Pete Freedman
Before Her First Day Next Week, Meet Frances Tingle, One Of Two Ex-Interns-Turned-Contributors Who Will Now Be Formally Joining Our Editorial Staff.
Earlier today, I made a bad joke about Central Track being on the verge of puberty, and announced one of two new hires we’d made to help us through all these interesting changes we’re about to be going through.
Here, I’m excited to announced that Frances Tingle is joining Stephanie Salas-Vega as another newcomer to our team.
Frances hasn’t been around these here Central Track parts as long as Stephanie has, and thus might not be as familiar a name to regular readers of the site, but she’s proven herself a supremely welcome and trusted contributor to the cause in a short amount of time.
She first linked up with Central Track over the summer, taking on an internship with us in the immediate wake of her graduation from the University of North Texas. Immediately after starting, she got hard to work on stories that would go on to become some of our most-read articles of the year — everything from “What To Know About Dallas Noise Ordinance Enforcement” and “What’s Going On With These Van Gogh Exhibits In Dallas?” to “Meet The Dallas Baker Selling ‘Ted Lasso’-Inspired Cookies” and “Welp, The Grand Prairie Cobra Is Still On The Loose.” In the wake of her internship, she’s continued to make her presence known on the site by helming our “Best Things To Do In Dallas This Week” posts.
We’re eager as all get out to see what stories she’ll focus on next now that she’s agreed to join the team in a more formal capacity, and super jazzed to see what exciting new directions she’ll help take our site’s coverage.
Her first day on the job will be arrive this coming Monday, October 18.
In the meantime, get to know Frances and her personality a little better by reading her answers to the 20 questions I sent along her way and demanded she answer in anticipation of this very introductory post.
1. So you’re officially joining the Central Track staff, huh?
Yep! I’m peeing my pants about it.
2. So, to the readers who don’t know: Who the hell are you?
I’m a recent UNT journalism grad, part-time photographer, INTP, half-Russian, only child, cat person, lover of sparkling water. I have a funny last name.
3. What are some of the stories you’re most proud about that you’ve published previously on Central Track?
My favorite is the one about the 2021 Oak Cliff Film Festival, just cause the experience was so fun. I’m real big on movies, and I got to meet a very drunk Udo Kier. I’m also proud of my noise ordinance story because of how tedious it was to work on — it felt so nice to finally finish.
4. What interests you most about what’s going on in Dallas these days?
Honestly, everything. I’ve lived here for a couple years, but have spent most of my time outside of Dallas County. I’m definitely still a newbie, and needing to continue learning about the history, local government and entertainment scenes.
5. What has surprised you the most about Dallas since moving to the city?
I was kind of dreading it since it was a good 40 minutes away from my school, job and friends, but I’ve come to like my neighborhood — and gotten better about my fear of driving.
6. You’re a photographer as well as a writer. How do those two interests complement one another to your role as a journalist?
My dream job throughout school has been a photojournalist. It’s one thing to write a good story, but to be able to provide visuals makes it more powerful. Plus, it’s less words — and, as a hardcore introvert, I like that.
7. What’s your Zodiac sign?
Virgo!
8. What Hogwarts house do you think you’d be sorted into?
I honestly feel like I’d be Hufflepuff, but online quizzes say Ravenclaw.
9. What are you dressing up as this coming Halloween?
My good lady wife Nadja from What We Do in the Shadows.
10. What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?
Magenta from Rocky Horror. I watched that movie when I was 12, and was instantly obsessed with it. Ever since, I’ve wished I was her. She was my go-to costume for, like, five years.
11. Is Halloween the best holiday? If so, why? If not, what is?
Of course! I’ve loved creepy things my whole life, so I love that there’s a time of the year where it’s normal for things to be ooky-spooky. I love the history, aesthetic, pop culture and the weather.
12. I know you’re a big film buff. What’s the best movie you’ve recently seen?
I think the last movie in recent years that truly blew me away was Jojo Rabbit. I watched it in theaters three or four times. So, you’re welcome, Taika Waititi, for my $40! I also watched The Lost Boys the other day for the first time, and it was everything I could ever hope for.
13. What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Well it should’ve been My Chemical Romance this year </3. Not to be that person, but I saw Greta Van Fleet in a small venue before they got super popular, and that was a good show.
14. If you’ve got an open weekend afternoon and you want to treat yourself to some of your favorite things around Dallas, where are you headed?
I love the fitness studio Grit Fitness, which is a small, woman-owned business that’s specifically for women. I like sitting out at Union Coffee in Oak Lawn. I frequent PakPao, Hopdoddy (the truffle aioli!) and my local Mexican place Ana’s Restaurant.
15. On your Instagram profile, you’ve listed your name as “Frances with an ‘e’.” How often do people mistakenly spell your name with an ‘i’?
It’s extremely rare that anyone gets it right on their first try. It doesn’t really bother me since they’re usually fleeting interactions anyway, but I like to make it known that Francis is the male spelling and Frances is the female.
16. You’re pretty young. Are you on TikTok? Why or why not?
I’m not on TikTok. I refuse. My friend will filter out the bad content and send me the highlights, though. It’s a cesspool of weird stuff, and I don’t really want to get sucked into it. It scares me how young the kids that go on it are, it’s bound to do some generational damage.
17. Are there any specific things you plan to make sure Central Track covers?
I want to learn more about what the readers are wanting to read about, and also to find stories that are normally overlooked/underrepresented.
18. Who’s a journalist or a photographer you really admire?
I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t kept up with the names of writers. For photojournalists, though, I’d say Ernst Haas, Eugene Richards and Mary Calvert. I’m trying to be better about learning the names of those whose work I enjoy.
19. How do you feel about the State Fair of Texas?
It doesn’t appeal to me. I went once to see what it was about, and I was very underwhelmed and hurt that the Ferris wheel was so expensive. I’m a big fan of The Champ cow statue, though.
20. Any last words for your haters?
Make sure to address your comments and concerns to Frances.