At our Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak book reading in Denver a few months ago, we got a chance to meet up with Julian Rubinstein, proud six-word memoirist and author of Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts (one of the weirdest, wildest, most wonderful true stories you’ll ever read). A few months later, Rubinstein (pictured here) served as the judge of a six-word memoir contest at Colorado Language Arts Society’s Regional Spring Conference, attended by teachers from the state. The winning entries were read at lunch with young adult author Sharon Draper.

First prize went to Anne Sutton, who gave her six-word memoir a title, “A Daughter’s Demise,” and writes: “Dad lied. The world stopped turning.” Jim Hobbs took second place: “Ran into poetry. Got healed again.” Third place comes from Arita Martucci and demands indentation:

“Dad said, ‘Pharmacist.’
I said, ‘Teacher.’”

Click through to the jump for more A+ six-word memoirs from the good teachers of Colorado.

I left bad behind for good.
—Sarah Branstiter

Remembered? Forgotten? What matters: I tried.
—Rebecca Gorman

“Morning Revelation”
Uh-oh, it burns when I pee.
—Matt Gustafson

“Uncomfortable Moment in Bed”
Are his boobs bigger than mine?
—Sloane Crowe

“Facebook break up”
F*** you. You’d better respond.
F***.
—Elizabeth Sunnen

Star fish tumbling through ocean sky.
—Chelo Ludden

I teach, therefore I am tired.
—Jessica Cuthbertson