I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure

Six-Word Memoirs

by Rachel Fershleiser (Editor), Larry Smith (Editor)

From the editors of the international phenomenon and New York Times bestseller Not Quite What I Was Planning comes a collection of six-word memoirs created by and for teens.

From cancer to creativity, prom dates to promiscuity, and breaking hearts to breaking laws, the memoirs in this collection reveal that often the youngest writers have the most fascinating stories to tell.

One life. Six words. What's yours?

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry, Teen, Biography Memoir, Biography, Anthologies

182 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title captures what the book is about, but it doesn't prepare you for the loss, humor, passion, and longing expressed by teens-- six words at a time.

One favorite, "I never got my Hogwarts letter."

*sigh* Me, neither.

[Jackie "the Librarian" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not a happy teenager. I was miserable, starting seventh grade at a new school, not knowing anyone, with acne. Life has only gotten better since then. If you had to write a memoir of your life in six words, what would you say? How much of yourself would you reveal? Written by teens, these six-word memoirs open a little window into the lives of these teenagers, ranging from the banality of high school life to really dark stuff. Reading this makes me SO glad not to be a teenager anymore. Not that I'm really all that different, fundamentally...

Some are positive, and take me back to being an awkward teenager:
- My weird elbows make me special. - Julie W. (p. 98)
- Nerdy, obsessive, awkward. So much fun. - Samantha P. (p. 71)
- Hair's pink to piss you off. - Stephanie N. (p. 92)
- On Facebook. Nobody chatting with me. - Danielle C. (p. 175).

Some are painfully honest, and some are heartbreaking. Lots and lots and lots of teenage angst and heartbreak:
- Would be happier with her sister. Landon O. (p. 132)
- Always the friend, never the girl. Kristy D. (p. 130)
- I regret sleeping with my teacher. Jordan F. (p. 70)

Personal favorites:
- I still read children's fiction books. - Jenna P. (p. 160)
- Octopus are my number one fear. - Benjamin M. (p. 157)
- Late to school every single day. - Mindy T. (p. 81)
- Marching band has saved my life. - Kristin H. (p. 62)

There are some memoirs by famous teens, most of whom I have NO idea who they are. Okay, I know who Taylor Swift is (My diary is read by everyone, p. 179). They aren't any more thoughtful or profound than the non-famous teens.
As a librarian, I love that this book has an index, so you can look up topics such as Age, Death, Eating Disorders, Gay, Love, Namecalling, Sarcasm and cynicism, Sex, Siblings, and Weight. If teenagers have a preoccupation with it, it's in the index.
There's also space for readers to write their own memoir, which you can then submit at www.smithteens.com. If you are a teen. Which, I repeat, I am not. But my teenage self would have said: Busy reading until life gets better.
And, it did.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these were very surprising to me. And they probably shouldn't have been. But a few were a lot more well written than the ones by any of the adults.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could you write a memoir using six words? I'm not sure I could. What would I say about myself in six words? At first it seems simple and it could be it - I can say a lot about myself in six words depending on the day and my mood. But to say something meaningful or important, that takes time and thought - every word needs to count. That is what this book is about. 600 six word memoirs written by teens ages 13 to 19. Some memoirs are simple and fun. I laughed when I read this one "I seriously love school bean burritos." (Kenna J) I remember how I used to "seriously love" school french fries slathered in gravy. Gross I know, but I still appreciate enjoying a greasy treat in the middle of the day. Some of the entries are painfully honest "Called him, but he hung up" (Amanda B.) and some are brillant "My mind soars on paper airplanes". (Bridget H.) And yes, some are not nice "Aspiration: colonize Mars. You're not invited." (Jordan H.)

After reading this book , I wonder what I would write? Maybe something like this.... "Most happy with book in hand". (Christy G.)

Highly recommended.

[Eden Bissell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just what it says: teenagers describe their lives in six words. It wasn't beautiful, I can't call it that, because while some parts were in fact beautiful, other parts were ugly. I think that's why I liked it so much. It was so honest. And the ugly mixed with the beautiful is such an accurate portrayal of life. I do not advise reading this book unless you have a copy that you can mark in. I went through with a highlighter and marked it up, writing question marks next to the more ambiguous memoirs and highlighting ones I loved or understood or appreciated. In that sense, every time I reread this it will feel like I'm reading my own diary - because I am expressing things I've felt through each of these other kid's words. I loved this book. It's easy to read in an hour or two. I will reread it over and over and highlight and rehighlight. Read this.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, it is 6 word memoirs from teens. Excellent for book talking to all agees of teens! Here are jsut a few.

Five elementary schools and two obituaries.

Hung myself.
Sister found me.
Alive.

I wish "sir" was "dad" instead.

Homecoming King with a septum ring.

Read "lord of the Flies". Threw up.

Defined by numbers:
age,
weight,
SAT

Am a ballerina, still totally clumsy.

I miss all my imaginary friends.

Praying that "adulthood" does not mean "amnesia"

[Yan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of humor, sass, and anguish. We start off with a 6 word memoir by none other than Ernest Hemingway “For sale: baby shoes, never worn”. It was a perfect starting point and a challenge to every other teen to mimic Hemmingway’s short story. How much of the truth can you hide in just 6 words? A lot it seems.

Contemplated joining the circus. Foolishly chose college—Sally C.

My dad has more MySpace friends—Darlye J.

These are just two 6-word memoirs that popped out for me. This book has something for everyone with such a diverse voice of which hundreds (800 I believe) teens spoke out and gave their life story. Teens across the country can relate to at least one memoir out of the many. You may see both familiar and unfamiliar names as you embark on a read of their worlds, their life stories, their 6 word memoirs.

The famous teens gave some of the uninspiring meant to be inspiring 6 words that elicited a yawn. I wanted something more powerful but what can you do. Luckily it was just a mere few pages with the rest as mesmerizing as can be.

Overall: Addicting and with such a short read, this book packs a punch.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've adored SMITH Mag's six-word memoirs for a while, and last fall they launched SMITHTeens.com to collect material for a new book written entirely by teenagers. In one year, more than 65,000 memoirs have been posted. The site is worth visiting daily for intense, from-the-heart writing. Founding Editor Larry Smith calls the teens who've submitted memoirs "honest and brave and funny and intense and awesome."

That's pretty much how we feel about the book that has come out of these submissions, I Can't Keep My Own Secrets (HarperTeen, $9), which hits shelves tomorrow.

Smith says one of his favorite memoirs right now is "Living my dream, please send money. --Brittney L." If I had to pick out one or two, I'd go with "I'm only popular during summer camp. --Beatrice M." and "My scars: Everybody stares. Nobody asks. --Bonnie B." Or okay, let me just list three, because I also love "Two cheerleading sisters. I chose acting. --Maggie M." Truly, every page of this book has heartfelt, touching, chilling, witty memoirs. Even celebrities like Taylor Swift penned some six-worders, but I'll stop giving spoilers. Just get this book!

[gwayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess six-word memoirs are all the rage right now. Most of these ones by teenagers are pretty much what you'd expect--melodramatic, confessional, self-important. They're about school, love, sex, parents, expectations, not fitting in. There is a hilarious index in the back of the book: my favorite entry is "namecalling." I don't know why I was so amused by that; I guess because it's kind of an antiquated term.

Several were rather lovely and mysterious ("I'm deaf, but she can't hear"; "I can't look at babies anymore"; "The fireworks were gone by then"), though, and I laughed out loud a few times ("Call me 'hippie.' I. Dare. You."; "I am in a love pentagon"; "Mom just revoked my creative license"; "My Dad has more MySpace friends"). My very favorite was probably "Childhood fantasy: Living in a library." Hell, yes. (The one from Disney's Beauty and the Beast?)

I don't know why the editors added ones from "famous" (I didn't recognize most of the names) teens; those "memoirs" were absolutely trite and embarrassing. But this little volume, which I read in an hour, does make me curious about the other six-word memoir collections in this series.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so pure and meaningfull, just this kind of book that can be a great inspiration when you‘re running out of ideas. So powerful! Definitley gonna read the other parts!!

[Ms. Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

These six-word memoirs are sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic, but always powerful. Here are some favorites from amongst the 800 in the collection:

"Met online; love before first sight."
"Hair's pink to piss you off."
"I fulfilled my awkwardness quota today."
"I'm seventeen, engaged, and not pregnant."
"My mom had my boyfriend deported."
"Late for school every single day."
"According to Facebook, we broke up."

Listen to the editor explain the book and read a few six-word memoirs at http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_rea...

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What an amazing book and I'm soooo envious that people can sum up their feelings/life in 6 words. I wonder how long it took some of them. Some of the memoirs are funny, silly, poignant, gut-wrenching, and weary. A must read!!! I think our students should do this and I compile it into a notebook of some kind.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book, hilarious and heartbreaking, I want to write my own six word memoir now. I will definitely take this on outreaches and have teens write their own six word memoirs, maybe I could even turn it into a program at the library or do it for a teen tuesday activity. I can't believe six words can say so much...

[Shayne Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing read! This little gem is a collection of teens' six-word memoirs. It's fun to go through them to get a quick glance at teen life; however, several pieces gave me chills and made me linger a bit. This book reminds us that some teens are torn apart by their daily lives. Their words are so powerful.

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book
That's my 6 word review

[Ashley Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great quick read, some are interesting. :)

[mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUKAAAAAAA


#sixword nya ada yang tragis, sedih, miris, satir, lucu... tapi bagus. bikin merenung dan tertawa.

habis baca ini langsung mencoba buat sixword juga tapi nggakbisa wqwq

[Kara Belden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed and cried in one sitting!

[Tena Edlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve done the 6-word memoir activity with my students in the past, and it was good to read a book that goes with that activity. So many variety. Some were funny, some were shocking, some were heartbreaking. The book made me remember all my teen angst. 😉

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories can be brief and powerful.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read. Some of the memoirs were poignant, but many were just melodramatic.

[Brie & Gabbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes but 15 minutes to read, but it is beautiful and unique. This book is not one I would take out money to buy, but I would sit down and spend my fifteen minutes reading it if I found it while browsing the bookstore or library. I recommend this book to everyone. I even believe that you WILL find at least one memoir in this book that speaks to you and you truly relate to.

[Mr. Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imma need 30 of these thanks.

[Jennifer Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Profound joy and pain in fun size.

[Bonnie Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I ever read. This book kept my mind thinking and analyzing each six word memoirs.This book is composed of many six word memoirs, written by all different authors. Each memoir has its own story-happy,miserable,heartbreaking and so forth. Although the stories are not clear, the 6 word memoirs allowed me to creatively come up with a possible scenario that fits the 6 word memoir.On the other hand, some memoirs are really clear to me and I can relate to them. For example, some of my favorites are I'm secretly much older than 15 years old, Follow your dreams,not your parents,Fell down. Got up. Kept dreaming. Some days sucked. Sun still rose. Can finally say I beat depression.A roller coaster ride of unbelievable events.I just want to feel infinite. and A time machine would be nice. The reason is these phrases can be applied to my life as well and I totally understand the feeling of that quote. Unfortunately, there are quotes that tell really sad stories. For example, Hung myself. Sister found me. Alive. Teen victim of shooting. Lost leg.ADD,OCD. Sucks to be me. Found out I had cancer. Damn. Regardless of the memoir, I think that the authors are really brave, as some of these stories are personal, but they still shared it with us. This book taught me that everyone has a story to tell-happy,sad,disappointing, or miserable.

[Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fast read, and you might be tempted to think of it as "fluff" that has no meaning-- until you actually pick it up and delve into it. Smith magazine invited readers to sum up their lives in six words--no more, no less-- and the results are a glimpse into the hearts and minds of teen from every walk of life. If you care about even one teenager, you'll want to read this book.
Major Characters:
With 600 different authors, there are no characters that stand apart except the unspecified and ever different "him", "her", "Mom" and "Dad" that are mentioned in some of the writings.
Key Issues:
This book has so many key issues: love, suicide, war, growing up, teen pregnancy, rising above, strength, angst, etc.; that there are NO key issues to stand out from the herd, so to speak-- it raises all kinds of issues to think about in terms of teenagers and how they are affected.

This book would be a great spring-board for discussion with most high-schoolers.

[MEGGGGGG :D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A newspaper asked teens to write their life's story, but using only six words. Those stories were all published in this book. 'I Can't Keep my own Secrets' is the inspiring stories of over 300 people. It proves that you don't need a whole book to tell a powerful story. This book is filled with tales of hardship, secrets, and teenage drama. I enjoyed this book because I found it interesting to read about more than just one person. It's interesting to sort of get to know a person, when you've only heard six words from them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes poetry books, has some problems in their own life, or someone who feels that they can't stick with one book for a long time. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because I thought it was very interesting, but some of the little memoirs in it were not as powerful as others. Overall, this was a very good book though.

[The Dreamer Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a firework show of awesome!

The Good: This is my first anthology and it totally sky rocketed through my expectations.

Some made me want to track down these people and just give them a huge hug. Some made my day a whole lot brighter and better. Some really hit the nail on the head, made me think, "Damn straight!", and give them a huge round of applause. Some just made me snort milk out my nose because they were hilarious!

But, what all of them did was make me feel less alone.

The Bad: It may be a little too short for some... but, that's okay since it's a paperback! But yeah, it flies by really quickly (I read it in under 30 minutes) and by the time you blink, you're done.

Overall: Read this book. You will love it.

Grade: A+

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled by six word quotes about 600 different teens.

This was a fast and fun little book. At times making you laugh and other times making your eyes well up. Who knew that 6 words could say so much.


Some of my favorites:

"Laughed at all the wrong moments." -Kierra B.

"I never got my Hogwarts letter." -Deanna H.

"The Beatles really said it all." -Mary Kate C.

"Holden caught me in the rye." -Brittany F.

"I lost more than my innocence." -Angela G.

I don't know if I would recommend you buying it, unless you really want a book with fun quotes. Convince your library to buy a couple copies and then check it out. This book is a good choice.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of in awe about reading all of the six-word memoirs in this book. I didn't know how only six words can express something so powerful in a persons life. Some of them were cute, well-played, happy, deep, and strong in wording. Some of them made my stomach drop because they were so good and/or so deep. I think poetry is a good mechanism to let it all out when you don't want to, especially for teenagers when they have a lot of changes going on with their lives. And these six-word memoirs were written by teenagers so it shows what they are dealing with, good or bad. This is a good read if you like to be moved (I guess you can say it that way...haha).