Despite a population of eight million, NYC can somehow seem very isolating.
“A friend once described it as ‘feeling like the city is slowly closing in on you,'” said Sofia Kavlin, co-founder of the Unsent Letters Mailbox.
Together, she and Kelly To, whom she met through the Sugary community newsletter, decided to embrace anonymity and use it as a driving force to build community. Thus, the two NYC transplants ended up with a mailbox that houses thoughts and feelings that have been left unsaid.
Inside the Unsent Letters Mailbox movement
On Valentine’s Day 2024, Sofia decided to take her makeshift mailbox out into the wild and distributed blank cards and envelopes. In turn, 50 New Yorkers submitted their innermost thoughts without signing their names. And somehow, these mysterious writers feel close to us in a way that might not seem possible.
Since February, the mailbox has made its way through NYC parks — particularly ones with a slower, welcoming pace — and those passing by continue to share what’s on their mind. And the movement grew into the Write To Read, an anonymous reading salon.
“In the span of thirty minutes, we find ourselves covering a whole range of human emotions from grief, to unrequited love, laughter and disbelief,” Sofia adds.
As it turns out, in the busiest, noisiest city that oftentimes feels overwhelming and disconnecting, many of us appear to be on the same wavelength.
“People are often surprised at how aligned the letters they draw at random are with the one they just wrote a few minutes ago,” Sofia adds. “Weʼve had people say things along the lines of ‘It feels like a response to what Iʼve just written.'”
There are the emotionally-charged scribbles and the heartfelt admissions. But then, of course, there’s downright strange (like you’ll see below).
“When your mom walked a dead dog for a week, that shit was crazy. I was your elevator boy. Not your therapist. I made 13 $ an hour. You were a millionaire, so I wasnʼt allowed to stop you. When you stormed into the lobby and accused me of breaking into your apartment and sticking my fingers into one of your jars of jelly, that shit was crazy.ˮ
Whatever the case might be, one thing remains consistent: New Yorkers love having an outlet.
“Through this project, weʼve realized that people carry around very heavy things and find that they have no safe place to put them,” Sofia says. “Weʼve learned that people want to be seen, heard and acknowledged. Weʼve created that safe space through anonymity — where participants temporarily suspend judgement so they can bare themselves entirely.”
The movement continues with new pop-ups across green spaces, a forthcoming holiday event, and more ways to connect with an air of mystery.
“We want to continue growing as a bridge between grassroots storytelling (giving voice to peopleʼs unsent letters) and various artistic practices and spaces,” Sofia adds. “We want to bring the concept to more diverse communities in the city including community-driven organizations, museums, and corporate workshops.”
What will you submit to the Unsent Letters Mailbox? Learn more on Instagram.