At our event at the 92YTribeca in New York City, and in smaller gatherings across the country, Six-Word Memoirists met on Valentine’s Day to share their stories of love and heartbreak.

Twenty-two inches of snow could not stop memoirists in Chicago from meeting over pizza in passionate Six-Word Memoirist Coleen Goodson’s kitchen. In Washington, DC, a gaggle of lawyers and government employees put aside their political aspirations for an evening of stories about love in the District.

A few choice memoirs from local meet-ups include:
“Of course, I sleep better now.”
“No need for a restraining order.”
“Sugar, keep me up all night!”
“My heart is hibernating till summer.”
“Valentine flowers for everyone but me.”
“If only your chin were stronger.”
“Overly high expectations lowered. Better now.”

From Houston to Virginia, Six-Word Memoirists are starting local meet-ups to share their sixes and create community in its old-school, face-to-face form. Here’s how you can start your own:
1. If you haven’t already, join Meetup.com.
2. Go to www.meetup.com/SMITHMag.
3. Start a new Six-Word Meetup in your community, give it a name (e.g. “Marfa, TX Six-Word Meetup”), and make it official by clicking “create.”
4. Pick a time and place to meet—a bar, cafe, living room—any place where two or more people can gather.
5. Get the word out on your own (post to your Facebook or Twitter accounts; add this widget to your blog; suggest Six-Word Memoirs as a lunch-time game at work and see who shares the six fix). And let us know and we’ll post across SMITH social media.
6. After your local meet-up, share your Six-Word Memoirs, images videos, etc. with the SMITH community by emailing vivian (at) smithmag.com to have your local meet-up featured on the the Six-Word Memoir Blog—and the Six-Word Memoir Meetup map will continue to get more crowded and more beautiful.