Dinner With Strangers: Jess Janz On The Friends We Haven't Met Yet
About this episode
Jen Hatmaker and Jess Janz discuss the importance of connection and community in combating loneliness.
Dinner With Strangers: Jess Janz On The Friends We Haven't Met Yet We're more connected than ever—and lonelier than we'd like to admit. What if the answer isn't finding the right people, but simply pulling up another chair? This week, Jen sits down with writer, poet, and community-builder Jess Janz to talk about her new book, The Table Where We Meet , and the social experiment that grew into the phenomenon known as Dinner With Strangers. What began as a gathering around a table with a few curious questions has now welcomed more than a thousand people into conversations that move past small talk and into the territory we all secretly long for: belonging. Jen and Jess explore why so many of us feel disconnected, what makes a question powerful enough to crack a person open, and how vulnerability creates the conditions for genuine connection. Whether you're craving deeper friendships, navigating loneliness, or wondering how to build a bigger table in your own life, this conversation is a hopeful reminder that meaningful connection is still possible—and closer than you think. In this episode, you'll hear: The hidden costs of loneliness and our growing hunger for belonging Why "What's…
People in this episode
Host: Jen Hatmaker
Guest: Jess Janz
Topics covered
- connection
- loneliness
- community
- vulnerability
- friendship
- belonging
Keywords
- Dinner With Strangers
- belonging
- vulnerability
- friendship
- community-building
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Table Where We Meet
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