Memoirist of the Month: April 2014—Danette H.
“My creative turning point is probably being recognized at SMITH. I wrote for sanity, not for attention, pity or recognition. But something beautiful started happening. I felt so much love from the writers at Six-Word Memoirs."
Name: Danette H. Place: San Diego, California SMITH member since: March 2011 [caption id="attachment_7642" align="alignright" width="479"]
"Cancer changed my relationship with life."[/caption]
Danette H. has taken us on a marathon ride since joining SMITH in 2011 as DynamicDbytheC. She grew up in Wisconsin, where she met James—her husband and muse on SMITH. In 1985, they hit the road in their blue VW bus and moved to San Diego. There they shared a life filled with love and cycling, travels and adventure. We met Danette at a difficult juncture in their lives. When she joined SMITH three years ago, James was battling cancer and Danette was struggling with that battle—a weight anyone touched by cancer knows well.
Like so many who encounter Six-Word Memoirs, Danette discovered a simple way to share intimate thoughts and chronicle private moments. By opening her heart and inviting us in, she tapped into a community of friendship and support. She also found a safe place to cope and heal as she dealt with her own cancer and James' untimely passing in 2013, just shy of his 50th birthday.
Whenever we ask "whose writing has moved you on Six Words" in this Q&A, DynamicDbytheC's (a.k.a. DDC) name pops up time and again. We've been impressed with her willingness to bare it all ("Fully clothed, buck naked with words.") and how well her words resonate with others ("We are all healing from something."). Congratulations to Danette H. as our Memoirist of the Month for April, who can put any Six Words on a lovely T-shirt from our friends at Spreadshirt. Her answers to our six questions are, as you might expect, filled with love and heartbreak, resilience and hope. Be sure to read on and delve into Danette's many backstories (click the memoirs) to see for yourself.
Memoirist of the Month, February 2014: Jo Ann Daniels
“When I found Six Words, it allowed me to express myself in ways I couldn't otherwise; it was my own little world and I began writing like I never had before. I wrote morning, noon and night. ”
Name: Jo Ann Daniels Place: Crowley, Texas SMITH member since: April, 2008 [caption id="attachment_7270" align="alignright" width="238"]
Jo Ann Daniels (a.k.a. JAD)[/caption]
Jo Ann Daniels has been with SMITH almost since our start and we've been with her through many milestones. Penning her nearly 1,700 six-word memoirs and backstories as JAD, some events have been predictable like aging ("Gravity is no friend of mine."), while others have been deeply poignant and heartrending like her adult son's passing ("He went peacefully. I'm so satisfied."). Jo Ann has shared many touching sixes in our Moms/Momoirs category about caring for her elderly mother ("Actually, I'm my mom's mom today.") and her mom's failing health ("Quietly, crawled into bed with her."). Through it all, she's maintained her optimism ("Pain consumes you. Hope renews you.") and that beautiful smile we enjoy via her profile ("Smiling is just in my DNA."). Join us in congratulating Jo Ann as our Memoirist of the Month for February 2014. Thanks to friends at Spreadshirt, she'll receive the Six-Word Memoir tee of her choice. Our vote: "Old school dance got their attention." See why we're glad to have Jo Ann with us as she answers our six questions:
Memoirist of the Month, January 2014: John Roedel
“SMITH has been a wonderful outlet to share my highs and lows...I publish more Sixes when I'm not afraid. When I don't allow self-doubt to steer my ship.”
Name: John Roedel Place: Cheyenne, Wyoming SMITH member since: January, 2012
JohnBigJohn joined Six Words just after the New Year of 2012, which makes this New Year a fitting time to feature his Six-Word Memoirs: 600+ and growing. With his humor about faith ("I must be God's favorite sitcom.") and his witticisms ("Stuck in mental traffic. Abandoning car."), John's memoirs show us how being funny has served him well through the best and worst of times. Join us in congratulating John as our first Memoirist of the Month for 2014, which includes props and a T-shirt with the Six-Word Memoir of his choice from Spreadshirt. Learn more about John's story as he answers our six questions.
Memoirist of the Month, December 2013: Mishell DeFelice
"I can honestly thank the amazing writers here for the radio gig I’ve landed. Learning how to cut out the nonsense, the peripheral fluff in a message, and tell it in six translates smoothly into writing or editing advertising copy."
Name: Mishell DeFelice Place: South Lake Tahoe, California
SMITH member since: January, 2013
Mishell DeFelice is a relative newbie to Six Words, although she's no stranger to our community. ShellDeFelice caught our eye from day one when we featured her very first memoir: "I'm often terse, but always unforgettable." With barely a year under her Six-Word belt and nearly 500 memoirs to date, she's still catching our attention with her quips ("Been pushed down. Gonna cowgirl up."), observations ("Blue mood. Blue lake. Paradigm shift.") and retorts ("Disdain, you are excused. Please go."). Congrats to Shell, December's Memoirist of the Month. No doubt she'll pick a fantastic Six Words for her commemorative t-shirt, thanks to our friends at Spreadshirt. But don't stop here, read more—in Six questions, of course—about what makes Shell unforgettable.
Classroom of the Month: Sixth Graders at Helen Tyson Middle School in Springdale, Arkansas.
Though the Six-Word Memoir Project got its start as a more personal form of writing, it has grown to encompass all sorts of events: whether public or intimate, current or historical. This month's featured class on the Six in Schools page is perfect example of the many ways the Six-Word form can be adapted.