Dear Rhode Island: Letter Writing as Commemoration, Connection & Contemplation

Dear Rhode Island is a project produced by What Cheer Writers Club and community member Jessica David to build connection across Rhode Island using the power of letters. Throughout the pandemic, the penpal exchange kept thousands of Rhode Islanders connected while providing an opportunity for personal reflection. Dear Rhode Island: Letter Writing as Commemoration, Connection and Contemplation draws together letters from community leaders addressed to “Dear Rhode Island,” reflecting on the pandemic and the power of letters to forge community during crisis. The letters will be collected and displayed at the window of What Cheer Writers Club at 160 Westminster St in downtown Providence as well as at libraries, bookstores and cafes across the state, and archived on the Dear Rhode Island website.