It begins as an assignment for English class write a letter to a dead person any dead person Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain he died young and so did Laurel s sister May so maybe he ll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people Janis Joplin Heath Ledger River Phoenix Amelia Earhart it s like she can t stop And she d certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher