Pandemic Pen Pals

Writer Rachel Syme’s pen pal matching program has connected more than nine thousand correspondents from over fifty countries during the pandemic.
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Writer Rachel Syme’s pen pal matching program has connected more than nine thousand correspondents from over fifty countries during the pandemic.
“How can I love a people who want to destroy me? How can I protect myself in that love?”
“You place yourself in the story, and one by one you begin to fill in the holes the world has left behind.”
“Where do Black folks put all this pain? Where do we put all our anger?”
“These acts of solidarity are worthless if you are not consistently supporting and standing up for us every single day.”
“Telling stories of ourselves that offer not comfort but complexity is the way to maintain an honest dialogue.”
“I fear that this moment will not last long enough.”
“If you, too, hear the voice of white supremacy ringing in your ear, know that writing is resistance.”
Eleven writers pen letters addressed to fellow Black writers, to their ancestors, to gatekeepers, to members of the media, and to allies, among others.
“I continue pushing and trudging through blanketing whiteness so heavy it often obstructs my vision.”