esteem to do the same to yourself. The best entries in the book--which is my bathroom reading--are either flip ("Brought it to a boil, often," Mario Batali) or esoteric ("Eat mutate aura amateur auteur true," Jonathan Lethem - I like how he hid the word "mature" in there without using it). Not many of the very serious entries are successful (notable exception: "I still make coffee for two" Zak Smith).

Composing six-word stories has become a writer's game, and it's fun for the subway when there isn't a crossword handy. Which there wasn't this morning. So here's my work product from the V train.

The story of a rehabilitated kingpin: Lost the G's in his Rolodex.

A tale of Iroquois retreat: They packed when the drumbeats quickened.

A presidential biography: He didn't know and didn't mind.

A statement of personal belief: I believe in miracles, like evolution.

Anybody care to add?

UPDATE: Serendipitously, the NY Times got in on the action this morning with this masterpiece: "This is William Kristol's last column." Rejoice!