We're Not Getting Older, We're Getting Sixier
Tis the season for a collaboration with Oldster, your fall stories in six words, and the craft of "speaking" your first draft
A Mashup for the Ages: Six Words & Oldster
A few months ago, my dear friend Cheryl Hooker texted me this six word request: “Your next book please: getting older.”
She supported her desire with a series of “sixes” on aging, including:
Rummikub doesn’t count as date night.
Yeah, calling me ma’am? Ah, no.
60: space between youth and wisdom.
Dry humor spreads to other parts.
Shortly after these bursts of six-word wisdom arrived, I reached out to Sari Botton, a writer and editor I’ve known and loved for years and the force behind the hugely popular Substack, Oldster, tagline: “Exploring what it means to travel through time in a human body, at every phase of life.” We chatted and decided to invite both our communities to share their six words on aging, advice for a life well-lived, or a six word letter to your younger self. And so, I am delighted to share the guest column I wrote for Oldster and invite you to share your story in the post’s open thread feature — your six words on aging may even be included in a future six word book. And I encourage you to spend some time exploring Oldster’s deep well of interviews, essays, and podcasts that aren’t just for the AARP crowd but for people of all ages experiencing getting older. In other words: Oldster is for everyone.
SixContest #153: Fall Feels Like [Add Three Words]
What does fall mean to you? Does it conjure up memories of walking to school amidst swirling leaves? Or are you trying to forget how many pumpkin spice lattes you’ve already bought this week? For some, fall feels like the comfort of your favorite cozy sweater. For others, this time of year forebodes the stress of the coming holidays. In between episodes of Gilmore Girls and brainstorming Halloween costumes, tell us what fall means to you by responding to our latest Six-Word Memoir contest: “Fall Feels Like [Add Three Words].”
Sixers have embraced the start of the new season with nearly 600 memoirs so far, sharing stories of beginnings (“Fall feels like a story’s beginning.” -smileyRiley), endings (“Fall feels like summer’s bleak funeral.” –kaynojen), and the ways the season change us (“Fall feels like I’m the leaf.” -akakai).
What’s your fall story? Share it by October 31, and you could win the Six-Word Memoirs book of your choice.
Short Cuts: Six-Word Reviews
From Substack: A few weeks after Andrea Gibson decided to start the newsletter Things That Don't Suck, they were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Gibson, an activist, author, and Colorado's current Poet Laureat, wasn’t deterred from their goal: to capture a raw and beautiful view of gratitude and connection through writing. In addition to essays on identity, social justice, love, and their journey with cancer, their newsletter includes Gibson reciting poems that weave emotion, humor, and reflection in a single breath. Things That Don't Suck is a unique and intimate glimpse into how writing helps connect us with our communities and expresses our fears and dreams for a healing world. Gibson's biography summarizes their goal: "I want my heart to be covered in stretch marks."
Danielle’s Six-Word Review: "Writing honestly, speaking tenderly, living bravely."
From the World: The podcast Demography Unplugged is as broad and versatile as its namesake, demography meaning the composition of a particular human population. Demography Unplugged creator, Neil Howe, is a multipotentialite, having studied generational change, history cycles, demographic and economic trends, population aging, long-term economic policy, the impact of generational aging on social mood, and how institutions function. Howe’s broad range of interests are reflected in his newsletter which covers demographic, economic, and generational trends, as well as Howe’s personal reflections and predictions.
Leah’s Six-Word Review: “A wide lens on human behavior.”
Craft of Writing: Speak Your First Draft
A lot of this block surely derives from pressure: pressure to write the perfect essay, pressure to draft the perfect email, and even pressure to write the perfect Six-Word Memoir. And yet, a lot of this tension can be eased if you allow yourself to be imperfect. A great way to do this is by speaking your first draft.
Forgo the pressures of perfectionism and speak or write without fear. Rather than writing and rewriting sentences in your head, get the words down as quickly and as imperfectly as you can. Speaking your first draft allows you to let go of your fears and share your truest self.
It can also help refine your voice. No one talks (or writes!) exactly like you do, and a strong, individualized voice often makes for great writing, including great Six-Word memoirs. Here are six examples of Six-Word Memoirs by authors with a “write like you talk” style. —Leah Schroeder, Six-Word Memoir intern
Seventeen: the hardest thing I’ve ever been. –Lunette
What I miss always took time. –Mrread
Barrister, barista, what’s the diff, Mom? –AbigailM
Writing is cheaper than a therapist. –JohnBigJohn
Asking my teenager, she knows everything. —MargieG
My brain’s a box of crayons. –AyanaM
Parting Shot: JQY in Six Words
