Humanities Nebraska (HN, humanitiesnebraska.org) has announced a special round of its letter-exchange program, “Dear Stranger.” Originally conceived by Oregon Humanities, “Dear Stranger” connects people from all over the state by inviting Nebraskans to write a letter to someone they’ve never met.
The premise is simple: write a letter, get a letter, and make a new connection. Humanities Nebraska will match each letter received with a counterpart from a different part of the state.
For letter writers who are interested, HN has offered the following prompt for this round of letters, which must be postmarked by February 15, 2023. Participants are encouraged to address the theme in any way they choose:
Write about a local or national public event from the last 50 years – a celebration, anniversary, or gathering that occurred between 1972 and 2022 – that was personally meaningful to you.
Share how that experience felt, why you hold onto it, and how it affected you. Letters can be as short or long as a writer likes (even a postcard) and can take any form and include any enclosures that will fit in a first-class envelope. Participants should send their letters to Humanities Nebraska along with a signed participation form, available online at humanitiesnebraska.org. Letters should be addressed to Dear Stranger, c/o Humanities Nebraska, 215 Centennial Mall South STE 330, Lincoln, NE, 68508. Questions about the program should be sent to dearstranger@humanitiesnebraska.org. Learn more about Humanities Nebraska at humanitiesnebraska.org.