Memoir Research Exploration: Consultant Interview, Part 1

Name:______Date: ______

Part 1, Step 1 Instructions: In order to receive credit for this assignment, you must follow all of the directions listed below in a manner indicating a clear demonstration of effort, time investment, and thoughtfulness. This information will be critical to writing your memoir.

Describe the memory or idea that you plan to use for your memoir in 2-3 sentences. If you are between 2-3 topic choices, describe each of them. (There should be no less than three sentences in the space below)

Step 2 Instructions: Consult with a parent, guardian, relative, sibling, or family friend about the memory you have chosen. Ask them for their interpretation of the event, or if they were not present within the context of the memory you have chosen, then ask for more information about yourself at that age, about the setting, or for any other relevant details. Your research exploration could potentially include looking at old photographs, childhood artwork, watching home movies, visiting the place your memory occurred, or simply having a detailed conversation with the person with whom you are choosing to consult.

The point of this activity is to take advantage of the vivid memories of others who may have experienced parts of your memory in a different way. Your memory could easily be jogged about sensory or familial details that could be relevant to your memoir. Ex. Grandma’s house always smelled like cinnamon.

It is also important to include the people who are close to you in the things you are writing.

Caveat: The more time you spend delving deeper into your memory, with your consultant or individually, the more invested you will be in writing your memoir. Striking a deep, emotional connection with this fragment of your past is paramount to creating a strong, resonant memoir.

Step 3 Instructions: Please take as many notes as possible on a separate sheet of paper. Staple notes to this sheet.

The Year I Was Born Component: Memoir Research Exploration, Pt. 2

Step 1 Instructions: Explore the political and social climate into which you were born. Pursue answers to as many of the following questions as you can:

- What was happening in the world the year you were born? - What was important internationally, nationally, and locally? - What important things occurred in the worlds of music, sports, movies, TV, and current events during that particular year? - Most importantly, be creative! - Ex. Which songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 the year you were born?

Step 2 Instructions: Next, think about how this information could have hypothetically shaped who you are today. Remember, these types of details do not necessarily have to be absolutely true, but they should make sense according to the time period and be believable. This is where the artistic element is added to the genre of memoir.

Ex. If you were born any time after 2009 (Prodigy alert if you were!), then Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was not something that could have influenced you at the time of your birth.

Ex. If you try to tell me you were born into a family of wolves, I will probably not believe you, but if you say your dad’s favorite movie is Dances with Wolves and that he and your mom watched it 1 million times in the months before you were born, you could make a similar connection using simile, hyperbole, or metaphor.

Step 3 Instructions: Now, go through the information you have acquired and begin to make connections between those facts, events, or details and the person you are today. You could also make connections related to Name:______Date: ______the themes, plot, and/or dialogue usage that you anticipate including in your memoir.

*** Plot at least 10 of the following details in a way that they could factor into the narrative of your memoir. They do not necessarily need to be this long, but they should follow this format. (Minimum 2 sentences).

Ex. Sample Pop. Culture Connection Fact/Detail, etc. Source Ex. My mom’s favorite movie the year I was born was My Mom Miss Congeniality. I am anything but the patient type. Why wait ten seconds when an assertive “Now, please” will do the trick? Therefore, it is strikingly ironic that my first painful demands to be born “Right. Now.” occurred during a Friday night showing of Miss Congeniality. This little factual gem couldn’t possibly be more telling of the me to come. Who has time to smile and wave while trying to do that whole biological thing and become a full-fledged, screaming, and crying human being? Certainly not me. My mother was rushed into the hospital two weeks early, with a breached baby, and in desperate need of an emergency cesarean, because my lungs were not getting the oxygen they needed. In retrospect, really, I like to think of my impatience as a survival mechanism. No wonder all of those empty-headed beauty queens get the whole way to the final night of the pageant before anyone figures out there’s a bomb on stage. They’re too busy orbiting their own little worlds and changing their lipstick color to realize that sometimes two more weeks, two more days, or two more minutes can be the difference between being the person you are supposed to be and someone else, someone less lucky. The path of least resistance is not always the best. Whoever says that is just lazy, a wuss, or both.

Note/Consider the following: - Think about this passage. Does it all necessarily need to be absolutely true to make this point? Which parts do need to be true? Why? These are choices you will need to consider while writing your own memoir. - Informal language: This is the chance to get it all out! Speak the way you normally do in your narration and think carefully about all words represented as dialogue. Remember, believability is key! - Don’t be afraid to make jokes even when addressing a tough subject or a scary moment.

Step 4 Research Instructions: Consultant: Ask your consultant (or a different, older friend or family member) what their favorite song(s) was/were at the time? Favorite television show?, etc. >>> These details will help orient you to an unfamiliar time period and avoid anachronism. Internet: Here are some suggestions for Internet perusal. Feel free to use others. - http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/ - http://www.history.com/ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_the_1990s

Step 5 Citations: Because this is not a formal research project, you do not need to create MLA citations for the information you gather for this assignment. However, I would like you to list anything interesting from a consultant or the Internet in the following format.

Fact/Detail, etc. Source Ex. My mom’s favorite movie the year I was born was My Mom Miss Congeniality. Ex. I was born during the Y2K scare. History.org

Step 6 Time Confirmation: Please confirm that you spent at least a total of one hour performing research exploration for your memoir individually and/or with the generous help of a consultant.

Student Signature: ______

Consultant Signature: ______