signing books powell's photo jason berg love stories stories personal true loved power written words important feel love putting thoughts ideas halfway normal connecting space night reminded beats power human-to-human interaction specifically beats power words shared flesh powell's books portland reading half dozen women stories included anthology divorce women open moving book published month weeks leading reading eagerly women meeting portland exchanged emails group making plans dinner reading drinks connected facebook wrote another's walls read book reading story copies book arrived turned table contents found pencil carefully made small mark names women portland candace samantha julie elizabeth susan turned stories carefully read stories juno santa york stories sexual identity isolation mental illness abuse crushed dreams stories redefinition hope heaviness lifted eyes opened stories made smile laugh aloud finished reading words felt knew women imagined reading essay knowing ways knew ways deeper friends leapt past pleasantries small talk directly fray longer strangers connecting words real person here's expected meeting women person simply visuals texture knew expect deep-gut feelings listened read words words written poured actual words story woman human standing vulnerable held tone voice expression eyes husband close friend brother audience real painful joyful story connected real person story woman tied common experience completely read answering questions audience signing books table powell's signed another's copies part felt high school seniors signing yearbooks shared moment goodbyes full promise future wishing separate ways older seasoned we're military unit finished tour duty time evening spent hours divorces we've experienced similar accurate simile searching words closest describing we've experienced wonderful read words wonderful hear read wrote books signed 