Tell me things about talking to strangers

I’ve long aspired to be the sort of person who curiously gleans stories, tidbits, and heartfelt confessions from the people I meet. As someone who oscillates between feeling outgoing and feeling shy, sometimes I find such connections effortless, and sometimes I falter in hesitation. If I miss my moment with a stranger, it will be something I’ll often mull over in the days that follow. There is an art, I think, to talking to strangers and creating the kind of connection that allows anecdotes to rise to the surface. I think Brooklyn journalist Anne Kadet has mastered said art. Talking to strangers and finding out what they know forms a big part of her weekly newsletter, CAFÉ ANNE. Features range from analysing strange sidewalk trash piles to interviews with random senior citizens and chess hustlers to the last man without a cellphone. Anne admits that many of her most interesting stories have come from requests from her readers to investigate something. Still, I think there is something

I’ve long aspired to be the sort of person who curiously gleans stories, tidbits, and heartfelt confessions from the people I meet. As someone who oscillates between feeling outgoing and feeling shy, sometimes I find such connections effortless, and sometimes I falter in hesitation. If I miss my moment with a stranger, it will be something I’ll often mull over in the days that follow. There is an art, I think, to talking to strangers and creating the kind of connection that allows anecdotes to rise to the surface. I think Brooklyn journalist Anne Kadet has mastered said art. Talking to strange