More from Hillary Frank
I've Got News
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From: Hillary Frank
A newly married guy finds out his wife is pregnant while he’s at sea and just a few years later, to his surprise, becomes a stay-at-home dad.
Nap Boot Camp
(00:16:42)
From: Hillary Frank
An exasperated mom decides that her daughter WILL nap in her crib by the end of the week.
The Emperor's New Onesie
(00:13:36)
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A woman spends a month at home with her naked two-year-old daughter, trying to figure out why she won't wear clothes.
Would've Been the Mean Mommy
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A woman becomes a mom at the precise moment that her own mother decides to stop being a mother.
Nurse, Get the Handcuffs
(00:14:25)
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A mother unexpectedly breaks down and apologizes to her 34-year-old daughter for not being able to breastfeed her.
Endangered Sea Turtle, Yum
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From: Hillary Frank
A vegetarian of 22 years decides that the way to fix her son’s umbilical hernia is to start eating meat.
Kittens Can Do it, So Why Can't We?
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A mom who finds breastfeeding stressful discovers that a machine helps her feel closer to her son.
Don't Make Me Be Your Miracle
(00:13:44)
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After having her first child, a woman experiences heart failure and is told she has less than a 50 percent chance of surviving another pregnancy. Through a surrogate, she ...
Is Class Over Yet?
(00:14:32)
From: Hillary Frank
A woman leaves her dream job to stay home with her baby, and then, out of boredom, starts sewing and unwittingly creates a new full-time job for herself.
When the Poop is No Longer a Gift
(00:10:36)
From: Hillary Frank
A newborn turns blue, is rushed to the NICU, and his parents deal with going home while the baby remains in the hospital, hooked up to machines.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
Two college students are walking around the quad. One gets on the other's back and they wrap a blanket around their middle. They call their nine-foot creation "Giantman." Giantman starts making weekly appearances on the quad, and beyond all reason, he becomes a cult phenomenon. Most people who haven't seen Giantman believe that Giantman is real. A teacher in an ethics course even questions whether or not the students are exploiting a freak of nature. Scott, Giantman?s upper half, talks about why Giantman was such a hit, and why he can never be Giantman again. This was Hillary Frank's first radio story. The production style is based on an unsolicited tape she sent to This American Life, which she recorded on her answering machine and produced with her shiny red boombox. The This American Life producers liked the low-tech style so much that they asked her to do another story with the same tools. Hence, the clicks and phone static. With proper explanation of the production technique, this story is broadcastable quality.
4 Comments
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Review of GiantmanFun stuff, well-edited. I like the DIY aspect here. Only critique is that the narrator's voice is too low at times. I like Giantman, just like I like anything that gives me free butterscotch candies. I would see Giantman if he came to my neighborhood. And if Electric Fun Machine wanted to write me a theme song, I would let them. |
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Review of GiantmanI’m sure Giantman is a metaphor for something— in fact, it might just be a metaphor for everything. It’s inspiring. Hillary Frank makes good radio with pretty much nothing-- none of that fancy ProTools or bourgeois pause button stuff-- just ideas, talent and a good story. Careful volume fades have made us soft. Perhaps not enough radio stories end with an abrupt stop. It’s sort of Brechtian—DIY, punk—just like Giantman himself. |
Timing and Cues
story: 10:27
(+ :35 end music)
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Nate Keeley
Posted on January 25, 2005 at 03:34 PM | Permalink
Review of Giantman
I enjoyed this piece quite a bit. The thought of this giant, ramshackle blanketman capturing the hearts of a college campus gave me hope for the future of America, but also gave me trepidation. Just how real did Giantman look? When I picture a 9 foot tall creature using a blanket as clothing, I can't help but also see the knees, hear the sneezing of the guy below. Who could believe in Giantman? Just how serious were the classroom discussions of Giantman? Where is Tufts? I guess there was something even real-er about Giantman, something that him being an actual Giant man might destroy, something that connects to the very fabric used to create the blanket we all wear. Only criticism: if this appears anywhere other than This American Life, it would be difficult for me not to compare it to said show.