It’s that generous time of year again. Skip the line at Walmart with a fist full of gift cards, and instead give someone you love a gift that inspires their writer within. We’ve chosen some of our favorites from the SMITH Mag shop, as well as shops around the web and the world. Here are our curated picks for stocking stuffers, those many nights of Hanukkah, Secret Santas, or wherever your holiday spirit may take you.
Our Books
This timely and unique crowd-sourced book of immigration stories (done in collaboration with ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat) captures hundreds of memoirs on the experience from across America, spanning cultures and generations, to paint a powerful portrait of who we are as a country, and where we came from. Contributors include refugees (“Refugee went from burkas to bachelors,” “Boat person finds freedom in America”); students (“I only speak Spanish on weekends”); and armed forces personnel (“Salvadoran immigrant raises US Navy diver,” “Retired Marine, looked upon as outsider”). With contributions from Aziz Ansari, Julianne Moore, Junot Diaz, and hundreds of first-time writers, it’s a perfect gift for a teacher to inspire a classroom lesson or a grandparent to inspire a conversation about his or her American journey.
Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure
Have a young relative stuck in the ever-dreaded and maligned “adolescent” phase? Our book by and for teens is a thoughtful and kind way to say: “Hey, everything is going to be okay.” They will find comfort in these words that are inspiring (“Finally learned ‘weird’ is a compliment”), intense (“We’re the family you gossip about”), and playful (“Mom just revoked my creative license”), coming from those who have been in the same exact spot in life—and survived!
Oy! Only Six? Why Not More? Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish Life
When both legendary Jews such as Larry David and Larry Smith are contributors, you already know this is a pivotal text on Judaism. With relatable stories on faith (“I discovered myself through being Jewish”), family (“Taught children, now they teach me”), identity (“Fear of extinction breeds Jewish excellence”), ritual (“Bar Mitzvah video used as blackmail”) and of course, food (“Family spends meals discussing other meals”), Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish Life will inform, delight and spur even more conversation.
Swag Six-Word Style
Six Words on Happiness Calendar
Our latest calendar is here for this holiday season. What better way to start each day than with an anecdote on happiness? Give the gift of starting each day with a positive affirmation on love, sex, money, work, family, and friendship, with quotes from Shonda Rhimes, Elizabeth Gilbert, and more. A sweet treat for someone you suspect enjoys a bit of mental stimulation alongside their first cup of coffee.
Stimulating and competitive, our game is fun for the whole word-loving family. Players use imagination, writing skills, and quick thinking to create and identify six-word descriptions on more than 1,000 different topics. Like a fast and fun game of Taboo? You’ll love the Six-Word Memoir game.
Give your favorite bibliophile a tee with a poignant phrase and they’ll be a walking conversation starter. Choose from among some of our favorite Six-Word Memoir tees such as, “My spiritual path is 100% proof,” “Living my dream, please send money,” and “Bad breaks discovered at high speeds.” Also available: Our classic, “Everyone Has a Story” tee.
Get our favorite tee that doesn’t have six words on it!
For Word Appreciators, Aficionados, and Beyond
A gift bound for anyone in your life you know can’t live without journaling. The book chronicles a person’s life in a unique way, giving a chance to reflect on each day by answering a poignant question. It will definitely bring about revelations as years go on and the answers change (or don’t!) to questions such as, “On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you?” The gratitude may take five years to come to fruition, but we imagine it will be very satisfying.
Have something you desperately want to express to a loved one? They’re unlikely to miss it if you put it on a bottle of wine! Choose and customize any label your heart desires, and then adorn it with a soliloquy, poem, or haiku. Or maybe something more simple and to the point. May we suggest a Six-Word sentiment?
These positivity-bearing writing utensils from all colors of the rainbow will brighten anyone’s working space. Any writer avoiding a deadline needs to be affirmed that, “You are gold, baby, solid gold.” The support they feel from those six words will propel them into an impenetrable frenzy of productivity.
Trust us: everyone needs a journal. You know you have someone in your life who needs that extra push to get to it! With their simple yet creative design, these bound beauties give the writer within that extra push to put pen to paper. We recommend the rest of the well-curated offerings for creatives at the Igloo Letterpress shop as well.
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