Welcome to part one of this six-part session, where we’ll write a larger work composed of six related micro-memoirs.
As an example of writing multiple pieces in line with a theme/topic/experience, we will also study Places We Left Behind: A Memoir-in-Miniature by Jennifer Lang.
On July 30, 2024, we’ll examine pages 1-25, the reviews titled “Praise” through “Never, ever.”
Discussion question: Micro-memoir is a versatile form open to much experimentation, and we observe that in this section of Lang’s text. We see her utilize unique spacing, strikeouts, illustrations, and more not usually found in memoir.
What purposes do these devices serve? Are they effective? Why or why not?
By now, you should have settled on a topic about which you want to write six related micro-memoirs of 300 words or less. Lang’s book will help you see just how to do that as you read her sixty-four interconnected pieces.
Post the first segment of your micro-memoir collage in the comments section below. Once you’ve done that, read some of your fellow members’ stories and leave them a note of encouragement.
If you miss our live book study on July 30, pages 1-25 of Places We Left Behind, you can watch the playback here as soon as it’s edited.
Finally, my first of the series of six micro memoirs.
What a great way to start your series! There is nothing like memories of your kids’ childhoods.
Nancy, loved the Letter form way you have begun your six-part 300-word Micro-Memoirs, well written.
Love this. I’ve heard about hockey moms. Our great niece is not only hockey mom to four players but is also a coach.
It sounds like you were among the best of them.
Finally have a theme thanks to Etya encouraging me think outside the cage – Micro Memoir Style Trials
Part 1
Interesting dialogue with yourself.
Sometimes the weirdest things some out of writing for no reason than getting words on the page!.
Yes Kit, Hell IS paved with good intentions. Isn’t it funny how we justify our good intentions. Good start.
oops
Here is my Part 1.
Would love to read your part one. Don’t see it.
Just found it!
Love your last line!
I love the line: a sense of pleasing proportion, where the racket of our everyday lives is smothered out, and time seems to pause for an instant. And I laughed at escaping from your sister. I like how you ask your reader a few questions. This made me start to think of my own favorite places. Fun to think about. Great words and style.
I love that you don’t just give us a list, but show us the reasons those places are important to you. That final line is perfect, the importance of having a refuge, even if just a closet.
excellent Julie. You kept the point of your essay for the last line, the walk-in closet, your refuge. I liked the slow buildup, the list of places and their virtues, culminating in the closet and its virtue as a hiding place.
Here’s Julie’s first story.
Julie, my favorite place is your beach part of the Gulf coast of Texas, how the sound of the ocean waves brings my heart to that harmonious place where the racket of our everyday lives is smothered out.
Julie, I add another desert to Texas, where I lived for ten years, the deserts of south/central Texas on the Mexican Border. I dreaded moving from an island off southeast Georgia to those south Texas desert but found a ‘Love’ I treasure to this day.
Here’s my first of six micro-memoir stories.
Barbara am looking forward to Laying My Head down in your stories. Well written.
You paint a vivid picture of the house and its history.
Enjoyed your story, Barbara. Very poignant and retrospective.
Barbara, you took me back there with just a few words. Great details, especially the eggs and the grapes, and the joy of swinging. Idyllic.
Great story. Building a house room by room, like building a family, or a life. And the joy of the swing.
With apologies to John, more rural life
Linda, I learn from you more and more about what living on a farm was about.
With just a few words, you introduce us to an entire community and way of life. Well done.
rural? You were almost a pioneer. What an introduction to your life then!
Linda, you have had an interesting life. Am looking forward to your next encounters.
Thanks, Jackie, much more to come if I can get it down on paper.
Here is my first part segment of Who What Why Where My Legacy, a six word memoir condense to just My Legacy, thanks to Etya, my child Prodigy.
MomJa, I just realized you received your Bachelor’s the year I was born. Good job!
There’s always a little humor in your stories, Jackie, and it gives them sparkle. I chuckled over the image of you marching off to school, the Christian martyrs keeping you safe from all manner of devils.
Jackie, I enjoyed feeling your appreciation of the opportunities you had in your young life. I think if my mother had had those opportunities she would have gotten the same degrees you did and become a writer like you! The street cars in your photos reminded me of that time period also. Thanks for sharing.
Nice memory, Jackie.Thanks for the photo, too; it helped picture the town.
A good beginning. The photos were helpful. So you were protected from the devil outside of you. What about the devil inside?
David, it is still there. I’ve been blessed to have such a sweet, loving, protective God. Thanks
Here is Part 1 in my series.
Lorna, your description of what must have been a frightening time is so beautifully understated that the shock of “coincidence” (like Etya and Jackie, I believe that was a God Thing) has tremendous impact. Can’t wait to read more.
Thanks you for your comments,Terry. God was certainly watching over me.
Powerful writing, Lorna. I do not believe in coincidences. It was a higher power intervening.
Thank you for your comments, Etya. I do believe that is so. i have experienced this many times in my life.
Lorna, our family calls those incidents, “A God Thing” know it well. Love Psalm 121, The Lord, My Guardian. Beautifully written. Thank you.
Thanks for your commenst, Jackie. Psalm 121 is indeed beautiful.
Interesting, Lorna. I hope you had a rapid recovery.
Thanks Barbara. I wrote of my recovery in my next story. Maybe not rapid, but sudden, then a period of recuperating.
I had to look up the Psalm. My favorite line “The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
This is an excellent start to your series.
Thanks for your encouraging feedback, David. Pleased yout took the time to look up the Psalm.
”I gazed at the stark white walls of my hospital room”… “I lift my eyes to the hills.”
from whence cometh my help.
Thanqks for your observation, Thierry. Interesting.
Lorna, God is never random.
Thanks for reading my story, Judy. I totally agree.
Okay, here’s my first segment, and it’s a scary proposition. Revealing information like this about myself is some of what has kept me from writing. Thank God I’m no longer this person and doing these things. Thanks for taking a look.
Thanks for writing this story. I too am struggling with how I tell stories of my past relationships. I have been spending considerable time figuring out how to present my story. Writing about my past helps me understand myself in new ways.
Thanks for sharing and being vulnerable, Patricia. I can identify with the void in the human psyche that one tries to fill in many ways, Self-talk is a great co-conspirator.
Patricia, I expected disaster to happen by the end of the story. You left me with a cliffhanger because I wanted to hear more. This story represents your raw emotions and your struggles, understanding you needed to change your situation. He was my heroin in human form-a powerful line. Thanks for sharing.
I too was a horse lover whose parents were too wise to let me have one. I’m sure the work would have taken the shine off very quickly. I honor your courage and honesty in sharing this story with us. You show us the way to draw our readers by being open and vulnerable. I’m eagerly waiting for the next installment. You have me expecting disaster, especially knowing now that you weren’t as comfortable around horses as I originally thought.
Patricia, I agree with David, but must add that by writing and sharing this segment of your life, adds a plus to what makes you the fantastic teacher that keeps this ‘constipated writer’ hang in there. Thank you.
Intriguing beginning. We all have skeletons in the closet and that is what makes writing so interesting. We all want to hear each others stories. Thanks Patricia.
A nice beginning, Patricia. You’ve got me hooked. I need to hear the next part. 🙂
I concur with David. Personal stories are hard to reveal: something I must also concur.
Thank you, Barbara. I’m glad I grabbed your attention. I have another part coming, but it is 200 words too long. Yikes! It needs a big trim before I can post it. Thank you for reading my piece and receiving it in such a kind way. I’m so glad you’re back.
Despite what the New York Cabbie says, I’ll never tell. But you know how those cab drivers gossip…so…
Thank you for posting this intimate and personal story. It gives me, and perhaps others, the courage to consider more personal stories and experiences that are more problematic and painful.
You have demonstrated here that you are human and real.
Thank you, Dave. Doing this is a big step for me in getting comfortable writing the tough stuff and putting it out into the world. If all readers were like you, it would be a piece of cake. I appreciate your kindness.
Whatever you think of the person you were or the person you are becomes irrelevant( no offense),when you ask yourself what is my legacy, how can I contribute through my personal story? All in LW follow you, and I say bare it all. Opening your world opens ours as well. Thank you Patricia.
Ah, Thierry, your comment made me cry. It is what I hope–that facing my own fear will encourage others to do the same. I appreciate your kindness.
I’m hooked. I want to hear what happened next.
p.s. We’ve all probably made stupid relationship decisions. I know I did.
Thanks, Judy. I’m glad to hear it caught your attention and that you want to read more. Believe me, there is plenty more to come. Thanks for being so kind.
First, Patricia, you did expose yourself. Good for you. Let it loose. You call yourself a writer…you gotta do it.
Does Bob know about this? I won’t tell. But people like Jake, Dar, or even that thunder-stealer Dave might.
Lil’/Big Bro, you can be uncontrollably bad at times. People’s private lives are safe with me. Guess why the good Lord is keeping me here on the “Ground Level” cuz I LOVE ALL BEINGS JUST THE WAY THEY ARE. LOL&LOL JAKE.
Thanks, John. Thankfully, I don’t carry secrets around anymore. I have none I’m keeping from Bob or my friends.
Liked whenever a horse opportunity presented itself, I jumped right on it.
Thanks, Linda. I appreciate you noticing that line.
first installment. St. Louis. Motorcycle Ride series. 300 words.
It was so hard to commit to one series.
in parallel, I am writing another series, and my first story doesn’t fit the 300-word format–yet. But I will present it maybe as a shared story when it is ready.
What a beautiful story. Your details are clear and well chosen to make me feel as though I were riding alongside you. It’s a frightening place to be, so I’m glad you lightened the atmosphere with a little humor at the end. I look forward to the next episode!
The makings of adventurers. Some would have stayed under the bridge with the rain gear on! Love the image; ”enough water to float a canoe. ”Céline Dion would of said: Take a kayak!”
Dave, great “showing” instead of telling. I could sense your trepidation riding through all the water. Good job.
Dave,
I felt the uneasiness of your journey. I was ready to hydroplane on the bike.
The giggly girls supplied a little comic relief…giggly girls usually do that.
I love the opening paragraph and this We took it as if it were the path to the promised land, line. Nicely done, Dave. You took me along on this ride.
Here is my Part 1 story for August. Titled “The Game Isn’t Over Until It’s Over.” POV-Pre Teen. Present Tense. 293 words.
The Dodgers wouldn’t be the last team to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! Your description of this childhood event shines with authenticity, especially the lively commentary contrasted with your stunned disappointment. I look forward to more baseball stories; you’re off to a great start.
Norma, fantastic as usual. Part of my molding in Cincinnati’s Camp Washington was in baseball where the Cincinnati Red were in 1869 the first professional game being played on May 4th of that year. I help my boy cousins succeed in the sport…girls were only helpers then.
Bonjour Norma, so true, the one maxim I repeat on a regular basis when people ”put the cart in front of the horse”.
Ah, the agony of defeat. The play-by-play was a nice touch. Good job
Norma,
You caught it.
I saw several Mets games at the Polo Grounds after the Dodgers left Brooklyn. The stadium was not meant for baseball…it was meant for Polo. Don’t hole me to this…but the left and right field lines were only about 200 feet. Center Field was almost 500 feet. It was a very different place indeed.
You described the event well. But you may have needed to show the heartbreak a little more.
I know nothing about baseball, but I enjoyed reading your story, especially the way you structured it and described the scene. I loved the lesson you learned from this experience, Norma.
I really like your use of the play-by-play to add action and suspense to the story.
It is a fact of life for sports fans that your favorite team will break your heart more than once.
First entry of “Animal Encounters” I read this on open mic night.
You do a wonderful job of showing the awe you felt at interacting with the giants. Those long tongues! I enjoyed your reading of this piece as well.
About eye lashes and respect. The heart of your story other than the beauty, is as you stress, to not touch them. Well done.
Judy,
You really stuck your neck out with this one.
Great story Judy and a great experience to share. My first thought when I saw the photo was “Toys-R-Us”
Judy, lovely story. I enjoyed you reading it. You described these majestic animals so well. I was in there with you, feeding, observing and wishing to pet them.
As most of you know by now, my theme is Assholes in my Life. I’m attaching my first installment…all 293 words of it. Atcha next week.
As always, your humor is delightful. No truth in advertising – what a surprise. I hope the Air Force treated you better once you got past Basic. My dad enlisted because he wanted to fly. He could hold a grudge, but the only person I’ve ever heard him say he would have liked to murder was one of his flight instructors. Great job!
Enjoyed your story John. And I totally agree with your thoughts. Why do people lie to us? They think it is just a stretch of the truth but we all know it is lying. Can’t wait to read more.
Good story, John. Your tale fits with some similar one I’ve heard. I guess you didn’t make it a career.
Fate, I think not, either John. Great introduction to your Assholes theme, stories. I feel you.
I had to read your first installment of the asshole series first. And what better a start than a military asshole, clearly the best trained and motivated of all assholes. And a recruiter at that, a premier asshole, a person with an advanced degree in Amplification and Embellishment.
The opening also was great…dodging the draft by joining the USAF…..when Canada is so close to New York?
great opening John, I look forward to meeting the other assholes in your life.
Good job, John! My son once thought of joining the Navy. He only went to talk to a recruiter to get a cool cup that they advertised in the commercial.
John, Sgt Tenza certainly qualifies as a good “asshole” example. Good job
Part One – Theme – Loss
You tell this devastating story with such grace and simplicity that it breaks my heart for your four-year-old (and seven-year-old) self. Great dialogue, very natural. The moment between you and Ruby is beautiful. I am so sorry for your loss, and for the cruel lie you were made to live with.
Complicated grief. Thank you for sharing.
Not a word Dar? My first thought if I may share; no wonder you turned to poetry.
We remain the privileged beneficiaries of your beautiful writing. You are brave and courageous my friend.
Dar, this story comes under the WOWWWWWWWW category. I can’t imagine living as blind as you were (even if you were only four), nor the emotions when they took your blindfolds off.
Well done and most of the piece in dialog. It was cruel not to tell you.
Grief and trauma from the same event. So sad.
Micro Memoir Theme – My Love for Animals.
Part 1 – Vaska
Hello, dear writers. Here is my contribution to our six-part micro memoirs. Yesterday, I ended at 386 words. Today, it stands at 297. Hope you like it.
This is a perfect theme for you, and a bit of a surprise. I knew you had cats in the basement apartment, but it’s the first time I heard Vaska’s story. Your description of him is so vivid that I don’t need a photo to feel that I’d recognize him. How touching that he came back one last time, and spared you his death. That was a true connection. Beautiful story.
Vaska was one of those cats. I wrote a story about him once, also to Patricia’s prompt. You must have missed it. It was a longer version than this one.
Yes, dear Etya, you ARE from my lineage. I debated whether to write about my love of animals and how and why I became a Zoologist and have had tons of all varieties in my classrooms for thirty years. Cats unfortunately was not one of my loves, I was allergic to them, but I did fall in love with a solid white part Persian little girl, brought it home for my little girls, maybe you were one????? back then somewhere in the heavens. She would deliver three little babies when Atlanta friends came to visit. We did love her and… Read more »
So glad you adopted the little Persian girl, MomJa.
Specificity and love resonate throuhout your beautiful story. That was one happy cat. That you did not complain when he left, is admirble. The happy memories will last a lifetime.
Thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate your input.
Vaska, is now part of our shared writing world. I am moved Etya.
Thank you so much. I wish I had his picture. The only one is from my memory.
Etya, I must say that I am not a cat person. One of the happiest day of my lives was when I found a good home for Jelly–named after the Jellicle cat in CATS. But I found your story very touching because of your relationship with Vaska.
I loved CATS. What a performance that was. After Vaska, I did not have any cats as pets. My husband is not a fan and we only had dogs.
A bittersweet story. Vaska brought you comfort and joy. Your love is evident in the description, “His green eyes sparkled with curiosity”.
Thank you so much, David. He was a great pet!
What a sweet story. Losing a pet is always a heartbreaking experience.
Thank you, Judy. It is. And I have lost too many in my life. I miss them all.
My cat brought much comfort and love to me and i think Vaska came back to say goodbye with a knowledge that death was near. She did it her way. Lovely story.
Thank you, Dar.
Part One Theme: Shakespeare
Great twist to your story, Terry. Pleased the magic and enchantment remain.
”a decorative backdrop to the action” ”measles” An unpredicted disaster that left you with enchantment for Shakespeare who may have saved you in mysterious ways rather than come and haunt you if you had taken part in such a disguised piece of his work! Can’t wait to read more about you and Shakespeare.
I hadn’t thought of it that way – perhaps I had a lucky escape!
I’m sure the Bard would have been indeed disappointed. The show must go on and I’m sure you made up for it as you grew.
You have some interesting stories. I appreciate your down-to-earth approach.
great story with a surprise ending. I’m sorry you were disappointed.
Bummer Terry! I hope you went on with your thespian endeavors.
I did, as you’ll find out! I was never terribly successful on stage, but it helped me find my metier as a storyteller.
Oh no!…I’m sure you would have gotten a standing ovation…Miss Tinsel Deer
I was certainly mentally prepared for acclaim, if not for me then for the dress!
I love this micro, Terry. I did a great job with the descriptions. I loved your sense of humor in this and your love for everything Shakespearian comes through.
Part One Theme; SUICIDE 300 Words
I really like the sentence: Lots to say, none to listen.
This is a remarkable story. Your description evokes not only a specific time and place but also your state of mind as you lived it. The scene in the bar stands out, and your musical clinking on the way out with your contraband beer glasses, a note of humor to contrast with the somber ending. I’m impressed by the way you express your response to Carole’s death, a sort of detached bewilderment that nevertheless includes compassion not only for her but also for the hapless driver whose car and life she impacted. Difficult to read, but important. Thank you.
You told a sad story very well. Very painful. Though your reaction to Carole’s suicide was very subtle, it illustrated an undercurrent of trauma. Well done. Now I understand your 2nd story.
Thierry, You have certainly captured all the essential elements, ending with a twist. Sometimes answers elude us, because there are none. Good use of humour. Loved the compact, presentation, as is your story.
Thierry,
Your delivery in English has come a long way since our early Buddy days. I felt your silent pain.
When it comes to suicide, I’ve often wondered, how bad can it be to contemplate taking your own life?
You seem to have accepted Carol’s choice…not liking it but accepting it.
Thank you John, buddy, for underlining my rendering of the English language. About suicide I personally think it is part of life. Ideally, I feel there should be no judgement attached. Acceptance is the key word, exactly.
You were too young to have someone you knew do a thing like that. I’m guessing there were no signs which makes it even harder to understand. You would never be the same Thierry, after this and i’m sure the driver of the vehicle she hit has never recovered either. Sad indeed.
In fact, Dar, maybe suicide should not be the theme of my six stories. It was the first and last time I met her, although I knew a little about her through my brother. And my reaction to other suicides later in life, were also free of any added moral, judgment or feelings. I don’t know why it is but I always understood, freedom from suffering, in suicide endings. As you mention, my thoughts went to the car occupant or occupants.
Excellent telling Thierry. If these people committing suicide only knew the mess they leave behind. Your use of short sentences threw several images at me which combined to form a picture of a carefree youthful night out ruined.
Thank you David. Suicide remains a touchy and vast, subject. I guess I was mainly surprised at the time. Shocked and surprised!
unfortunately, I also had a suicide story. I think it has touched all of us.
Oh, my goodness, Thierry. So heart-wrenching.
I remember the feeling so vividly, it served me later when I worked with people dealing with mental health issues and acceptance for those who a few times, chose the same route as Carole. I had no choice to let them go and live with their memory.
My goodness Theirry, what a sad story. Carole’s choice was sadly final.
Yes Judy, final and choice are the right words.