What I learned from Joan Frank

I attended the Joan Frank reading of her short story Sandy Candy which was part of the book In Envy Country. Before the reading I didn't know much about Joan Frank. I had heard her name before but still did not know what to expect from the reading at all. The reading took place in a small corner of the Hammes bookstore where a few rows of chairs were assembled in front of a small podium. I was expecting the reading to be a lot larger in size but then again the only reading I had ever seen a picture of was J.K. Rowling where thousands of kids sat listening to her read the first chapter of her final book.

As the reading began I found the first few pages making me look more forward to pricking my eyes out with needles than listening to another word. But soon, from my wide-eyed daydream I began hearing words such as "Cocaine" and "strip club" and soon my mind became raptly focused on her story. It was as if I had instantly gotten a cup of coffee because suddenly my mind became focused on every word that was read.

My attention changed from counting down the seconds until the reading was over to visually picturing every simile that she read. From her pressing the delete button on her answering machine like she was killing roaches to describing what she's smelling as moldy bread and stomach acid. Her similes and metaphors made the descriptions so detailed that you could apply most of the senses to them. I could smell the moldy bread and stomach acid and view the many metaphors she used while describing the setting.

After Frank stopped reading she explained that her stories require a lot of buildup before they get into the exciting parts. She even stated that when she looked up in the beginning of her story that there were a lot of people who were yawning and looking bored. I have to admit that at the time I was one of those people, but the thing that surprised me was the turn it took to build up into more exciting parts. Judging from the beginning I felt the entire piece was boring and was going to remain boring.

I learned a lot from the reading. Even though I would never write a story with her plotline, I found it interesting how many metaphors she used to describe her situations and how beneficial it was to the reader. It definitely caught my attention and made me imagine settings and characteristics more vividly than I ever have before. Even if I don't believe in her structure of building up to the action, I do believe that you can reveal a lot using metaphors and similes.

At the end, Frank gave a good life lesson to all of the undergraduate and graduate students that were listening. She told everyone that we are all currently in a "safe zone" as she described it. She warned that the real world isn't as friendly as it is inside of the gates of Notre Dame. She states in the real world there won't always be advisors or teachers to help you when you get knocked down. And that sometimes you have to rely on your inner strength and confidence to make a name for yourself.