A Reflection on The Frankenstein Meme Program Series

Since its last hurrah in 2018, the Frankenstein Meme Project—lead by Dr. David Sandner—has continued to bring wonder and curiosity to many. One such curiosity lead to many questions and an interview with Patrisia Prestinary, the Special Collections Librarian at California State University, Fullerton who helped bring the exhibition and program series to life. The following interview was conducted primarily online as we discussed what it took to plan such an event and the process as well.

How did the idea of the Frankenstein Meme program series first arise?

The program was a result of Dr. Sandner’s proposal for the exhibit. He planned the exhibit, his lecture, and the Villa Diodati Workshop in advance – which was initially going to be the entire program.

It was during our initial planning meetings that David referred me to the  Keats-Shelley Association of America that led me to the Frankenreads site, where I discovered that hundreds of libraries, including The Library of Congress, were participating in a Frankenstein Read-a-thon on October 31st. I contacted POET, a group of librarians who plan events for the library, and asked them if they would help me plan a read-a-thon, which was the only event I had intended on doing. The group was enthusiastic about the project, to say the least. Some volunteered to make book displays and a photo booth. Our Communications Librarian contacted Dr. Sheehan, who presented “I’ve Created A Monster!”: Doubles and Compromised Agency in Frankenstein and its Expressionist Predecessors (Lecture and screening of Frankenstein (1931). Dr. Sandner referred me to Jeannette Reese of the OLLI Flash Mob. The Makara Center for the Arts referred me to Luivette Resto, who spoke at their program on Frankenstein’s legacy.

When did planning of the program series start? Was it a year-long process or was the planning period shorter?

We started planning the program in June of 2018. Dr. Sandner had submitted the proposal for the exhibit in Fall of 2017, but we did not start work on the exhibit and program until Spring and Summer of 2018.

How would you describe the process of setting up the program? How often would you meet with everyone and/or check in to make sure everything was going smoothly?

We met in person, for the exhibit and program, only once. The rest we managed via email and phone. There was an initial flurry of ideas in June and July, which tapered off by August. I put the brakes on any additional programming in order to begin the process of promotion, such as creating the program webpage and working with our Marketing Librarian to create social media posts for each event. Managing all the moving parts consumed nearly all of my time throughout September and October.

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What was the most difficult part in trying to put the program series together?

The Flash Mob required the most planning, in part because I hadn’t ever organized a flash mob, and in part because they had different needs: a dressing room, make-up, a DJ, and the element of surprise.

What was the most rewarding part in putting the program series together?

I am captivated by Mary Shelley’s life and work, particularly the belief that Frankenstein is the first science fiction novel. I especially enjoyed celebrating her triumphant first novel and sharing this enthusiasm with students and faculty.

Were there any specific events you were particularly excited about? Were there any events that the team was hoping to have but could not?

I was especially excited about the read-a-thon because it was, essentially, sharing a novel I love with friends. Moreover, reading aloud was an activity that many families and friends engaged in regularly in the 19^th century, and by doing so, we read it in the manner in which it was intended.

For those interested in learning more about the Frankenstein Meme program series, what should they do?

Visit Dr. Sandner’s webpage, the Frankenstein Meme program page, and the news articles written by the Daily Titan, CSUF News, and OC Register.