A life in five words
by Angus Shoor Caan
Genre: Memoir
Swearwords: None.
Description: The long and the short of it.
Swearwords: None.
Description: The long and the short of it.
I remember reading about it many years ago, long before I settled down to write anything at all but it stayed with me forever and I brought it to light, as you do, whenever whatever group of barflies I was enjoying the company of had run out of baffling quiz questions.
Here's the sketch as I remember it.
Ernest Hemingway was a journalist as well as a writer of poetry and novels, and many of his articles and short stories were syndicated throughout the States via several newspapers. He was friendly with newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and it was he who threw out the challenge to his vast readership, offering a substantial (for the time) cash prize to the person who could come up with the shortest short story; a story that had to make sense.
Hemingway won the prize with a six word story which indeed gave the reader pause for thought; had a beginning, a middle and an end and threw up many connotations. In the form of a want ad, it read:
For sale
Baby shoes
Never worn.
Makes you think. Doesn't it?
Now, I'm no Hemingway but I do like to dabble in poetry from time to time. Bringing his short story to mind once again had me thinking I might perhaps compose the shortest of short poems which, as I think most poems should, rhymes, scans and makes sense. I got it down to five words and as if to highlight that, I've made the title five words long too; eight when I add my name to it. I thought long and hard about simply calling it ‘Life’, or ‘A life’, or even ‘Life Cycle’ but felt it needed more by way of explanation. Hope you like it.
A life in five words.
(Angus Shoor Caan)
Bred
Fed
Wed
Bed
Dead.
Here's the sketch as I remember it.
Ernest Hemingway was a journalist as well as a writer of poetry and novels, and many of his articles and short stories were syndicated throughout the States via several newspapers. He was friendly with newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and it was he who threw out the challenge to his vast readership, offering a substantial (for the time) cash prize to the person who could come up with the shortest short story; a story that had to make sense.
Hemingway won the prize with a six word story which indeed gave the reader pause for thought; had a beginning, a middle and an end and threw up many connotations. In the form of a want ad, it read:
For sale
Baby shoes
Never worn.
Makes you think. Doesn't it?
Now, I'm no Hemingway but I do like to dabble in poetry from time to time. Bringing his short story to mind once again had me thinking I might perhaps compose the shortest of short poems which, as I think most poems should, rhymes, scans and makes sense. I got it down to five words and as if to highlight that, I've made the title five words long too; eight when I add my name to it. I thought long and hard about simply calling it ‘Life’, or ‘A life’, or even ‘Life Cycle’ but felt it needed more by way of explanation. Hope you like it.
A life in five words.
(Angus Shoor Caan)
Bred
Fed
Wed
Bed
Dead.
About the Author
Angus Shoor Caan is in an ex-seaman and rail worker. Born and bred in Saltcoats, he returned to Scotland after many years in England and found the time to begin writing.
Angus is the author of thirteen novels, two short story collections and twelve collections of poems. All but four of his books are McStorytellers publications.
You can read his full profile on McVoices.
Angus is the author of thirteen novels, two short story collections and twelve collections of poems. All but four of his books are McStorytellers publications.
You can read his full profile on McVoices.