by Marah Russell, UTIMES Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE–Six-word memoirs are a unique form of concise storytelling that challenge writers to convey their life story or a significant moment in just six impactful words. Scholars attribute this concept to author Ernest Hemingway. Tasked with crafting a nonfiction story in six words, he responded, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
In 2006, Smith Magazine popularized this challenge by inviting readers to summarize their life stories in six words. The project quickly caught on, inspiring millions of submissions. The magazine’s editors have compiled several books featuring the most memorable six-word memoirs nearly twenty years later.”\
This creative challenge came to life once again during the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s 22nd annual University Day on April 16, thanks to the efforts of The University Times staff. Organizers invited students, staff, and faculty to embrace the spirit of Hemingway by becoming authors of their own six-word stories. The team received 32 submissions, each showcasing a unique perspective and level of creativity, ranging from witty to impactful. From those submissions, the staff selected five winners.
The winners of this challenge are as follows:
1st Place: Stella Hardy
“Once chained to fear, now free.”
2nd Place: Aubrey Sinclair
“Alight; Alive again; I’m Phoenix Fire.”
3rd Place: Christian Guimond
“Wifi down. Faced real life. Help!”
4th Place: Jamie Bryan
“Don’t think, just do, then regret.”
5th Place: Ricky Garcia
“Thank god my parents were drunk.”
Additional Submissions
“Wide-eyed, naivety, espace, guilt, rebuilding, discovery.”
Heather Nunez-Olmstead
“They are just words, damn it.”
Allen Morrill
“It’s like you don’t know me.”
Cathy Anderson
“Born to love, live to create.”
Lilliana Ainsworth
“Prairie girl gone east for fun.”
Evie Elijah
“Started adulting, want a refund now.”
Anonymous
“Give back to all students always.”
Danielle
“Born a ginger, die a ginger.”
Myka Clark
“WORDS ARE LOADED PISTOLS, SPEAK UP.”
Tomasz Herzog
“Oh shit, here we go again.”
Marissa Havey
“Life is both sweet and sour.”
Mia Gutierrez
“Because the snow begged, I’m born.”
Winter Garrett
“Traveled to the USA for basketball.”
Aleix Grano
“Hectic, wild, ride, of memorable lessons.”
Venessa Frizarry
“Creative, driven, loyal, thoughtful, ambitious, passionate.”
Sam Clark
“Learning to know; Knowing to teach”
Anonymous
“I owe my life to God.”
Anonymous
“I asked for help too late.”
Damien Pearson
“It is not all over yet.”
Lea
“Abuse overcome, love and compassion foraged.”
Ashton Henry
“One day is worth the struggle.”
Daniel Dobbs
“Oh gosh help me. All love.”
Miranda Cole
“Always busy, working, and worth it.”
Kadence Dow
“I lived, I laughed, I learned.”
Alex Houston
