today i skipped my usual schedule of teaching and taking class to indulge in some chinese take-out and reading time at starbucks with beau. then i returned to the studio for a 2-hour practice with some of our fabulous teachers. the simple act of doing things a bit off routine can have such a refreshing effect.

tonight beau and i watched frida with salma hayek. what a fab flick and what a phenomenal woman frida kahlo was. i get so inspired reading and watching women who were decades ahead of their time, so bold, so artistic, and so talented. if you haven't read much about this fab woman, i encourage you to do so. i definitely plan on exploring her further.

marily monroe was my high school obsession and anais nin was my post-college obsession. finding women who carved their own path and reading their stories can provide inspiration and strength, along with a fresh perspective. it's always nice to get out of our own heads and dive into the life of another - especially women such as these.

i'm reading a great book about writing memoir as literature called your life as story by tristine rainer. since i'm currently fascinated by memoirs and have always loved reading about other women's lives, i find the concept of memoir divine. it's not a tell-all in chronological order but rather a sharing of a sliver of one's world with readers.

types of memoirs focus on a particular time, place or person:
1. particular period of your life
2. coming of age (angelou's i know why the caged bird sings)
3. a particular setting (dinesen's out of africa)
4. ecological (thoreau's walden)
5. relationship with a certain individual or group (hemingway's a moveable feast)

or a particular theme:
6. vocational and occupational (gandhi's autobiography)
7. philosophic (zen and the art of motercycle maintenance)
8. adventure
9. historical
10. dealing with adversity
11. psychological illness (girl interrupted)
12. confession
13. spiritual quest
14. meditation and reverie
15. personal essay
16. travelog
17. family history

i'm finding this genre sooo exciting. any other memoir-interested gals out there? if so, recommend some of your favorites. it's like a little dose of fiction mixed with non-fiction b/c it is an enticing story that usually has a message within. a win-win!