It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure - Softcover

Smith, Larry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061719439 ISBN 13: 9780061719431

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2010

Synopsis

Thousands of people around the world responded to SMITH Magazine's call for six-word memoirs. Following up on the smashing success of the New York Times bestseller Not Quite What I Was Planning, here are more memoirs from Sarah Silverman, Junot Diaz, Neil Patrick Harris, Suze Orman, Gay Talese, Tony Hawk, Amy Tan—and hundreds of never-before-published writers.

Funny and bittersweet, witty and wild, or downright tragic, these addictive life stories are both monumental and miniscule. Six-word memoirs have become a global phenomenon, offering anyone and everyone a telling peek at humanity and a chance to find the writer within.

,,Father: ‘Anything but journalism.' I rebelled.', —Malcolm Gladwell

,,Live man's life in woman's body!', —Diane von Furstenberg

,,Met wife at her bachelorette party.', —Eddie Matz

,,The miserable childhood leads to royalties.', —Frank McCourt

,,I never checked my lottery ticket.', —Casey Burra

,,Shiny head. Hippie hair. Shiny head.', —Wally Lamb

,,Bipolar, no two ways about it.', —Jason Owen

,,So would you believe me anyway? ,, —James Frey

,,Can't look at heart donor's picture.', —Tonia Hall

,,Healed with steel, then got real.', —Dr. Mehmet Oz

,,I still practice my Oscar speech.', —Jennifer Labbienti

,,I've done it all except hear.', —Marlee Matlin

About this title

About the Author

LARRY SMITH is an adjunct associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo and a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award. During his longstanding tenure, Smith has taught and counselled more than 23,000 students on the subject of their careers, representing more than 10 percent of UW’s alumni. Smith has worked with more than 500 teams of student entrepreneurs, advising them as they have created companies of significant size and success across industries as broad-reaching as communications, software, robotics, entertainment, design and real estate. Smith is also president of Essential Economics Corporation, an economic consulting practice that serves a wide range of public and private clients. “Why You Will Fail to have a Great Career,” his TEDx Talk based on his experience counselling students, has been viewed by over six million people.

Rachel Fershleiser is SMITH's memoir editor and has written for the Village Voice, the New York Press, Print, and the National Post. Rachel lives in New York City.

Review

“Will thrill minimalists and inspire maximalists.” (Vanity Fair)

“The brilliance is in the brevity.” (New York Post)

“A perfect distraction and inspiration.” (Denver Post)

“Irresistibly clever.” (Chicago Tribune)

“American haiku.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“You could spend a lifetime brainstorming.” (The New Yorker)

“The pithiest of life stories.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

“Makes for compulsive reading and prove arguably as insightful as any 300+ page biography. Taken as a whole, this cascade of quotes from contributors famous and unknown creates a dizzying snowball effect of perspectives and feelings.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A torrent of self-expression not unlike the one launched by Frank Warren when he began inviting people to write their secrets on the back of postcards.” (Toronto Star)

“The petite self-portraits encompass love and love, joy and sorrow-everything you’d expect from a longer book.” (ReadyMade Magazine)

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0061719439
• ISBN 13: 9780061719431
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256