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It takes not only literary prowess but also a fine-tuned ability to count to write a proper six-word memoir. Lacking in the former (“I walked to the store yesterday”) or the latter (“Girlfriend never knew about my”) means you fail. SMITH Magazine’s Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser took a keen eye to both when compiling It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, the latest book in their empire of super-short-form literature (they have five books, a spiraling Web presence, and the love of every writer who hates to write). As in the previous edition, they’ve landed famous authors, such as Wally Lamb, Isabel Allende, Frank McCourt, Junot Diaz, and Amy Tan. They also got James Frey — we recommend counting his entry. Regular famous people also factor in — Ann Coulter, Sarah Silverman, Suze Orman, Neil Patrick Harris, Tony Hawk — as do hordes of not-yet-famous contributors, most of whom are surely hoping to get a bump up into either of the previous categories with the book’s release Jan. 5.
Tue., Jan. 12, 6 p.m., 2010