Join "Dear Stranger"
Dear Stranger is a letter-exchange project that connects Nebraskans through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas, modeled after a program by the same name at Oregon Humanities.
Dear Stranger encourages people to reflect on their experiences and beliefs and make new connections by writing letters to strangers: write a letter, get a letter, and make a new connection. “Dear Stranger” is designed to allow anyone, of any age, to participate, and to do so anonymously should they choose. We also ask participants to complete the 2021 Dear Stranger Participation Form, indicating their understanding that Humanities Nebraska is not responsible for the content of letters and that, if they are age 18 or younger, they have a parent or guardian’s permission to participate.
The theme for this round is place.
In this time of social distancing, some of us have longed to go places or have reminisced about places we’ve been. Perhaps you are proud of the place you live or the place your family came from, or are drawn to a place you often visit or hope to visit in the future. Interpret the theme as broadly as you are inspired to do. Because place is often about experiencing a location, consider sharing a postcard, photo, or artistic expression of the place you write about with your letter.
If you have questions about Dear Stranger, please send email.
- 2021 Dear Stranger Participation Form
- 2021 Dear Stranger Flyer
- Dear Stranger Printable Bookmarks to share with friends, clubs, etc.
- NY Times Article on Snail Mail during Pandemic
We want to know what you think about “Dear Stranger”.
How did it feel to write your letter, and to receive a letter in response? Did you learn anything about yourself while writing your letter? There are many ways to let us know:
- Send us an email.
- Post a photo of you and your letter on Instagram and tag it @HumanitiesNE and #NEDearStranger
- You can also post the photo on Facebook (facebook.com/nebraskahumanities) or Twitter (@HumanitiesNE)
"Dear Stranger" is sponsored in part by:
Sponsorship Opportunities
While this is a relatively inexpensive program for HN to run, there are costs related to postage, promotional materials and staff time. HN seeks individuals and organizations to become sponsors ranging from $250 to $1,000. Benefits of sponsorship include visibility in promotional materials (ie. press releases, eblasts), recognition on the HN website, and in our statewide outreach to media outlets, libraries, and literary organizations and other organizations. Sponsors may also remain anonymous if they choose. For sponsorship questions, please email Heather Thomas.
