Kate @Books Are My Favourite & Best first piqued my interest with Heating & Cooling a month ago. So much so, I ordered the book at work the very next day and it turned up in time for me to take on my beach holiday to beautiful, tropical Far North Queensland. The micro-memoirs were perfect to read in bits and pieces between swims, walks along the beach and dining out.
I was particularly drawn to the series of poems titled ‘Married Love’, although the pieces about grief also moved me (see Kate’s review for some specific examples). However it was the idea of writing my own micro-memoirs that captured my attention the most.
To write your own micro-memoirs, ‘consider you quirkiest memories‘, says Beth Ann in The Writer, 26 Oct 2018 | Making Much of the Moment: A Guide to the Micro-Memoir. Throughout Heating & Cooling she also uses lists, longer form stories and unexpected comments on which to hang her memories. Some have a ‘note to self’ feel while others are almost like a letter…to her children, her deceased father etc.
So, whilst on holidays, I began making a list of those quirky, personally significant memories. Some that are already family stories and some that have stayed quiet all these years. I have now converted a few into micro-memoirs for my own consumption. But I will share one. My most recent one…that will explain why my long weekend plans for writing, blogging and reading were thrown out the window.
On Saturday night, a facetime call from B25 while we’re halfway through cooking dinner.
“Guess what?”
“What?” as Mr Books precariously perched his phone on top of the nearby coffee machine & continued to stir the simmering bolognaise. “I just asked GF to marry me…………..and she said yes!”
Excited squeals of delight. Tears of joy all round. Hearts full of happiness. Long distant hugs and kisses and celebration. One of life’s sweet, sweet moments to share and to treasure.
Thank goodness growing up in a co-parent environment, that wasn’t always as free from acrimony as we would have liked, hasn’t put him off the idea of love and marriage.
Title: Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs Author: Beth Ann Fennelly ISBN: 9780393356489 Imprint: W W Norton Published 25 Septemeber 2018 Format: Paperback Pages: 118 Dates Read: 15 September 2022 - 25 September 2022
| This post was written on the traditional land of the Wangal clan, one of the 29 clans of the Eora Nation within the Sydney basin. This Reading Life recognises the continuous connection to Country, community and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They are the traditional custodians of the lands, seas, and skies on which we live and they are this nations first storytellers. |
This Reading Life 
From this it seems I might qualify as a writer of micro memoirs, and you all get to read them for free!
I’m up north too, having a few days off in Darwin. Weather too sultry for my taste.
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Just realised I missed this comment. It has been that kind of week. Hope you enjoyed your time in Darwin, despite the humidity. 100% humidity for most of the time here!!
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