Collegiate Times

founder of Post secret Frank Warren

'I trashed my parents' house to look like I had a party while they were gone … so my mom would think I had friends.'

Frank Warren, creator of the hit Post Secret Project, is currently collecting nearly 1,000 postcards a week, just as the one above, and compiling them into books. Three of the books have already become New York Times best-sellers.

With the help of Virginia Tech Union, which sponsored the event, students and community members crowded into the Commonwealth Ballroom in Squires Student Center last night to listen to Warren speak about his project.

An audience just shy of 800 engaged itself in the emotion-packed event for over two hours.

"It was very inspiring to hear not only his perspective, but hearing all the secrets from other people, too," said freshman engineering major Matthew Parker, who visited the Post Secret Web site on a regular basis before attending the event.

Warren opened the evening by discussing the Post Secret Project's beginnings in November 2004, tracing his steps back to when he himself was passing out postcards to strangers while he lived in Washington, D.C.

The project has now grown into a phenomenon, in which people anonymously mail their secrets on an artistic postcard. Warren originally developed the idea from a dream he had while in Paris in 2003.

After he spoke about the project, audience members volunteered to reveal an array of emotions and secrets while Warren displayed some of the postcards that hadn't been placed in one of his postcard collection books for either privacy or copyright reasons.

A resounding round of applause sounded through the auditorium as a postcard from an anonymous Virginia Tech student was displayed regarding the shootings on April 16.

The postcard, which had a picture of the balloons being released in front of Burruss Hall the morning of April 23, read, "I still have nightmares, and I'm still afraid to go to class. But I am also still very much in love with my Virginia Tech."

The floor was opened for audience members to speak with Warren, make any inquiries they had regarding him or the project, and share their personal secrets. Topics covered a range of topics, including April 16, eating disorders and suicide.

Warren ended the evening by disclosing his own secret; a secret that he had later sent to himself in the form of a postcard as a means of coping. He had kept this secret since fourth grade, during which he said a new, popular kid had convinced some of his friends to hold Warren down and beat him up.

Following the event, Warren took time to speak with fans and sign copies of his newest book, "A Lifetime of Secrets: A Post Secret Book," which was on sale after the show.

VTU was pleased with the event's outcome.

"I thought it was awesome, I'm ecstatic about the turnout," said junior marketing major Nathan Thompson, director of speakers for VTU.

"I was really pleased," Warren said after the show. "A lot of people showed up; there was a lot of emotion, amazing secrets, a lot of warmth ... it's a very special campus."

Along with four best-selling books, www.postsecret.com has received more than 100 million hits.