Humanities Nebraska Launches “Dear Stranger” To Connect Nebraskans Via Letter Writing

Humanities Nebraska (HN) has introduced a new letter-exchange program called “Dear Stranger.” Originally conceived by Oregon Humanities, “Dear Stranger” will connect people from all over the state by inviting Nebraskans to write a letter to someone they’ve never met. 

“In this time of pandemic, our goal with ‘Dear Stranger’ is to offer Nebraskans of different backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs an opportunity to connect and share their thoughts and stories,” said Chris Sommerich, HN executive director. 

The premise is simple: Write a letter, get a letter, and make a new connection. Humanities Nebraska staff and volunteers will match each letter received with a counterpart from a different part of the state. After the first anonymous exchange, each pair of letter writers is free to share contact information to continue the conversation. 

For letter writers who are interested, HN has offered the following prompt for the first round of letters, which must be postmarked by July 31, 2020: 

When you look back at your life in 2020, what stories do you think you will tell about this time and what you learned about yourself? 

Letters can be as short or long as a writer likes and can take any form that will fit in a first- class envelope. Writers are free to include drawings, recipes, newspaper clippings, etc., as they see fit. Participants should send their letters to Humanities Nebraska along with a signed participation form, which is available at humanitiesnebraska.org. Letters should be addressed to Dear Stranger, c/o Humanities Nebraska, 215 Centennial Mall South Suite 330, Lincoln, NE, 68508. 

Questions about Dear Stranger should be sent to [email protected]. Further details about the project can be found at humanitiesnebraska.org. 

Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help Nebraskans explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by the NEH, private donations, an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska. Additional support for Dear Stranger has been provided by Postscript (Ashland, Nebraska) and an anonymous donor.