So I signed up for a Life Writing class at my master’s degree residency thinking that I would learn some tips on writing a memoir, you know, maybe 20 years down the road when my life events might actually be of interest to others. Instead, the workshop leader sent a document to us in an e-mail saying that she expected us to show up to the workshop with sufficient text and materials to create a multi-modal memoir.
The presentation has to be five minutes long. Since many of you know me well, if you were me, what would you write about? I’m going to collect some suggestions and then let you vote on the answer.
Jackie's Random Thoughts 
I remember one time you mentioned how different your two birth experiences were, I think that would make a great topic!
How about working in the bookstore environmnet? I have been able to utilize bookstore discussion in my group dynamics and organizational pyschology classes. Typically they are used in HR excercises which end up leaving the teacher speechless. In general there seems to be this idea of what a bookstore is and the employeess and customers that are in it. Images simliar to the mural above the Starbucks cafe seems to be what people imagine; artists sitting around doing things that are deeply artistic and intellectual. When I disclose my experiences such as the art work done in the bathroom walls and other fun behaviors people just look at me shocked.
You might be able to use your experience contrasting the store we worked together and the other one and how when you came back to Bury your realized something. You no longer wanted to move books around you wanted to write books yourself. Feel free to email me for more ideas. Anything to avoid doing this project that is due in 6 hours.
How could I condense it into just 5 minutes? 🙂 But that’s definitely worth thinking about. Good luck with your project!
To Liz: Now that’s an idea I would have never thought of myself.
I feel like I “knew” you well, but not so much now. You could do something about how you have changed. Everyone makes such a big deal about how you’re grown when you graduate…but thankfully I’ve grown up a lot since I’ve reached my 30’s. Maybe you could do how you’ve changed & grown since leaving college.
Oops…didn’t mean to put anonymous. That comment was Marcy Wells.
Maybe the religious journey would be interesting to people–how I was so religious in college and not so much now.
To expand on the bookstore suggestion how about custome service in general. Their’s a lot that could be said about customer service from the good to the bad. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it. I do customer service and one minute I’m getting yelled at on the phone about bills or by someone not getting a delivery on time. Then the next call you get someone who appreciates what you do.
Well. Since I have very little idea of what’s happened to you in the last 15 or so years, I may not be helpful. But…what about the story of your relationship with David? Alternately, what about your journey to atheism?
Your story with music needs to be in there somewhere too