Six-word stories: IJ readers share short tales about Barbie

Next month, we'll talk about a memorable childhood Halloween.

Halloween is almost here and whether you deck out your body and your home to celebrate or not, we all have memories of childhood Halloweens. As a girl growing up in New York City,  I couldn’t wait to trick-or-treat as a ballerina or a princess — only to have my mom force me to cover up my costume with a coat, gloves, scarf and hat because it was cold.

So it seems like a good time to talk about a particular childhood Halloween you remember — in six words, of course.

Please make it a story, a personal story, with a beginning, middle and end — not six adjectives, not a cliche and not advice. Make us laugh or cry or at the very least feel something. For an example, here is the famous story attributed to, but not proven to be written by, Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” That’s quite the story! Need more examples? “It can’t be. I’m a virgin,” writes Kate Atkinson. “Set sail, great storm, all lost,” says John Banville.

If you want your story to run in the IJ, please:

• Write “Six-word story” in the subject line

• Send one story. Just one

• Include your full name and Marin town in the body of the email, no attachments

• Write your short story in the body of the email, no attachments

• Use proper punctuation and spelling

• Use sentence style in one line

• It should not rhyme

• Do not submit six adjectives — that’s not a story

Please send to lifestyles@marinij.com by Oct. 20 and look for it in the Oct. 31 lifestyles section and online.

Last month we asked IJ readers to share their thoughts about Barbie, the doll, the movie, the icon. Here’s what they had to say.

Hairdo like Mom’s, an auburn bubble. — Karen Zizzo Kempf, Novato

Ken atop Barbie, sex education, 1963. — Lisa Reed, Mill Valley

Ken and Allan finally tell Barbie. — David Henry, San Rafael

Barbie in ’60s? We chose Beatles. — Helen Hayes, Ross

Barbie ruined that color pink forever. — Sandy White, Woodacre

Ah! If only to be Ken. — David Curtis, Novato

Baby dolls teach love, caring. Barbie?  —Carolyn Eitel, Terra Linda

Barbie is part of our culture. — Michael C. Vogel, Mill Valley

Enough with this sexist doll already. — Daphne Moore, Greenbrae

Owned original Barbies. Mom gave them away. — Suzonne Hale, Bel Marin Keys

Blind Mexican masseuse called me Barbie. — Kay Noguchi, Terra Linda

Barbie and Ken, a “plastic” relationship. — Bruce Donals, Fairfax

Too many daughters, Mom won’t buy.  — Janet Lee Benjamin, Tiburon

Hated the doll, loved the movie. — Roberta Seifert, Woodacre

Barbie’s new world, it’s fantastic. — Sharon Sanner Muir, Larkspur

Barbie’s still news? God help us. — Frank Ridley, San Rafael

Badly behaved men receive no consequences. — Michele Samuels, Mill Valley

Kenough; his yearning touched mine keenly. — Bill Blackburn, Novato

Sis had Barbie, I went fishing. — Hank Simmonds, Kentfield

Barbie was created, to empower women. — Stacy Burroughs, San Anselmo

Just be your very best Ken. — John Oppenheimer, Sausalito

Oh, Barbie. You’re plastic. Mixed blessing. — Lou Judson, Novato

SoCal Barbie in handkerchief sari: India. — Carol Chappell, Novato

A letter to Santa suggested Barbie. — Sue Beittel, San Rafael

Barbies: loved by children and collectors. — Mary Ann Gallardo, San Rafael

Barbie movie or doll, not interested. — Pamela Lunstead, Novato

I loved sewing my Barbie’s outfits. — Barbara Merino, Mill Valley

Barbie’s fiction, character Gloria’s monologue’s real. — Trish Jones, Greenbrae

Body dysmorphia, shaming girls for decades.  —Sandra Arden, San Anselmo

Dogs were my game, not dolls. — Sharon Eide, Novato

“Bad movie,” said only fragile men. — Beatrix Berry, Fairfax

Avoided baby dolls. Played Barbies’ adultness. — April Orcutt, San Anselmo

“Barbie”? Teachable? “Oppenheimer” far more essential. — Ian Begg, Corte Madera

Mom wouldn’t let me have one. — Karla Kvam, San Rafael

Imagination, maturation and finally, Barbie donation. — Mary Frances Reed, Marinwood

Had Barbie; preferred American Girl Samantha. — Nancy Rademacher, Corte Madera

Ran over sister’s Barbie with train. — David Leipsic , San Rafael

Barbie? I like the dark-skinned dolls. —  Sam Fleeger, Marin City

First love, paper dolls. Barbie who? — Gailya Morrison, Lucas Valley

Barbie doll a toy to moneymaker. — Heike Dittrich-Kruljac, Corte Madera

A vagina is what Barbie needs. — Angelo Capozzi, Tiburon

Barbie’s ambition empowered women to soar. — Lauren Scott Swalberg, San Anselmo

Barbie’s inhuman body encouraged anorexia, bulimia. — Susan Mines, Terra Linda

Leaf-blowing Barbie is inconsiderate and unkind.— Mary Geving, Woodacre

Worked at Mattel. Allocated Barbie’s costumes. — Dee Fratus, Larkspur

Robbie makes Barbie a living doll. — Dave Powell, San Rafael

Mount Rushmore’s latest edition features Barbie. — Daniel R. Maloney, San Anselmo

Learned to sew designing Barbie clothing. — Cynthia Sapp, Terra Linda

First Barbie, 1961 — old memories cherished. — Ann Eller, Woodacre

I loved that surprising feminist movie. — Billie Forer, San Rafael

She’s plastic yet such an icon. — Doug MacMillan, Marinwood

Daughter’s Barbie wore grandmother’s handsewn clothes. — Lucy MacSwain, San Rafael

“Wizard of Oz,” way better distraction. — John Neuenburg, San Rafael

Aussie Ken: Shrimp on the Barbie. — Ron Skellenger, Woodacre

Barbie movie is clever and poignant. — Mary Lou Hayward, Novato

Re Barbieworld: Pretty powerful in pink. — Andrew Lea, San Quentin