• Premiere: November 13, 2011 / Katherine Growdon, mezzo-soprano; Karine Bagdasarian, piano / St. Andrew's Hall / Trinity Church in the City of Boston

• Instrumentation: Medium Voice & Piano 

• Duration: 5'

• Text: Crowd-sourced on Facebook

Program Note

The lore of Hemingway's famous six word story has long held my attention.  As it goes, someone made an ill-advised bet that he could not write a complete story in six words.  His response was – For sale: Baby shoes; never used.

I sent out a call on Facebook for six word story submissions, and received more than fifty.  The four I finally set come from close friends and family, and match the criteria of Hemingway’s original – that a full realization of rich narrative can be present in only six words.

Murder?! Isn’t that a bit judgmental? - Courtney Parker Wilson

We were familiar with each other. - Marianna Judy

Good poetry is ruining today's productivity/Productivity is ruining today's good poetry - Shelly Field

Never sing a ballad without hope - Jane Pesci-Townsend