Intentional Word Choice

 “Brevity is the soul of wit” – Shakespeare  Said ironically by Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet during a long-winded speech.

 Legend has it that the American Author Ernest Hemingway (author of famous novels such as The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea) was challenged to write a meaningful story in six words.  His writing demonstrates a careful and economic use of words, so supposedly he wrote the following response:

 “For sale, baby shoes, never worn.”

 What are the possible implications of the careful use of words in this story?  What emotional response is the author trying to create through the use of tone and mood? How is the author creating this response in the reader?

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 What is a “memoir”?  It is: “an account of one's personal life and experieces; autobiography.”

 By next Thursday, you need to create a six word story about yourself.  Be prepared to (briefly) explain why the story is a “memoir,” letting us know what it says about you.  This should be accompanied by an image that goes along with the six word memoir.  You can use Powerpoint or other graphic program, but you must produce a printed hard copy with your name, the date and the class period.

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 Many six word stories or six word memoirs can be found through the internet at sites such as:    DON’T Just copy someone else’s work! This is plagiarism! View some examples, but tell us about YOU. It’s six words! You can do it!