Susanna
Speier: An intense, amazing,
surprising book.
I
CAN'T
KEEP MY
OWN
SECRETS
Six-Word Memoirs
By Teens Famous & Obscure
Edited by Smith Magazine
The New York
Times bestseller NOT QUITE WHAT I
WAS PLANNING made six-word memoirs
an international phenomenon, as
people around the world embraced
this pithy new format. The editors
of the collection found that some of
the most poignant entries were
coming from teens-and so this newest
collection is entirely by and for
those smart, sassy, and angst-filled
truth tellers. From navigating the
hazardous halls of high school, to
dealing with extreme situations at
home, these writers may be young,
but their stories will resonate with
people of all ages.
A few sample memoirs:
I live bigger than your labels.
Aspiration: Colonize Mars. You're
not invited.
Fifteen and my mom has cancer.
Homecoming king with a septum ring.
Friend. Boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.
Friend. Friend's Boyfriend.
Reviews:
"Following two earlier
“six-word memoir” titles, this
addition collects supersuccinct
memoirs written by teenagers (who
are identified by their first names
and last initials). Like graffiti
scrawls on a bathroom wall, some are
funny (“Contemplated joining circus.
Foolishly chose college”), others
are poignant (“He said bye with
YouTube links,”), while many are
bluntly honest (“I regret sleeping
with my teacher”). Select b&w
illustrations are also included. The
range of powerful emotions,
expressed in just a few words, make
this an ideal pick for teens seeking
evocative, easily relatable stories.
Ages 12–up." (Sept.)
—Publishers Weekly
"It is amazing how much one can fit
into six words. This book by SMITH
Magazine, the creator of Not Quite
What I Was Planning (HarperCollins,
2008), offers teens the chance to
tell their life stories in six
words. Some are funny—"Can't chew
gum without blowing bubbles." Many
are sad—"College feels lonely, even
with friends." Others are
disturbing—"You made me stronger.
Thanks, rapist." All are intriguing.
Each one makes the reader think
about the story behind the story.
Nearly 800 teens shared their
six-word memoirs for other teens to
read. Other examples are, "Skinny
girl in a fat body"; "I am almost
always missing something"; "My true
colors are very bright!"; "My weird
elbows make me special"; and "But my
life's only just begun." Every teen
will find something to which they
can relate in this book. It is a
great book to pick up and sample but
not for reading cover to cover. The
stories are not organized in any
way, but an index points to specific
subjects. The editors invite teens
to submit their six-word memoirs at
smithteens.com/sixwords.
Teachers will find this collection
an inspiration for student writing
assignments or class discussions of
current issues facing teens.”
—Deborah L. Dubois,
VOYA
"SMITH, an "online magazine obsessed
with personal storytelling," invited
almost 800 teens, famous and not, to
take a page from Hemingway and
submit their own six-word memoirs.
These memoirs, printed on the page
asymmetrically, are mostly from
girls and reveal a wide range of
experiences and emotions. Some are
funny ("Aspiration: Colonize Mars.
You're not invited"), others are
poignant ("Laughed at abuser's
funeral. Felt guilty") and some are
provocative ("I live bigger than
your labels"). All leave readers
wondering about the circumstances in
the writers' lives that led them to
write those six (in places, seven)
particular words and what it says
about the lives they plan to lead in
the future. PostSecret readers will
love this book, which is one to pass
around and (unfortunately for
libraries) mark up. Some drawings
accompany the memoirs. A novelty,
yes, but one worth having in the era
of Twitter. (Nonfiction. YA)"
—Kirkus Reviews
"Gr 7 Up—Almost 800 authors, ranging
in age from 13 to 19, contributed to
this thought-provoking collection of
individual memoirs. Based on the
interest resulting from the
publication of Not Quite What I
Was Planning (HarperCollins,
2008), the editors of SMITH Magazine
decided to challenge teens to write
the story of their lives in a few
brief words. The result is a
compelling compendium that will
provoke laughter—"Mom just revoked
my creative license";
sadness—"Grandma is dying while I'm
out shopping"; and empathy and
thought—"In the nest, twigs are
sharp." Less than a dozen of the
selections, most of which are not as
good as those by "obscure" authors,
are written by famous teens. The
short length, relevant topics, and
authentic emotions will ensure that
this book will appeal to a wide
variety of teens, including
reluctant readers. English teachers,
theater teachers, and student
book-club sponsors will revel in the
instructional possibilities that
could spring from this anthology. It
may require some initial hand
selling, but ultimately this book
will find broad appeal in most
collections."
—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge
High School, Marriottsville, MD
About the Author:
SMITH Magazine founding editor
Larry Smith
has worked as an editor at Men's
Journal, ESPN: The Magazine, and
Might. His writing has appeared in
the New York Times, the Los Angeles
Times, Popular Science, on Salon.com,
and many other places. Larry lives
in New York City
Visit Smith
Magazine's
Website
