313 episodes

For 18 years, the Modern Love column has given New York Times readers a glimpse into the complicated love lives of real people. Since its start, the column has evolved into a TV show, three books and a podcast.

Each week, host Anna Martin brings you stories and conversations about love in all its glorious permutations, dumb pitfalls and life-changing moments. New episodes every Wednesday.

Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

Modern Love The New York Times

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.4 • 7.7K Ratings

For 18 years, the Modern Love column has given New York Times readers a glimpse into the complicated love lives of real people. Since its start, the column has evolved into a TV show, three books and a podcast.

Each week, host Anna Martin brings you stories and conversations about love in all its glorious permutations, dumb pitfalls and life-changing moments. New episodes every Wednesday.

Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

    We Dated for Three Years. He Forgot It All.

    We Dated for Three Years. He Forgot It All.

    Sam and Tyler’s relationship was built on a philosophy of joy. Together, they climbed trees, ate cream puffs in bed, and danced in a field with their friends. But, after three years together, Sam was no longer in love, and they broke up.

    A few months later, Sam was in a terrible accident. He had amnesia. He knew Tyler was important to him, but not why. He’d forgotten their entire relationship — and he didn’t remember their breakup. Now, Sam needed Tyler to fill in the gaps. Over hospital visits she shared photos and stories — trying to bring back Sam’s memories, yet unsure if she could reveal to him they were no longer a couple.

    This is the first episode of our new season! We’ll be back every Wednesday with new episodes.

    • 27 min
    He Ghosted. I'm Grateful.

    He Ghosted. I'm Grateful.

    Denny Agassi moved to New York City with a mission: She was looking to have great sex.

    Her first summer in the city, Denny downloaded the dating app Grindr. She filtered for trans friendly men looking for sex or short flings — and it worked.

    Then, one day, she got a message from a man named Jack. He was poised, curious and caring. What she thought could only be something casual — a Grindr relationship — turned into something serious and meaningful. Denny’s guard began to fall.

    But, just as she began to let Jack in, he was gone.

    This is the final episode of our season! We’ll be back with new episodes in late May.

    Plus, a call out to listeners: When did you realize your parents were really divorced? Tell us your story here: nytimes.com/divorcedparents.

    • 21 min
    Dating Advice From Jay Shetty

    Dating Advice From Jay Shetty

    When Jay Shetty graduated from college, he was prepared for two different paths in life: to work in finance, or become a Hindu monk.

    After three years at an ashram, Jay returned home to London hoping to share his learning with the world. He had to relearn how to make small talk — and how to flirt. He had his eye on someone special: a down-to-earth woman named Radhi.

    Their first date was a disaster. But it helped him realize that Radhi, who would one day become his wife, yearned for a more simple and authentic mode of connection — qualities he knew well from his time in the ashram.

    Today on “Modern Love,” Jay shares how anyone can bring the lessons of monkhood into dating and love — even if you’ve never stepped foot in an ashram.

    • 21 min
    The Healing Power of Love (Island)

    The Healing Power of Love (Island)

    12 hopeful singles, thrown into a villa in Spain, hooking up, breaking up and making up. When Sophie Mackintosh was experiencing one of the darkest periods of her life, the reality TV show became her obsession. There was something about it that was deeply validating — and kept her coming back.

    Today: Sophie’s reflections on "Love Island." Plus, Lindsey Underwood, a Styles editor at The New York Times, gives us the lowdown on the show (she’s a superfan).

    After, Melissa Akie Wiley shares her Tiny Love Story about healing from a childhood trauma — and finding the love and acceptance she had thought was out of reach.

    • 21 min
    How a $100 Bet Saved Our Relationship

    How a $100 Bet Saved Our Relationship

    Mark Jason Williams and his mom often butted heads on two issues: She was uncomfortable when he brought up anything about being gay, and he was tired of her incessantly talking about how he survived childhood cancer.

    By the age of 40, Mark had reached his wit’s end. He stopped pleading for her to change and instead proposed a $100 bet. But the real change in their relationship came when Mark broke his end of the bargain. Today, Mark and his mother, Betty Williams, tell their story.

    • 22 min
    Stop Looking for the Perfect Partner

    Stop Looking for the Perfect Partner

    “The only three men I had ever imagined a future with all told me that something was missing,” Oz Johnson wrote in her Modern Love essay. When Oz was 23, her boyfriend said she met 99 percent of his criteria, but she was missing 1 percent. Over a decade later, another man broke up with her via email. Their love was almost perfect, he said, but not enough to last.

    What is this missing, unquantifiable feeling? Oz used to be haunted by these rejections, but now she has come to embrace the search for imperfect love.

    After: Nancy Cardwell wasn’t looking for love — but then, at 58 years old, she fell passionately in love with tango. Her newfound zeal for the dance took her to Buenos Aires, where she fell in love again — this time, with a man named Luis.

    • 21 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
7.7K Ratings

7.7K Ratings

Rach Llewelyn ,

Miss the old format

Agree with those asking for the old format. I came to listen to the essays, not an interview.

BrindleI ,

Don’t like the format

I begin listening with enthusiasm, but lose interest after a short time. Here is why. There are SO many interview podcasts. A lot of what I liked about Modern Love is that I was allowed to enter someone else’s world as they read their essay, uninterrupted. The brief interview following added but allowed the essay to speak on its own terms. The interview technique interrupts the essay’s flow and also changes its unique nature by inserting another personality.

am............................ ,

The new format is a disappointment

Modern Love was one of my favorite podcasts. Listening to audio versions of one of my favorite NYT columns was always a nice way to pass time in the car. I loved when you’d get a little interview with the author of the essay at the end. The podcast was enjoyable and well balanced.

With that said, I am disappointed to say that this new format is awful. I want to hear the essay. I do not want to hear snippets of the essay tossed in between an interview conversation. The flow is off and I cannot appreciate the essay as a whole.

Anna Martin is a good host and seems to have an ease of connection and empathy with the people she’s interviewing. But her conversational skills are not why I’ve subscribed to this podcast for years. I’d love to have her commentary and interviews bookend the essay. Introduce the essay with some commentary, the essay is read, have an interview after. Perfect format!

In the saturated world of podcasts, there are many options on what to subscribe and download. Modern Love is no longer going to be on my list.

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