Tyra Peralte thought keeping a diary during the pandemic (流行病) might help her sort out her messy feelings. In April 2020, the mother of two in Montclair, NewJersey, started writing frankly about the challenges of work, marriage and motherhood during a global crisis.
Peralte wanted to know how other women were doing. So she made an unusual offer. She invited women from near and far to fill the remaining lined pages of her black -and-white marbled composition notebook with their own pandemic tales. She named the project The Travelling Diary.
“I wanted an interaction that felt human,” Peralte says, “and it feels very human to read someone else’s writing.” She found her first contributor during a conference for entrepreneurs. When she mentioned the diary, a woman in North Carolina immediately said she would like to write in it.
From there, Peralte posted an article about her idea on Medium in an effort to get more women involved. So many wanted to participate that Peralte decided to create a website for people to add their names to the queue. She came up with a system: Each person gets to keep the diary for three days and fill as many pages as she wishes. Then she is responsible for mailing it to the next person, whose address Peralte provides. Each participant fills the pages with her own handwriting, and sometimes her own artwork, sharing her stories.
So far, more than 2,000 women from 30 countries have participated, some as far away as South Africa and Australia. Of course, not all those entries could fit in just one journal. More than 50 of these notebooks are currently in circulation (流通), and about 20 completed ones are back in Peralte’s possession, including the original diary with her first entry, about navigating pandemic life and reconnecting with family.
“It is beautiful to have it again and to read it,” she says. “I carry these stories with me on a daily basis.”
4. Why did Peralte set up The Travelling Diary?
A.To help those in need. | B.To figure out her feelings. |
C.To offer job opportunities. | D.To interact with other women. |
5. How did Peralte invite women to take part in the project?
A.By offering a website to sign up. | B.By holding business meetings. |
C.By writing letters of invitation. | D.By building up a system to follow. |
6. Who will keep the notebook after it is finished?
A.The one who filled in the last page. |
B.The one whose story is the most attractive. |
C.The one who originally set up this project. |
D.The one whose handwriting is the most impressive. |
7. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.Women’s Diaries | B.The Travelling Diary |
C.Women, Story-tellers | D.Peralte, a Creative Woman |