30 Famous People (And Some Regulars) Tell Their Entire Life Story In Exactly Six Words

SMITH Magazine produces annual Twitter-based competitions that challenge followers and celebrities alike to answer prompts or share their stories, in just six words.

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SMITH Magazine is an online publication that debuted the Six-Word Memoirs Project in 2006, and now has over 1 million submissions from people everywhere. Since the project was a massive success, SMITH now produces annual Twitter-based competitions that challenge followers and celebrities alike to answer prompts or share their stories, in just six words. Below are 30 of the best answers they’ve collected.

DFree / Shutterstock.com
DFree / Shutterstock.com

1.

“I’m so tired, I’m awake again.”

—Chelsea Handler

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2.

“Couldn’t cope so I wrote songs.”

—Aimee Mann

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3.

“Secret to life: marry an Italian.”

—Nora Ephron

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4.

“Well, I thought it was funny.”

—Stephen Colbert

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5.

“Liars, hysterectomy didn’t improve sex life!”

—Joan Rivers

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6.

“After Harvard, had baby with crackhead.”

—Robin Templeton

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7.

“The psychic said I’d be richer.”

—Elizabeth Bernstein

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8.

“Painful nerd kid, happy nerd adult.”

—Linda Williamson

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9.

“Revenge is living well without you.”

—Joyce Carol Oates

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10.

“Almost a victim of my family.”

—Chuck Sangster

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11.

“Not quite what I was planning.”

—Summer Grimes

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12.

“The miserable childhood leads to royalties.”

—Frank McCourt

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13.

“Healed with steel, then got real.”

—Dr. Oz

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14.

“Me see world! Me write stories!”

—Elizabeth Gilbert

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15.

“German-Jews. Dyslexia. Acting. Family. Writing. Complete.”

—Henry Winkler

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16.

“Everyone who loved me is dead.”

—Ellen Fanning

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17.

“Found true love, married someone else.”

—Bjorn Stromberg

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18.

“It was worth it, I think.”

—Annette Laitinen

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19.

“Fearlessness is the mother of reinvention.”

—Arianna Huffington

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20.

“Nobody cared, then they did. Why?”

—Chuck Klosterman

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21.

“Eight thousand orgasms. Only one baby.”

—Neal Pollack

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22.

“I write because I can’t sleep.”

—Ben Mezrich

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23.

“Canada freezing. Gotham beckons. Hello, Si!”

—Graydon Carter

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24.

“Brought it to a boil, often.”

—Mario Batali

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25.

“Doubted parents, teachers, bosses, politicians…myself.”

—Ted Rall

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26.

“So would you believe me anyway?”

—James Frey

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27.

“Born with big nose. Pursued comedy.”

—Andy Borowitz

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28.

“Being nice. Having fun. Getting better.”

—Andy Richter

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29.

“Disarm them by seeming sorta nice.”

—Naomi Klein

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30.

“Skinny. Cancer. Skinnier. Cured. Famous. Fat.”

—Evan Handler Thought Catalog Logo Mark