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Roma and Son

From: Hillary Frank
Length: 00:07:07

An eight-year-old boy talks about how writing essays to accompany his father's photographs makes him feel eerily old. Read the full description.
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Piece Description

Photographer Thomas Roma was looking for a way for his eight-year-old son Giancarlo to get to know him better, in case he died unexpectedly. He decided to ask Giancarlo to write a book of essays to accompany his photographs. Turns out, Giancarlo saw meanings in the pictures that his dad had never thought of. This piece first aired on Studio 360.

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Review of Roma and Son

aka Giancarlo and Dad. Essays written by the eight year old to his father's pictures are quite mature. Credit goes to parents for bringing him up as a person rather than as a kid. This well polished piece is a must for Father's Day programming.

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Review of Roma and Son

Producer Hillary Frank guides listeners through a book published by Thomas Roma, an adult father photographer, and Giancarlo Roma, his young writer of a son. Simple music illustrates this examination of the fleeting relationship between fathers and sons. The editing style straddles the characteristics of a narrated feature and large chunks of straight interview to create an intimate window on creativity within families. A short and simple piece that took me to a contemplative corner of my mind. PDs beware that Studio 360's Kurt Anderson reads an intro.

Timing and Cues

story: 6:21
(+ :34 host intro -- can be cut)