My Secret: A Post Secret Book by Frank Warren [book]

My Secret: A Post Secret Book by Frank Warren [book]

Publisher: Regan; First Edition, 2006
Language: English
Hardcover: 144 pages
ISBN: 0061196681

Plot Summary:
Frank Warren is the author of the Post Secret books; he started Post Secret.com as a community art project and it has become an international phenomenon expanding to books, conferences, and his website. Since November 2004 Warren has received more than 150,000 anonymous postcards for his many projects and he receives more everyday. My Secret was the first of the books to be put out and they are filled with postcards sent from anonymous people all over the world telling their deepest secrets. There is typically a postcard or 2 on every page with a picture and a short telling of their secret, with some of the entries being emails or texts that Warren has received as well. A summary of this book would not be complete without an example of what the postcards look like:

Critical Evaluation:
The pictures and the secrets that are sent to make this book are all donations, and I think that they are insightful and sometimes heart wrenching. I think the selections are interesting and the book is a good length for the material that is in it. The art and the poetic value of the book, combined with the fact that there are themes of suicide, being alone, being outcast, and facing problems are perfect for getting people to understand that they are not alone in the world.

Reader's Annotation:
My Secret is a book compiled of postcards that people have created anonymously from all over the world telling their deepest secrets.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.postsecret.com/
http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/30756/Frank_Warren/index.aspx

Awards:
The website won 2 Webby Awards, 2006
Seventh Annual Weblog of the Year, 2006
Special Award from the National Mental Health Association for raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention

Similar Books:
Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren
A Lifetime of Secrets: A Post Secret Book by Frank Warren
Post Secret Confessions: Confessions of Life, Death, and God by Frank Warren

Booktalking Ideas:
Having people create their own secret postcards and creating an art project from it
Having a discussion about secrets and how powerful they can be; also reiterating that everyone has them

Genre:
Non- Fiction, Culture, Poetry, Art

Interest Age:
15+

Challenge Issues:
Language and Sexuality
I think that some of the entries are very personal and can reveal secrets that are hard to hear and can be of a sexual nature. I would combat this with the fact that most entries are short and do not go into extreme detail and that they are not intentionally vulgar. All of the entries are secrets that are a truth for someone and not meant to offend the party reading the book.

Why this Book?
I wanted to include a poetry or art book in the collection, and I really liked the idea of adding in a Post Secret book because they combine both elements and also make a good atmosphere for knowing that there are other people in the world that have secrets and problems of their own- that we are all not alone.