For Hazlitt, Meg Bernhard profiles Frank Warren and PostSecret.com, a project that began in 2004 as an outlet for strangers to anonymously unburden themselves of quirky thoughts, deep fears, and unspeakable desires in a public space, free of judgement. Bernhard reveals the surprising genesis of the project—one which has attracted over 1 million secrets since its inception 20 years ago.
“In the fall of 2004, Frank came up with an idea for a project. After he finished delivering documents for the day, he’d drive through the darkened streets of Washington, D.C., with stacks of self-addressed postcards—three thousand in total.” At metro stops, he’d approach strangers. ‘Hi,’ he’d say. ‘I’m Frank. And I collect secrets.’
Others were amused, or intrigued. They took cards and, following instructions he’d left next to the address, decorated them, wrote down secrets they’d never told anyone before, and mailed them back to Frank. All the secrets were anonymous.
Initially, Frank received about one hundred postcards back. They told stories of infidelity, longing, abuse. Some were erotic. Some were funny. He displayed them at a local art exhibition and included an anonymous secret of his own. After the exhibition ended, though, the postcards kept coming. By 2024, Frank would have more than a million.”
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