Simmons sets up his booth on the sidewalk in front of a Washington Mutual Bank branch with the blessing of the branch manager, who may or may not have been joking when he told Simmons to encourage people to sign up for free checking after they've given him their "sob stories." (Ekene Okobi)

Reviving the Art of Conversation

Simmons sets up his booth on the sidewalk in front of a Washington Mutual Bank branch with the blessing of the branch manager, who may or may not have been joking when he told Simmons to encourage people to sign up for free checking after they've given him their "sob stories."

Credit: Ekene Okobi