The Poetry of Strangers

It might surprise you who’s a fan of poetry — when it meets them where they are.

Before he became an award-winning writer and poet, Brian Sonia-Wallace set up a typewriter on the street with a sign that said “Poetry Store” and discovered something surprising: all over America, people want poems. An amateur busker at first, Brian asked countless strangers, “What do you need a poem about?” To his surprise, passersby opened up to share their deepest yearnings, loves, and heartbreaks. Hundreds of them. Then thousands. Around the nation, Brian’s poetry crusade drew countless converts from all walks of life.

In The Poetry of Strangers, Brian tells the story of his cross-country journey in a series of heartfelt and insightful essays. From Minnesota to Tennessee, California to North Dakota, Brian discovered that people aren’t so afraid of poetry when it’s telling their stories. In “dying” towns flourish vibrant artistic spirits and fascinating American characters who often pass under the radar, from the Mall of America’s mall walkers to retirees on Amtrak to self-proclaimed witches in Salem.

In a time of unprecedented loneliness and isolation, Brian’s journey shows how art can be a vital bridge to community in surprising places. Conventional wisdom says Americans don’t want to talk to each other, but according to this poet-for-hire, everyone is just dying to be heard.

Thought-provoking, moving, and eye-opening, The Poetry of Strangers is an unforgettable portrait of America told through the hidden longings of one person at a time, by one of our most important voices today. The fault lines and conflicts which divide us fall away when we remember to look, in every stranger, for poetry. 

Based on thousands of real-life interactions, this unforgettable memoir-in-essays explores:

• Poetry as a Service Industry: How a simple typewriter and a sign asking "What do you need a poem about?" became a thriving business and a way to connect with thousands of strangers across the nation.
• An American Portrait: Travels from the Mall of America to Amtrak trains and sleepy towns, revealing the vibrant, hidden lives of mall walkers, retirees, and witches in a deeply divided country.
• Bridging the Divide: A powerful and heartwarming look at how the simple act of listening can break down walls, proving that in a time of deep isolation, everyone is just dying to be heard.
• Creative Inspiration: A moving and thought-provoking collection of heartfelt essays for writers, artists, and anyone searching for a more meaningful way to connect with the world and build community.