A Meraki Radio Tribute to Francis Resta

By borkali in Open Arts on
6 comments

On November 22nd, we held an open house for Francis Resta, our late co-host and fierce friend and comrade. I will miss Francis forever. His wife, Carol, joined us in the studio for the one hour special you can check out HERE. Hosting this hour of radio might have been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do for a friend, but it was totally worth it.

Published by borkali

6 comments on “A Meraki Radio Tribute to Francis Resta”

  1. I was so sad for you when I first heard about Francis’ death, borkali. This tribute on your radio show was a lovely idea.
    My condolences,
    Teri

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    1. Thanks, Teri- I am honored to have known him at the end of his life. I hope the recordings of Meraki Radio with him are his own HOWLs out there into the world–

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  2. I listened to your tribute to Francis. I also listened to the interview on Davisville. You were really lucky to know this wonderful human being. He carried the war inside him for so long. I think his wife said it wasn’t until the 1980’s that he really got help for PTSD and could finally talk about his experiences. The interview about his infantry combat experience was heartbreaking. The military telling infantry soldiers that if they do their job they won’t come home is horrific. After what he lived through, It’s amazing that Francis found enough peace within that he could commit himself to try and pass that on to other combat veterans. Thanks for letting me know about your radio show and your dear friend Francis. I feel like I have a small connection to him through you.

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  3. borkali, have not listened yet but I intend to. I am deeply moved by your description of Francis, by how you put yourself out there, by all of it.

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    1. Thanks, JNaz- I think my relationship with Francis is something I’ll continue to reflect on over time, like lots of friendships I have 🙂 Francis, in particular, speaks to my love for multigenerational conversation and honest inclusion of all voices– a lot of people dismiss the elderly, but I see them as beautiful sculptures of time and Francis certainly was a marvel. And I got to spend so much time with him that he became part of my Friday routine, so much so that it’ll be hard to go to the studio this Friday but Francis is tuning in from another galaxy… ❤

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      1. Oh, borkali, this is so lovely. I too love this multigenerational aspect and inclusion of voices. I remember the moment in my life when I realized “old people weren’t always old” and it changed my life. Thank you for this.

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