On May 18th, Smith Magazine will sponsor a Six-Word Memoir Story Slam about mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. To celebrate, we are hosting a six-word memoir contest, giving one GalleyCat reader a chance to join the reading in New York City.
Simply write your six-word memoir about mothers and daughters or fathers and sons (for example: “Hoarding cash for kids’ future psychotherapy”). Then submit your six-word memoir on the GalleyCat Facebook page for a chance to win a chance to tell the backstory behind your six-word memoir onstage at the May reading. In February, GalleyCat reader Molly Schulman won a spot in the first Six-Word Memoir Slam.
Submit your memoir today. The contest ends on 11:00 p.m. on May 8, 2011. You can buy tickets to the reading here. Complete rules and the event line-up follow below.
Here’s a peek at the show’s line-up:
Susan Orlean, staff writer, The New Yorker, and author of The Orchid
Thief, The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup and the forthcoming biography of Rin Tin Tin
• Joe Lockhart, former press secretary for President Clinton; managing director of the Glover Park Group
• Deborah Copaken Kogan, author of Shutterbabe, Between Here and April
and Hell Is Other Parents
• Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry and Dating Big Bird, and
co-host of the new NPR show Hash Hags
• Gesine Bullock-Prado, author of Confections of a Closet Master Baker
and Sugar Baby
Here’s more about the interactive event: “Whether you are a mother or father, daughter or son, everyone has a parent story to tell. On May 18, right between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we hope you’ll join us for a night of six-word sagas about parenting, your relationship with a parent or that miraculous, messy thing we all go through called growing up.”
Six-Word Memoir Contest Guidelines
Eligibility:
Entrants must be 18 years or older with an address in the United States or Canada. Employees of WebMediaBrands and its subsidiaries and affiliates are not eligible to enter the giveaway. No purchase is necessary, void where prohibited.
Contest Criteria: All eligible submissions will be initially judged by Mediabistro employees (“Judges”) who shall be selected by Mediabistro, in Mediabistro’s sole discretion, to select one (1) winner. Entries will be judged based on the following “Contest Criteria,” each of which are weighed and ranked as Mediabistro and the Judges deems appropriate, in its sole discretion: Creativity, quality, interest, and other criteria determined by Mediabistro and/or the Judges.
Deadline:
All submissions must be received between Tuesday, April 26, 2011 and Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 11 p.m. ET. All winners will be notified via Facebook message and must have valid Facebook account.
Prizes:
One winner will receive an invitation to participate in the Six-Word Memoir Story Slam on May 18th.
Entry Method/Number of Entries:
Entries must be received on the Facebook contest link. Only one name and Facebook account per month will be accepted. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Previous winners may enter subsequent giveaways and are eligible to win.
Rights:
WebMediaBrands has the right to disqualify entrants that don’t follow these guidelines or to award the invitation to alternative winners if winners cannot be contacted. The invitation must be accepted as awarded, are not transferable, and have no cash surrender value. List of prior winners may be obtained from WebMediaBrands upon request. Winner is responsible for all costs, taxes and fees, if any, related to winning. Winner grants WebMediaBrands and Mediabistro the right to use the winners name and details in connection with this giveaway and promotion of future giveaways.