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The Dark Progress of Joe Frank: Difference between revisions
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The Dark Progress of Joe Frank (view source)
Revision as of 17:15, 14 November 2023
, 14 November 2023Fix typos
('The car progress of Joe Frank' an article from 'LA Style') |
m (Fix typos) |
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Frank's "Night," a one-and-a-half-hour radio monologue first broadcast | Frank's "Night," a one-and-a-half-hour radio monologue first broadcast | ||
in 1988, builds to a moment so unrelievedly dark that it imprints | in 1988, builds to a moment so unrelievedly dark that it imprints | ||
itself on the listener's mind like a | itself on the listener's mind like a black hole, causing ordinary | ||
compassion and sympathy to flounder and fail. Frank's voice is | compassion and sympathy to flounder and fail. Frank's voice is | ||
clipped and hypnotically driven, barely wavering from a monotone as he | clipped and hypnotically driven, barely wavering from a monotone as he | ||
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collected in lengthy interviews, explore scenes that arc so | collected in lengthy interviews, explore scenes that arc so | ||
squeamishly personal, so harrowingly intimate, that listening to them | squeamishly personal, so harrowingly intimate, that listening to them | ||
is akin to reading | is akin to reading the journal of a close friend and discovering | ||
things you'd rather not have known. | things you'd rather not have known. | ||
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"The bottom line is that the human condition is inherently | "The bottom line is that the human condition is inherently | ||
full of ambivalence. | full of ambivalence. In every meaningful relationship, I think | ||
you're going to find love, hate, resentment, compassion, | you're going to find love, hate, resentment, compassion, | ||
cruelty. Nothing," concludes Frank, "is simple." | cruelty. Nothing," concludes Frank, "is simple." | ||
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half, after an illness that had lasted for two years, and in a way, it | half, after an illness that had lasted for two years, and in a way, it | ||
was like the death of God. That experience of living in a situation | was like the death of God. That experience of living in a situation | ||
where my father was ill and I was ill, and my mother was young and | where my father was ill and I was ill, and my mother was young and | ||
vital and in a sense burdened by us, certainly had a telling effect on | vital and in a sense burdened by us, certainly had a telling effect on | ||
my psyche and sensibility." | my psyche and sensibility." | ||
Born in Strasbourg, France, in 1939, | Born in Strasbourg, France, in 1939, to a Viennese mother and | ||
Polish father in flight from Nazi Germany, Frank grew up in | Polish father in flight from Nazi Germany, Frank grew up in | ||
Manhattan. After attending a notoriously permissive school on the | Manhattan. After attending a notoriously permissive school on the | ||
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affect and nourish people's lives." | affect and nourish people's lives." | ||
Eventually graduating "493rd in a class of | Eventually graduating "493rd in a class of 508," Frank spent | ||
his time in high school daydreaming of athletic glory or dashing off | his time in high school daydreaming of athletic glory or dashing off | ||
amusing prose pieces he'd hand to his classmates. That flirtation | amusing prose pieces he'd hand to his classmates. That flirtation | ||
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In search of an alternative creative outlet, Frank ended up | In search of an alternative creative outlet, Frank ended up | ||
knocking on the door of WBAI, an independent public New York radio | knocking on the door of WBAI, an independent public New York radio | ||
station run largely by volunteers. After lending hand on various | station run largely by volunteers. After lending a hand on various | ||
programs (at one point, editing down a 100-hour reading of a Gertrude | programs (at one point, editing down a 100-hour reading of a Gertrude | ||
Stein opus), a slot opened up for his own show. And then, after ten | Stein opus), a slot opened up for his own show. And then, after ten | ||
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improvised comic skits. From the beginning, he avoided using scripted | improvised comic skits. From the beginning, he avoided using scripted | ||
material. "The performances in radio they're not subtle enough and | material. "The performances in radio they're not subtle enough and | ||
they | they overproject. So I decided that when I worked with actors, I | ||
would give them only the premise of a situation and then see how far | would give them only the premise of a situation and then see how far | ||
they could take it. And I found that when you do improvisational work | they could take it. And I found that when you do improvisational work | ||
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The success of Frank's program is indubitably linked to its | The success of Frank's program is indubitably linked to its | ||
unnerving, diary-like rawness - and to an audience raised with | unnerving, diary-like rawness - and to an audience raised with | ||
voyeuristic appetites. " I think we're all interested in how other | voyeuristic appetites. "I think we're all interested in how other | ||
people live their lives," he comments. "You only have one life, so | people live their lives," he comments. "You only have one life, so | ||
it's fascinating to see other paths you might have taken. Assuming | it's fascinating to see other paths you might have taken. Assuming | ||
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According to Frank, the fact that his monologues are closely | According to Frank, the fact that his monologues are closely | ||
derived from true stories further augments their appeal. " I don't | derived from true stories further augments their appeal. "I don't | ||
believe it's possible to credibly tell a story that isn't true," he | believe it's possible to credibly tell a story that isn't true," he | ||
maintains. "Or put it this way - I think true stories are much more | maintains. "Or put it this way - I think true stories are much more | ||
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liberally peppered with one-liners. | liberally peppered with one-liners. | ||
(Sidebar) | |||
" I was always a troublemaker," he quips at one point. " I | "I was always a troublemaker," he quips at one point. "I | ||
remember creating; open rebellion in the fourth grade when I told my | remember creating; open rebellion in the fourth grade when I told my | ||
classmates that the vaccine shots we were about to receive would be | classmates that the vaccine shots we were about to receive would be | ||
administered directly into our eyeballs." | administered directly into our eyeballs." | ||
(/Sidebar) | |||
Rather than challenging his audience, Frank seemed bent on | Rather than challenging his audience, Frank seemed bent on | ||
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kill one another. | kill one another. | ||
"Yet I don't feel the world is a nihilistic vacuum. | "Yet I don't feel the world is a nihilistic vacuum. I just | ||
think we don't have a clue as to what's actually going on. There's a | think we don't have a clue as to what's actually going on. There's a | ||
reality around us that we cannot grasp, any more than a dog can read | reality around us that we cannot grasp, any more than a dog can read | ||
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"Now if we can't imagine either of those possibilities - the | "Now if we can't imagine either of those possibilities - the | ||
only two options our intelligence can fathom | only two options our intelligence can fathom - then where are we? How | ||
can anybody presume to know the truth about our condition when we | can anybody presume to know the truth about our condition when we | ||
can't even understand basic concepts like time and space?" | can't even understand basic concepts like time and space?" | ||