The Grief Manuscript: An Interview with Frankie Rollins and Eric Aldrich


An Authors Talk


“The one thing I always know is mine is my artwork…my writing life…”

During her divorce in 2017, Frankie Rollins began creating her most recent work: The Grief Manuscript, as both a “compulsive and cathartic” way to channel the grief she found herself experiencing.

As humans, we are no stranger to grief—it can come in many shapes and forms, and it often affects us in ways we cannot predict. Oftentimes, we see grief as a negative experience, but, during this raw and vulnerable podcast, Frankie shares how grief can produce beautiful things—if we let it.

Frankie also discusses the power that art and writing provided her with in overcoming grief and turning it into a project that propelled and inspired her.

This Authors Talk with Frankie Rollins and Eric Aldrich is a rejuvenating, gentle (and much needed) reminder that though we may feel the grief of what we have lost, we can always hold onto the one thing that will always be ours—art.



Learn more about Frankie at her website.

Learn more about Eric at his website.

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17 thoughts on “The Grief Manuscript: An Interview with Frankie Rollins and Eric Aldrich

  • September 24, 2020 at 5:59 pm
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    I love how Frankie was able to use her grief and put that energy into art, it’s such a great outlet!

  • September 27, 2020 at 9:14 pm
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    I thought the story she told about the dreams where there were biopsies of emotion and her story about the little notes about her grief were very interesting ways of reaction to and coping with her grief. I also thought that her taking shelter in her writing to get back to life was particularly interesting

  • September 27, 2020 at 9:43 pm
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    I am really glad that Rollins was able to find a catharsis in the art that she produced at the time of her divorce. We all deserve peaceful ways to deal with our grief and struggles. I think that we could all learn a little something from people like her, who put their energy into making something beautiful out of bad things.

  • September 28, 2020 at 12:07 pm
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    I’ve always found it inspiring when people are able to turn something bad that happened in their lives into something good- just seeing the beauty even in grief, and turning it into art. I think works like Rollins’ can help others with their own troubles go through their grieving processes and perhaps create their own art.

  • September 30, 2020 at 4:27 pm
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    Everyone deals with grief differently, and it was so interesting to hear about Rollins and her ability to see beauty even in moments of grief!

  • February 7, 2021 at 6:24 pm
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    I love how Rollins made her grief into a piece of art. Why boil up inside when letting it out and letting the world know your pain. I have done this before, and it has helped me a lot.

    • February 8, 2021 at 12:29 pm
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      It really is great when you can make something as dark as grief into art that others can relate to and enjoy. I am glad that you have been able to experience and do this yourself.

  • February 11, 2021 at 3:16 pm
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    Such an interesting interview! It hooked me and kept me interested the whole time. It really made me interested in reading some of Frankie’s work.

    • February 13, 2021 at 10:08 pm
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      We’re so glad you enjoyed. This interview was really nicely conducted. You should definitely check out both Frankie’s and Eric’s work further!

  • September 26, 2021 at 10:45 am
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    I think that the idea of grief definitely has a negative connotation and it’s nice to have a different perspective of what grief can provide. The idea of “what is mine” is a great way to ground yourself when experiencing grief; it can allow us to let go of our emotions and the situations that cause our suffering.

  • September 27, 2021 at 10:59 pm
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    It’s amazing how cathartic it is to create art. When it comes to bad feelings—big or small, personal or shared—it’s so important to express them in some way. This talk was very enlightening!

  • September 28, 2021 at 1:44 pm
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    I think that the personification of burden was brilliant and relatable. Very thought provoking and intricate.

  • October 4, 2021 at 9:35 pm
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    Its always great to hear writers to talk about each others work with one another.

  • September 25, 2022 at 12:45 pm
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    I think when we think of grief we always think of what it takes away, not what it can provide. This was such an interesting perspective on how one can use grief to channel it into their art and I thought it was beautiful.

  • September 27, 2022 at 9:08 am
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    Art at its basis is trying to show some sort of emotion or release of emotion. I think that it is amazing that Frankie took her emotion and pain during this difficult time of hers and made it into something that influences and inspires others.

  • September 27, 2022 at 12:20 pm
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    Sometimes I feel like in my community, we like to avoid talking about grief, as if it’s a taboo subject. I feel like it really just comes from people thinking that grief is so horrible and painful that it is something to be avoided. However, I think Rollins is a great example of how grief is important to the human experience and, even more so, to art.

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