In a time when our world seeks to rebuild after being throttled by a global pandemic, Sonder is a part of Lucky Jefferson's efforts to bring writers together and generate admiration for the communities around us.

"Everyone is their own protagonist. Poetry is the transitory permeability between writing to understand yourself and to understand everyone else. Seek connections between yourself and your strangers. Write about them," shares Kyra Jee, Guest Editor for Sonder.

We often use writing to help us understand not only ourselves-our own values, assumptions, and perspectives-but that of others. We hope to encourage others to write about (or with) the idea that your perspective is unique to you, just like someone else's is inevitable and special to them.

Each piece within this issue offers glimpses of others' lives-glimpses reminding us that everyone is the main character of their own story-and reminding us how important it is to recognize these hidden moments.

In the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, the word "sonder" means acknowledging that other people are "living a life as vivid and complex as your own." We invite you to continue this practice after you read the issue.