Forthcoming in Fall 2026 from Intellect Books / University of Chicago Press, edited by Corey Dzenko.

Secretary to the People: Civic Engagement Through the Art of Sheryl Oring

For the past 20 years, Sheryl Oring’s participatory art project I Wish to Say has invited thousands of people to engage in direct, analog dialogue with U.S. presidents through typewritten postcards. As a self-styled "Secretary to the People," Oring sets up a public office and transcribes dictated messages to the White House, preserving a carbon copy for her growing archive. Secretary to the People, published by Intellect Books and edited by Corey Dzenko, chronicles the evolution of this groundbreaking project. Blending Oring’s personal reflections, archival documentation, and new essays by artists, scholars, and collaborators, the book explores how analog tools can catalyze civic discourse in an increasingly digital world. Scheduled for release in Fall 2026 to coincide with the US. Semiquincentennial, Secretary to the People offers a powerful meditation on democracy, dissent, and the role of art in public life. As both visual documentation and narrative exploration, the book makes a compelling case for the importance of art as a catalyst for civic participation and social change. 

In an era of rage, noise, and hyper-technology, Sheryl Oring makes space for listening, dialogue, and democracy. Her work is not only timely, but absolutely urgent. - Kristina Wong, performance artist and Guggenheim Fellow

Through “I Wish to Say” and other projects, Sheryl Oring has built a chosen family of artists, students, colleagues, and audiences—and now creates alongside her daughter. To watch this work is to witness a moving generational transfer of vision and purpose.” - Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Art Above Everything

By making individual voices visible and tangible in a shared space, Sheryl Oring fosters a collective sense of agency and connection. Her work reminds us of the power of words to shape and challenge democracy, creating a profound sense of belonging and participation in an era when many feel alienated from civic life. - Charlotte Cohen, Executive Director, Association for Public Art (Philadelphia)

With each keystroke, “I Wish to Say” artistically and poignantly records the histories of our time from the perspective of many lives lived. Just as resonate today as twenty years ago, Sheryl’s generous and courageous gesture is a gift to democracy and to each of us working to uphold it. - Cynthia Post Hunt, Curator, Artists-in-Residence and Performance, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art & the Momentary