By now, you may have read that John Edwards, after vehemently denying tabloid reports of an affair, has admitted that it is true and that it occurred during the time that his wife has been battling cancer.  What a ***. 

I reacted strongly to the admission because I read Elizabeth Edwards autobiography, Saving Graces, last fall, and I found it to be one of the most touching and powerful books that I have read in recent memory.  The original book was published in 2006, when it appeared that her breast cancer had fallen into remission.  A postscript chapter, published in 2007, revealed that the cancer had returned, had spread to her bones, and was now classified as incurable.

I don't know her, but she seems like a remarkable lady based on what she's been through:  the death of her first son in 1996, birth of twins after infertility treatment while in her 40s, breast cancer diagnosis with two young children, and then incurable bone cancer.

Despite all that, she managed to write an extraordinary, even uplifting, book.  Her text resonates with grace, strength, and dignity.

Elizabeth Edwards: a class act.    John Edwards: Not so much.
 

I have to thank Karen Waldkirch from WauwatosaNow for turning me on to the book Not Quite What I was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure.  The idea for this compilation is based on a legend.  Supposedly, someone challenged Ernest Hemmingway to write a story in six words.  This is what he came up with:

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

I know.  Blows you away, doesn't it?  So, based on this legend, SMITH Magazine invited its readers to submit their own six-word memoirs, and the result is this fascinating book.  Here are some of my favorites.

"Revenge is living well, without you." -- Joyce Carol Oates

"Veni, vedi, but haven't vici yet." -- Meenakshi Nandini

"I still make coffee for two." -- Zak Nelson

"Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said." -- Shonna MacDonald

"I live the perfect imperfect life." -- Paul Lore

The book is a quick read, and I was amazed at what people were able to come up with.  Side-splittingly funny, heart-breakingly poignant, jaw-droppingly shocking -- it's all there.

What would mine be?  Well, I've been mulling that one over since finishing the book.  Although I'm not sure it quite hits the nail on the head, here's what I've come up with so far:

 
"Still trying to find my purpose."

 
It's still a work in progress.  (Hey, that's six words too.  Maybe I should use that?)
 

SMITH is still accepting submissions if you want to give it a try.  (Or if anybody wants to share theirs here, feel free to comment.)

"It comes at you quickly; it requires alertness and skill; the outcome is unpredictable; the weak can sometimes overcome the strong; it involves elimination and has both winners and losers." (Rule 10)

The above quote is an excerpt from the book, 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School (Real World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education), by Charles J. Sykes.  On Monday, September 17, 2007, Mr. Sykes will be appearing at the Harry W. Schwartz Bookstore in Brookfield to promote and speak about his book.  The event begins at 7:00 p.m.

I don't listen to his radio show, and I am not familiar with his other work.  However, after reading a short newspaper review of this latest book by Mr. Sykes, I was compelled to buy it because the quoted "rules" were bitingly funny and at the same time had a serious edge.  Coming from the perspective that real-world perspectives and basic common sense are being lost in a world of touchy-feely parenting, Mr. Sykes has expanded what were originally 14 Rules into 50 Rules, some that I agree with and some that I don't.

Each rule is given its own chapter.  Although you may not want to use it as your main parenting tome, the topics covered, the counsel given, and the anecdotes described do make you think. 

Here are a few of the other rules:

Rule 7:  If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.  He won't have tenure, so he'll tend to be a bit edgier.  When you screw up, he's not going to ask how you FEEL about it.

Rule 18: Life is not divided into semesters. And you don't get summers off. 

Rule 33: Be nice to nerds.  You may end up working for them.  We all could.

Rule 48: Tell yourself the story of your life.  Have a point.