Larry Smith (editor)
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Larry Smith (born September 17, 1968) is an American author and editor, and publisher of '' Smith Magazine''. He is best known for developing the best-selling book series '' Six-Word Memoirs'', a literary subgenre that took on a life of its own in popular culture as publications began holding reader contests and publishing the results. The form has been described as "American haiku." Smith credits
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
's reputed shortest story, " For sale: baby shoes, never worn", with inspiring the viral literary movement.


Background and early career

Smith grew up in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, the son of Burlington attorney Louis Smith and Carol, a clinical social worker. He graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
. He worked as a founding editor of the magazine '' P.O.V.'' and editor-in-chief of its sister publication, ''
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'', as well as an editor of '' Might'' magazine with
Dave Eggers Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. His 2000 memoir, '' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius'', became a bestseller and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Eggers is a ...
. Smith was also
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of the news service
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and editor of the city guide network, Boulevards. Smith also worked as executive editor of ''
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'', editor at ''
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'', and articles editor at ''
Men's Journal ''Men's Journal'' was an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenner of ...
''. His writing has appeared in ''
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'', ''
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'', '' Men’s Health'', ''
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'', ''
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'', as well as other places. In 2004, Smith's then-fiancée, Piper Kerman, served a 13-month sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, Connecticut, the result of a 1998 arrest for drug-related offenses committed about five years prior. Smith visited her in prison almost every week, and wrote about the experience in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Kerman later wrote a memoir about the experience, '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison'', which was subsequently made into a
television show A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
by Netflix productions, in which Smith's homologue ("Larry Bloom") is played by
Jason Biggs Jason Matthew Biggs (born May 12, 1978) is an American actor. The accolades he has received include a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award, alongside nominations for a Daytime Emmy Awards, Daytime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award ...
.


''Smith Magazine'' and "Six Word Memoirs"

On January 6, 2006, National Smith Day, Smith co-founded the online ''Smith Magazine'' with Tim Barkow.Smith, Larry (January 6, 2008)
"Happy National Smith Day, Happy Birthday To SMITH"
''SMITH Magazine''.
Two years later, Smith's book, ''Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure'', co-edited by Rachel Fershleiser, was selected as a Top 100 Editors' Pick by Amazon in 2008 and became a ''New York Times'' bestseller. Smith and Fershleiser went on to co-edit three more books in the series, including '' Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak,'' ''I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure,'' and ''It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure,'' all published by Harper Perennial.


Books

* ''Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure'' (with Rachel Fershleiser.) Harper Perennial, 2008. . * ''Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure—Deluxe Edition'' (with Rachel Fershleiser). Harper Perennial, 2008. . * ''Six Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak: by Writers Famous and Obscure'' (with Rachel Fershleiser.) Harper Perennial, January 2009. . * ''I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure'' (with Rachel Fershleiser). Harper Teen, September 2009. . * ''It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure'' (with Rachel Fershleiser). Harper Perennial, January 2010. . * ''The Best Advice in Six Words''. St. Martin's Press, November 2015.


References


Further reading


"Six Maniac: How much do I love thee? Let me count the words," ''Metro Silicon Valley'' (February 11, 2009).
* Hafner, Katie


External links


Smith Magazine website

Gothamist interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Larry 1968 births Living people American non-fiction writers American magazine editors Writers from New Jersey University of Pennsylvania alumni Managing editors