Frankly Speaking: A Collection of Essays, Writings and Rants

In this, the first collection of prose by “one of the U.S.'s most controversial performance artists” (P-Form Magazine), Frank Moore explores his deep and uncompromising vision of human liberation and art as a “battle against fragmentation”. In the essays, writings and rants of Frankly Speaking, roughly covering the period from the late 1970s until his death in 2013, Moore reveals his plan for the complete political and social transformation of American society (see Platform for Frank’s Presidential Candidacy 2008), stirs up the “art world”, urging fellow artists to truly live their calling and not accept censorship (see Art is Not Toothpaste or The Combine Plot), pulls the reader deeply into the heart of magic, responsibility, shamanism, play, and expanded sexuality (see Inter-Penetration or Dance of No Dancers), and much much more. Frank Moore's essays have been praised by political activists, authors, artists and cultural icons like Bill Mandel, John Sinclair, Penny Arcade, Annie Sprinkle and many others for their comprehensive and revolutionary world-view. The reader gets to join Frank's joyful and fearless digging into the core issues of human experience to get to something deeper: intimacy, tribal community, freedom. Frankly Speaking also gives us a peek into the history of these pieces, which have been widely published all over the world, from the smallest of underground zines to the most established mainstream art journals. But Frank always focused on the small, personal, intimate level, and always fought to stay “underground”. As he writes in Mainstream Avant-Garde?: “The underground is where the real freedom and the real ability to change society are to be found.” The writings in this collection have this “beautiful slow pace as if forcing the mind of the reader to change pace as well and let the other world come to the forefront – the cartography of the soul is where you take us … each in our own way … rather than your way … which is generous indeed of you.” (Shelley Berc, writer, teacher) “You’ve hit another homer ... You ought to publish a book of essays or perhaps a Frank Moore anthology.” – Bill Mandel, broadcast journalist, left-wing political activist and author, best known for his televised condemnation of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the early '50s and later for his dramatic defiance of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in May 1960.