Francesco Clark Talks Walking Papers

PAPER Beautiful Person alum Francesco Clark is a busy guy. While running his skin care company, Clark's Botanicals, and working with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Clark also wrote an amazing, inspirational memoir, Walking Papers, about his incredible recovery from a life-threatening spinal cord injury. The book party, on Tuesday night, was hosted by his former boss at Bazaar Glenda Bailey, Narciso Rodriguez and Mary Alice Stephenson on the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel. The place was packed with everyone from designers Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello to Bonnie Morrison to Miguelina Gambaccini. Following the party, I asked the handsome, talented Mr. Clark a few questions.

What was the hardest part of writing and finishing Walking Papers?
Oh boy. Well, writing the book made me re-live every aspect of the injury: that first instant where I became paralyzed, drowning underwater, yet completely conscious, still brings me to a place of complete shock. I still can't fully describe what "paralysis" feels like, and writing that in a way that makes the reader understand the disconnect I had from my body for so long was difficult. I would write and write, and not realize I was crying as I described it all. But, by the end, the opposite came true -- I'd laugh at the funny moments and seeing how great my life is turning out!

How did you get the idea to write the book?
I'm definitely not a writer, so it was difficult for me to even consider it as a possibility. After my injury, I used to write these long emails to my friends, my ex-colleagues at Bazaar and Mademoiselle, about my recovery and physical therapy. I'd send them every other day or so, and after a while, the chain email grew from four people, to ten, then fifteen, and if I'd skip a week, they'd email me asking for the recap. But then, my ex-boss, Suzan Colon, told me, "These emails are actually fun to read and if you just flesh them out a bit more, they'd be great for a book." For some reason, I completely believed in her believing in me, and I kind of dove right in.  It was the most cathartic and therapeutic exercise I've ever done.

Are you writing a second book? Can you tell us anything about it?
I am writing a second book. It's going to be a collection of seven short essays, lessons I've learned from life. It won't be all serious, though. There will be humor, some of the complete ridiculousness that is my life, and things I've learned from others. What is so interesting to me is how supportive and gracious the fashion and beauty worlds have been to me, to Clark's Botanicals, and I don't think most people realize how nice people like Narciso Rodriguez, Jeanine Lobell, Robert and Jeffrey Costello Tagliapietra, and Peter Som are. They are talents, yes, but to have someone so accomplished really care and listen and then become involved with me with the Reeve Foundation has shown me what paying it forward really means. Then, even Karolina Kurkova supporting us is just the most "What, what?" moment I've ever had. The book will delve into those aspects of my life. I also have a very big mouth and have a tendency to drink too much coffee so I have a lot of energy. Maybe book #2 should be called "How Nespresso Made Me Do This!""

How do you balance writing a book with running Clark's Botanicals?
It was tough. I set a goal and stuck to it. Two pages a day. Two pages of writing a day is short, and other authors probably would scoff at me for that, but I wanted a goal that didn't seem daunting. At the end of the week, it adds up to fourteen pages, and for the month... well, you get it. I'm the kind of person that wakes up in the middle of the night and thinks of ten things I should do the next day, except I scream it out loud with a few choice expletives to round out my thought. I'd brainstorm the next chapter while I'd get ready for bed, kind of muttering things under my breath, which did make my family think I was crazy, but whatever. I'd look over to my sister, who would look at me, holding her Psychology Today magazine, taking notes. But Clark's Botanicals is my life, and so is Walking Papers, so working on one actually helped the other, too. I mean, I couldn't possibly write all day. I'd need a different kind of creative outlet, which is what Clark's Botanicals did for me, and inherently, it made for a better book, because it wasn't one-dimensional. No one is one-noted like that, so I wanted to make sure that was reflected in the book."

What was the highlight of your book party?
Well, at one point Karolina Kurkova told me she speaks Italian so we had a face off, except whenever she'd say my name I'd burst out laughing because she always smiles so much, so I kind of owe a supermodel $100, now. Wait, is that legal? She's awesome. I felt completely overwhelmed by all of the love and support by everyone who came. To have it be hosted by my ex-boss and friend, Glenda Bailey, and then Mary Alice Stephenson, Narciso Rodriguez, Karolina Kurkova, and Maggie Rizer, I kind of had to stop and think, "Who wooda thunk eight years ago...?" But they did, we did, you did, and then it all came true!