Six Little Words

February 26, 2008

Three Little Words, is an MGM musical from 1950 that tells the true story (meaning it totally fictionalizes) of songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (together they wrote “Who’s Sorry Now,” “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” and “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” among others). Kalmar is played by Fred Astaire, Red Skelton is Ruby, and the musical numbers are splashy (in glorious technicolor), featuring a pert Debbie Reynolds (is there any other kind of Debbie Reynolds?) as Helen Kane (the girl who goes “boop boop be doop” in those old cartoons), Vera Ellen (marvelous dancer), the flame-red haired Arlene Dahl, and one of my favorites, singer Gloria De Haven, playing HER OWN MOTHER (and singing “Who’s Sorry Now”).

<–Gloria DeHaven

Click to see Ms. Dehaven sing a torch song in 1994. She still had it then (and she’s still going strong now).

Six little words are all it takes to write a six word memoir. I had my creative writing class write six word memoirs and used the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Famous and Obscure Writers (from Smith Magazine). Got the book from Felicia Sullivan (thanks again!), who knows a thing or two about memoirs (she has a knockout memoir, The Sky Isn’t Visible From Here, just out– more on that in another post).

The class LOVED doing these. And they were so good at it. It was only the third week of class, so many of the students are still somewhat tentative, shy, and reserved about sharing their writing, or at least reading it aloud. But this really brought people out of their shell.

I’d love to share some of their six word memoirs, but I didn’t get permission from them (and actually I don’t really publicize my blog when i’m teaching). I encouraged them to submit their six word memoirs on the Smith Magazine website (very cool website). If you haven’t seen the book, check it out in the bookstore or order it.

BTW: Felicia– I couldn’t find yours in the book– what page is it on? You know i’m getting old; me eyes ain’t what they used ta be.

Here are a some from the book:

Dad died, mom crazy, me, too. — Moby

Born in California. Then nothing happened.– Mark Harris

Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched. — Amy Sedaris

He Wore Dresses. This caused messes. — Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Many hands have kept me afloat. — Nick Flynn

Quietly cultivating my inner Lynda Carter. –Joanna Sheehan

Here are a couple I wrote in class the day I assigned it to my students:

Wanted a monkey. My life story.

I wish I had invented mustard.

Child star by eleven. Never happened.

(I wonder if they make sense to those who know me?)

**Now you try it.