EPISODE · May 28, 2026 · 1H 6M
Mark Frost on FDR, Twin Peaks, and the Mysteries Beneath America
from Ojai: Talk of the Town · host Bret Bradigan
On this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, Bret Bradigan welcomes returning guest Mark Frost — bestselling author, co-creator of Twin Peaks, and author of the new historical work Yankee Sphinx.The conversation begins with Frost’s remarkable great-uncle William D. Hassett, a close adviser to both Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman who kept meticulous diaries from inside the White House during some of the twentieth century’s defining moments. Frost discusses what those journals reveal about FDR’s leadership, how Roosevelt’s battle with polio shaped his empathy and political vision, and the lessons modern America may have forgotten about resilience, communication, and democratic leadership.Frost took Hassett's diaries and turned them into a page-turning, compelling work of fiction that shows the machinery of power up close and very, very personal.But the discussion ranges much further — into Eleanor Roosevelt’s influence, the hidden structures beneath political power, the enduring mysteries woven through American history, and why places like Ojai continue to attract artists, seekers, and unconventional thinkers.Along the way, Frost reflects on storytelling, mythology, creativity, and the connective thread running from Twin Peaks to the Roosevelt White House: the idea that beneath every public story lies another deeper and stranger reality.We did not talk about Ty Cobb's counter-intuitive racial views, marble trout fishing in Croatia or tomato season. Listen in for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, art, history, and the unseen forces that shape American life.https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Sphinx-FDR-Novel/dp/1250876893
What this episode covers
On this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, Bret Bradigan welcomes returning guest Mark Frost — bestselling author, co-creator of Twin Peaks, and author of the new historical work Yankee Sphinx.The conversation begins with Frost’s remarkable great-uncle William D. Hassett, a close adviser to both Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman who kept meticulous diaries from inside the White House during some of the twentieth century’s defining moments. Frost discusses what those journals reveal about FDR’s leadership, how Roosevelt’s battle with polio shaped his empathy and political vision, and the lessons modern America may have forgotten about resilience, communication, and democratic leadership.Frost took Hassett's diaries and turned them into a page-turning, compelling work of fiction that shows the machinery of power up close and very, very personal.But the discussion ranges much further — into Eleanor Roosevelt’s influence, the hidden structures beneath political power, the enduring mysteries woven through American history, and why places like Ojai continue to attract artists, seekers, and unconventional thinkers.Along the way, Frost reflects on storytelling, mythology, creativity, and the connective thread running from Twin Peaks to the Roosevelt White House: the idea that beneath every public story lies another deeper and stranger reality.We did not talk about Ty Cobb's counter-intuitive racial views, marble trout fishing in Croatia or tomato season. Listen in for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, art, history, and the unseen forces that shape American life.https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Sphinx-FDR-Novel/dp/1250876893
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Mark Frost on FDR, Twin Peaks, and the Mysteries Beneath America
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