Dear Stranger: Write a letter, get a letter, make a new connection.

Dear Stranger is a recurring letter-exchange project that connects Oregonians through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas. When we planned this spring’s round of Dear Stranger, we wanted to get people thinking about this year’s upcoming elections and share the things they are holding in their hearts and minds for those elections.

Given the circumstances of the moment, we’re adding a second prompt, inviting you to reflect on the things that the COVID-19 pandemic reveals or changes for you, your community, or the country. And if you want to ignore both prompts and write about something else entirely, that’s OK too.

When you write to Dear Stranger, your letter will be swapped with one from another writer. They will get your letter; you will get theirs. We’ll be mailing out letters at the end of each month through May 30. If you’d like to participate, visit our website to get started.

If you have any questions about Dear Stranger, please get in touch with Ben Waterhouse at b.waterhouse@oregonhumanities.org.

Photo by Leon Rojas on Unsplash.