The Six-Word Pandemic Book Is Here
A powerful time capsule of our shared experience that's more timely than anyone wanted
New Release! Six-Words Memoirs on the Pandemic by Teachers, Students, and Parents
The tenth book in the Six-Word Memoir series tells the story of a world we never expected to be in and can’t stop talking about. Told through the lens of students, teachers, and parents, A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year features hundreds of inspirational, playful, and profound takes on life during the pandemic in words and illustrations (like this gem from Darshana Chandra, age 10, below)
Pre-order sales are vital to a book’s success. Please support this book and help the humbling and important words of teachers, students, and parents travel far (or at least to your coffee table).
“Hand sanitizer scarred me for life,” by Darshana Chandra
Make Your Own Classroom Book!
We’ve created a way for any classroom to make their own Six-Word Memoir book. Making a book to celebrate students’ individual identities and a classroom’s collective spirit is, for starters, a blast. I’ll stop typing now so you can listen to me talk in this video.
Get Your Free Classroom Kit
Classroom of the Month: Kansas City Art Institute’s Fantastic Sixers
“In my years of teaching, this is by far my favorite project to give my students,” Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) Associate Professor John Ferry shares. “And I feel like I get the best response from it.” Many of the illustrated memoirs on the Six-Word Memoirs site comes from KCAI’s inspired art students. Ferry encourages his students to consider their personal narratives and experiences. Furthermore, thanks to Ferry’s mentorship, KCAI students learn the process for submitting professional work in their future careers.
Read the rest of the story on our Six in Schools blog, and see how other teachers across the world are using the form to instruct and engage their students.
Six In Schools is hiring!
We’re ramping up our Six In Schools program and actively recruiting for these three roles:
• Community Relationship Manager to work with teachers
• Digital Marketing Specialist to work on Six In Schools outreach
• Book Production Associate to help get the books produced and returned to thousands of proud & published young authors
Short Cuts: Six-Word Reviews
From the world: Faking an identity is tough, but never impossible. The question, which Spotify podcast Impostors: The Commander pursues, is how many imposters do we walk past everyday? Narrated by journalists Alex French and Abby Ellin, this gritty true crime podcast (whose second season is based on Ellin’s book, Duped) delivers raw conversations and confrontations as you follow the hosts through their cases and meet interesting characters along the way. Each podcast season unravels the life of a new swindler, following their breadcrumbs until the truth is finally unmasked and their intentions are exposed. Exciting audio clips from actual interviews and conversations bring the podcast to life, and the hosts’ peppered-in retrospections offer a unique look into their journalist minds.
Six Word Memoirs Ayusha Mahajan's review: “Narrative journalists dissect scandalously manipulative identities.”
From Substack: When you read the word "miscellaneous," you might think of the random bits and pieces found at the bottom of your bag. However, Michael Tucker's Substack newsletter Miscellanea is anything but jumbled ramblings. Miscellanea is witty prose, stunning photographs, and evidence of growth and self-expression. Most recently, the New Orleans photographer chronicles his experiences with Hurricane Ida. He shares photos of an abandoned yet tense neighborhood, describes card games and drinks with a hotel's skeleton crew, and offers a photo of one last sunset before evacuating his home. The past few years' events have undoubtedly shaped our lives—for the worse and sometimes for the better —but Tucker offers an insightful look into our adaptability and willingness to change.
Six-Word Memoirs' Danielle Shum's Six-Word Review: “Journey for catharsis and self-growth continues.”
Six-Word Search: “Live, Laugh, Love”
September may be ending soon, but redundantly simple quotes are forever. As that sage soul in the insurance ad wonders: Do we really need a sign to live, laugh, and love? No, but we do need a Six-Word Search about these three words.
Live, laugh, love, look for lunch — Z18
Live, laugh, love. Keep it balanced. — SugarHigh
Live, Laugh, Love, Listen: Our World. — briele
Live, Laugh, Love, Eat, Sleep, BE! — Scott_Dickie
Live, laugh, love. Or just sleep. — smrtspeaker
Live, laugh, love: verve, mirth, heart — Janna
Live, laugh, love. Oh, if only… — kellbell22
Live, Laugh, Love. Eat dessert first — Kristine Frye
Danielle’s Craft of Writing Tip: Everyday Muses
As creative minds, we strive for muses. But you don't have to search the whole world just to find inspiration for your next project! Look for your daily inspiration.
Whether it's an intriguing quote from an aged book or the whisper of an artist's brush against the canvas, cling to your muse and try to understand why it calls to you. For me, it's practically ingrained in my daily routine: if I pass by a leaf which catches the sunlight at just the right angle or a flower which grows between the cracks of pavement, I feel compelled to stop and observe. Scribble down your revelation or snap a quick picture.
In a world constantly delivering massive amounts of information, news, and hilarious cat videos, it's easy for these spontaneous moments to be swept away. It might be the timbre of someone's voice or the crisp arrival of fall. The next time you're looking for inspiration (perhaps for your next memoir, in six words or more,) look for the details that demand emotion and attention.