Located in the World Trade Center’s Oculus is a room dedicated to a storytelling venture called “The Stranger’s Project.” Lined across an L-shaped room from head-to-toe are the stories of college students, cancer survivors, families, drug addicts and more. The room was developed in 2009 by Brandon Doman and involved the collection of stories of strangers around the world over a 10-year period. Doman acquired and currently holds 85,000 anonymous, hand-written stories from over 100 cities. 

“I’ve always been curious about people and their stories,” he said.

“The Stranger’s Project” began in a notebook one afternoon at a coffee shop. Doman said he had the idea to place a sign on his table that said “Stop by and share” alongside a blank notebook and a pen. By the time he left, he had collected pages upon pages of anonymous stories from people in the coffee shop. His success inspired him to continue searching for stories from strangers.

The design of the room invites viewers to share their story in a place that feels safe — with its small, square shape and white walls decorated with fairy lights between rows of stories.

“I found it fascinating, so I decided to keep doing it,” he said. “And now here we are 85,000 stories later.”

Following over 10 years of story collection and relocation, the project has now found its home in the World Trade Center in New York City — one of the most diverse cities in the world — where people from all walks of life come through. For Doman, New York City is also his home and, naturally, the perfect spot for his work to be featured.

This work is done individually by Doman, and he relies on donations to expand and continue the project, allowing it to travel to many different communities and grow. Currently, the project’s Patreon page has a goal of raising $1,000 per month through monthly memberships which consist of a minimal $2 donation a month to a maximum $10 donation. According to Doman, reaching this goal would allow him to continue focusing on the project full time and “guarantee new stories every day.”

“Remember that happiness can be found in circumstances and people and in the things that surround you, if only you open your eyes and your heart and your arms to everything life has to offer.” Anonymous writer

While the project has traveled thousands of miles around the world, the real accomplishment comes from its emotional influence on viewers. The design of the room invites viewers to share their story in a place that feels safe — with its small, square shape and white walls decorated with fairy lights between rows of stories. It is an intimate setting that inspires and comforts everyone who visits. The showcase also politely offers a box of tissues on the center table with the message, “In case of feelings.”

“I’ve tried to build this project in a way where people can come and put in or take out whatever they need,” Doman said regarding the room’s design. Soft jazz music plays in the background as people stand silently reading the pages on the wall. It was, and typically is, not a place for talking, but a place for listening and learning. 

Scanning the walls, one can find love letters, worries from new college students about city life, confessions, sobriety anniversaries, words of encouragement and more. 

“Remember this moment,” said a letter written from the perspective of a person to their future self. “Remember that happiness can be found in circumstances and people and in the things that surround you, if only you open your eyes and your heart and your arms to everything life has to offer.” 

“I want to fall in love,” another anonymous writer said. A different note began with, “Please don’t look down on drug addicts!” 

According to Doman, people share their experiences with his project “every day” and many have expressed feeling comforted by reading stories they relate to. Others have mentioned their pride in sharing their own story through the project. 

“Sometimes people come back to follow up on their stories, even ten years later,” he said. “It’s just really great to see their evolution.” Stories that come with follow-ups are labeled with a sticker — “The stories are connected!” — and placed side-by-side for readers to find. 

“The Stranger’s Project” closed its doors on May 7 at the World Trade Center and its next semipermanent location is currently undetermined, but any updates can be found on the project’s website and Instagram.

One “follow-up” story featured on the right-hand wall of the room was a three-page tale of a 22-year-old woman who died unexpectedly from cardiac arrest, and of the mother and friend who sought to find the story the woman submitted a year before her death. 

“I got matching sun hats with my best friend!” the woman’s story said. The note ended with, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Next to these words were the connected stories, one written by the 22 year-old’s mother and another by her best friend, both describing the comfort the project gave them during their time of grief. 

“Her story was found among hundreds of anonymous pages by a handwriting match,” the young woman’s best friend said. “We gained a piece of her back that day.” 

With thousands of stories shared and a community that has grown around the project both in-person and online —the project’s Instagram @strangersproj currently boasts 96,000 followers — Doman said that he has learned the power of a few honest words. Whether it’s for a person passing by, a drug addict seeking sobriety, a lonely romantic, or a mother grieving the loss of her daughter, many benefit from sharing and reading the stories of others.

“Everyone has a unique experience with it,” he said. “For some people, it’s finding another story that resonates with their own experience on this planet. For others, it’s just exploring all these different stories that we live.”

“The Stranger’s Project” closed its doors on May 7 at the World Trade Center and its next semipermanent location is currently undetermined, but any updates can be found on the project’s website and Instagram. When Doman is not at the World Trade Center, pop-ups of the project can be found in Washington Square Park, Prospect Park, at street festivals and even in schools.