Atlanta author pens book about letter writing campaign

After graduating from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., she moved to New York in 2010 and was immediately surrounded by millions of people. Life was supposed to be good, right?

Yet her loneliness increased. Did others feel the same way, she wondered?

Brencher started writing anonymous letters to strangers in the subway, leaving them in coat pockets or in books in the library. She tried to encourage them through her notes.

The first letter was to an old woman in beat up, unlaced construction boots and dirty red hat. Brencher was struggling with depression and felt a connection to the woman she saw on the subway.

She began to pen a letter: "I don't know your story and I guess that doesn't really matter now, at least it doesn't stop me from wanting the very best for you. You deserve that, don't you know it?"

The woman was gone by the time Brencher finished the letter but it started what became a movement on her part to connect with people through letters and cards.

Brencher, who recently moved to East Atlanta, has written a memoir, "If You Find This Letter: My Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers," that chronicles her life and letter-writing campaign.

She will discuss and sign copies of her book from 7-9 p.m. Friday at the Barnes & Noble Buckhead, 2900 Peachtree Road N.E.

“Social media was coming to the forefront and I was really excited about it,” said Brencher during an interview. “I started to see (though) that there was a disconnect that was happening and growing.”

For instance, she used to be good at remembering birthdays, but began to rely more on Facebook for reminders, “which is crazy,” she said.

Not that she’s bashing social media. She has Facebook and Twitter accounts.

She thought of her mother, who always left notes for her, even as an adult.

Writing letters in some ways pays homage to her mother, a prolific letter writer, who used to stick notes to Brencher in books and Tupperware bins. She calls them “bread crumb trails of love letters.”

Her mother always thought it was important to let people know they mattered.

Brencher began writing more and more letters. She always believed New York was a magical city. Perhaps this was one way to create a little bit of magic on her own.

Over the years, she’s handwritten thousands of letters. In the last two weeks alone, she’s written about 200.

Brencher was named one of the White House's "Women Working to Do Good" and is founder of a non-profit, The World Needs More Love Letters.

On her blog, she asked if anyone wanted to receive a letter. The response was overwhelming. She keeps boxes filled with letters from people who have written back.

She has an army of volunteers who write as well. People give her books of stamps. She works with Greek letter organizations and college and youth groups.

“It’s cool to see young people involved,” she said. ” They’re most passionate about it and it’s good to see them step outside of themselves and what they normally do in a culture focused on fast and efficient.”