New PostSecret book echoes appeal of popular Web site
October 22, 2009 by RACHAEL MIRABELLA
Filed under Out & About
Frank Warren’s novel idea is a secret – not his secret, but the secrets of thousands of other people.
The seeds of Warren’s popular Web site, PostSecret.com, were sewn during a community art project in Washington D.C. His idea was to have people write personal secrets on a post card in a creative way and mail them to him anonymously. He figured it would be a cool way for locals to get creative. Now, five years later, Warren has received almost half a million postcards.
“I decided to do it on a lark,” Warren said. “I printed up self-addressed post cards and literally handed them out on the streets. I had no idea it would spread like a virus. It became apparent that I was onto something. Now I get postcards from all over the world.”
Evidently, a lot of people have skeletons in their closet. In Warren’s newest book, “PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God” people share secrets about questions that lie deepest within them. They are both striking and moving, and some are even funny.
Put together, they tell the story of the human condition. Most of the secrets from Warren’s newest book are similar to these: “It’s not God who doesn’t care, it’s us” and “The day you broke my heart was the day you set me free. Thank you.”
One of the humorous ones says, “My dad is my hero. He’s dedicated his life to God and his faith, and made me a better person. So if there isn’t a Heaven, I will kick someone’s ass.”
But Warren has a way of getting out his own secrets as well.
“I put one of my secrets in every book that has been published, which is four so far,” Warren said.
This book reminds us we are not alone in our troubles and are not crazy for our struggles. Warren said, “I love it because it shows that so many of us have a rich interior life that can benefit everyone. I keep every secret I am mailed to remind myself of beauty, and because I see them as sacred.”
The newest part of the PostSecret phenomenon is Warren going on tour to universities. “I share the funny ones [postcards], the outlandish ones, the ones that could not be published due to inappropriate material. At the end of every event, I open the mic for anyone to share a secret if they want,” Warren said. Warren is going to be in Atlanta at Georgia State University on Oct. 27, 2009.
As for why Warren thinks this is beneficial for people, he says, “A lot of people tell me the physical action of writing their secret out and sending it away offers a solace.” Once the secret is sent off, the writer can let it go.
Perhaps the most telling secret of the book is this one: “I’m just waiting for someone I can tell all my secrets to. That way, I can stop spending all my money on stamps.”
For some of us, mailing a secret to Frank Warren will have to do until then.
