Review: Humanity crystallized in 'Letter to a Stranger'

“Letter to a Stranger” is a collection of vignettes by writers who all share one thing in common: an experience with a stranger that they just can’t shake

“Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us” edited by Colleen Kinder (Algonquin)

If you’ve ever purposely gone down the Craigslist Missed Connections rabbit hole, “Letter to a Stranger″ is for you. Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes just weird.

“Letter to a Stranger” is a collection of vignettes by writers who all share one thing in common: an experience with a stranger that they just can't shake.

The book’s introduction starts by explaining, "All writers have a peculiar devotion to strangers.” Colleen Kinder’s curated collection displays that devotion — a special kind of extroverted, artistic pull that makes even the introvert capable of fooling someone into thinking they are the most people-y of people persons.