Across the Great Divide aims to bring out the individuality and common humanity of Americans from different backgrounds, political orientations, ages, genders and parts of the country. Join us by sharing your outward political beliefs on a digital and magically colored hand and your more personal self with a brief Where I’m From poem. Then reach across the great divide by sending a digital postcard to those you may love but disagree with on the other side of the aisle.
Detailed Directions
- Visit www.across-the-great-divide.org
- Click on “create your own postcard”
- Expand the view of the screen if you don’t see it all.
- On the picture of the hand, select one of the colors you see in the color wheel – then click on whatever viewpoint(s) you’d like to fill on the hand. Fill in the words that you believe in. If you want to erase a color, pick the white cell near the middle of the color wheel. Voila!
- Click on the button towards the bottom of the page that says “flip to back of card.”
- There is a small box in the middle of the screen that explains where the “I Am From” idea comes from – click on the X at the top right of the box to continue.
- Write your I Am From poem in the box, or cut and paste it from a Word/Notes etc. document. Do not be intimidated by the word “POEM”! Just begin a few lines with “I am from” and go from there. It does NOT need to rhyme.
- Put your name, city, and email in the boxes to the right of the poem.
- Click Preview
- Write in the name and email of someone you’d like to send the card to – could be a relative, friend, or people with whom you’d like to start a conversation.
- Check “Share the poem to the Gallery” if you are willing to share it.
- Press Send. Congratulations! You did it!
- If possible, send a personal email to the person you sent the card to, asking them to participate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my postcard be anonymous?
Yes, your email is always anonymous to the public. You can put anything in the “Name” field. Anonymous has written more poems than anyone else. Join the crowd!
Why can’t I see my postcard in the gallery?
Postcards must be approved before they appear on the site. Check back later if you don’t see yours right away.
Can I send a postcard to more than one person?
Yes, but you’ll have to start a brand new postcard. We recommend you copy your poem into a word processing program and then paste it into the cards.
What if I don’t want to send my postcard to anyone?
Just put City Lore as the recipient with the email address acrossthegreatdivide@citylore.org
Do I have to write a poem? (How do I write the poem?)
Don’t be intimidated by the word ”poem”! Just begin a few lines with “I am from” and go from there. It does NOT need to rhyme. Some prompts to inspire: write some nouns down about the place you were born. What is your first memory? Do you feel you are actually from a place different from the place you were born in? Try writing down a memory from your high school days. For more ideas, read the poems in the Gallery, written by folks just like you. But of course, they are each from somewhere different…
What if I want my card in the gallery but I don’t want to participate in programming?
No problem! We’d love to feature all the cards and poems in whatever we decide to do next, but we understand if you’d rather not participate. If we do reach out to you about participating, you can just ignore.
