PostSecret Interview Follow-Up: Winners of the PostSecret Book

Posted by Alex in Blog & Internet, Book & Lit on October 23, 2009 at 1:16 pm

A couple of weeks ago, we posted an interview with Frank Warren of PostSecret, where we asked Neatoramanauts to submit their own questions.

Here are the four questions and a comment that were picked - these people will get a free autographed copy of the PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God:

1. Reflecting upon all the Post Secrets you’ve received, and the contents therein, what would you say is the underlying – yet unifying – character(istic) of humankind? (Asked by Sanyu)

Frank : All the secrets I have seen, almost half-a-million, have revealed a hidden landscape that we all recognize but don' talk about. They have made me aware of our rich inner lives and the stories of heroism, human frailty and humor happening in people's lives. Those stories and secrets allow me to feel more empathy toward others and greater self-acceptance. They make me feel more connected to strangers. They make riding the subway more interesting.

2. How do you tell a fake secret submission from a genuine one? Or does it matter to you if they’re genuine confessions from the person who sent them or not if they might resonate with someone who might read them? (Asked by Melissa)

Frank: I think of the postcards as works of art that may have several layers of truth. Perhaps the secret we think is true becomes false when we share it. Maybe the secret you "make-up" actually reveals a kernel of truth that you are hiding from yourself.

3. What is the most commonly sent ’secret’ to Postsecret? (Asked by Mowog)

Frank: The most common secret I get is, "I pee in the shower". The most common kind of secret I get are the ones describing that condition I think we all can relate to; our search for that one person who we can tell all our secrets to. The journey toward greater intimacy with others and understanding of ourselves.

4. Have you ever received a secret you didn’t think you should publish? (Asked by Jenny)

Frank: A year ago I received a call from the FBI about a secret. It was about a secret I did not publish. Maybe someday I can post it.

5. Comment that won the book:

Oh my goodness… The last postcard up here “Rationally, I think the idea of God makes no sense, but I cannot get rid of my faith no matter how hard I try” has tears streaming down my face. I have been reading PostSecret for the last 3 or so years and this hasn’t happened yet. Funny that it’s on Neatorama and not PostSecret though, but i digress.

I have felt this way my whole life and it has caused a huge number of conflicts for my spiritual self. I have such a hard time praying and praying after telling people I’m an atheist or that I don’t believe in God, but I still always say stuff like that. I’m so happy there is someone else who is having the same conflict. (Comment by Paula R)

Congratulations to everyone who won the book (you'll get an email from me soon)! My apologies to those whose questions didn't get picked - they're all great questions, but time limitations did not permit every single one of them to be answered. Thank you to Frank and all you Neatoramanauts who participated ;)

 
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Post Secret: New Book Interview with Frank Warren

Posted by Alex in Blog & Internet, Book & Lit, Neatorama Only on October 12, 2009 at 2:41 pm

Forget the CIA, Frank Warren is probably the world's best keeper of secrets.

In 2004, Frank started a project called PostSecret, in which he printed 3,000 blank postcards inviting people to mail him their secrets anonymously. He handed out the postcards to strangers, left them between book pages in bookstores and libraries, and even left some on park benches. He got 100 back and posted the secrets on his blog.

Apparently, that struck a nerve: PostSecret went viral and since he started it, Frank has received nearly half a million postcards in his mailbox and over a quarter billion visitor to www.postsecret.com. The website spawned various exhibitions, events and PostSecret books, as well as various parodies (a true measure of one's popularity in today's world, I'm afraid).

The latest book, PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God was inspired by a collection of more than 300 postcards that were part of the "All Faiths Beautiful" exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum. The book contains never-before-seen secrets that, as Frank so eloquently wrote, "expose the common landscape of our private lives - from our embarrassing desires to our hidden acts of kindness; from the private prayers of atheists to the voiceless doubt of believers."

Frank, a Neatoramanaut himself (that's him wearing one of our T-shirts), has kindly agreed to sit down for a virtual interview with us. You are invited to submit comments and questions for Frank - we'll pick 5 of the best comments/questions to get a free autographed PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God book.

Neatorama: Congratulations on the new book (it's fantastic, by the way, I was engrossed reading it for a couple of hours) - did you ever think that PostSecret would be as popular as it is today when you started it?

Frank Warren: No, I have been shocked. In addition to the five PostSecret books, the website has had over 250,000,000 hits.

I knew that if I could earn people's trust and build a collection of creative and authentic secrets it would be very special for me. It's great to know so many others appreciate these extraordinary confessions too.

Neatorama: Why do you think it has been so successful?

Frank: I think people find some of the funny and sexual postcards amusing but eventually you come across a secret that you might recognize as one of your own. One you might be hiding from yourself. I think it is those moments of epiphany and empathy that have allowed the PostSecret community to grow.

Neatorama: Your latest book focuses on life, death, and God. Can you tell us a little bit about the reasoning behind the topic?

Frank: PostSecret started as a lark, maybe even a prank, but over the years the secrets have become more meaningful to me. This new book, like all the books have never-before-seen secrets that touch on sexual taboos and some outlandish humor, but more than the other books, the new book has postcards that share some our deepest and most private feelings about the greatest mysteries of life. The parts that are always there beneath the surface but we sometimes forget about during our everyday lives.

Neatorama: What are some of your favorite PostSecret secrets?

 

Neatorama: It's been five years since you started PostSecret - how has it changed your life?

Frank: Knowing all these secret stories that are happening in so many of our lives makes life, people, and riding the subway more interesting.

Neatorama: What's next for you and PostSecret?

Frank: My favorite part of the project now is traveling to college campuses and sharing the stories behind the secrets at live events where audience members can share their own secrets - without anonymity, but sometimes with great emotion.

__________


Frank's message on YouTube

__________

From PostSecret Confessions on Life, Death and God:

Frank has kindly offered 5 free autographed copies of the book for a giveaway. Got any questions for Frank? 5 lucky commenters with the most interesting questions and/or comments will win a copy of the book (I'll post Frank's replies as an update).

Links: Post Secret Book official website (with bonus secrets) | Post Secret website | Post Secret Community | Post Secret Book on Amazon (affiliate link, here's the clean non-affiliate link if you'd like)

 
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One Sentence Commencement Speeches

Posted by John Farrier in Arts & Crafts, Book & Lit on May 17, 2009 at 1:42 pm

Frank Warren, the artist behind Post Secret, recently delivered the commencement address at St. Mary’s College in Maryland. In preparation for it, he asked members of the graduating class to write a one-sentence response to the question “What do my classmates, and I, need to hear on Graduation Day?” Here are a few of his responses:

Be wise enough not to be reckless, but brave enough to take great risks.

It’s okay to fail – learn from it and you will succeed.

It’s better to be pissed-off than pissed-on.

If you were to asked to deliver a commencement speech that was only one sentence long, what would it be?

Link

 
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