The unspoken rules of dating went out the window as people found themselves deeply alone – perhaps it’s no surprise these couples didn’t make itOn 4 July 2020, 34-year-old Samantha Higdon, a tech worker in Austin, Texas, was swiping through the dating …
How we met: ‘As the borders closed, I got the last seat on the last plane out, to be with her’
Damoon, 32, and Mengzhu, 33, met online at the end of 2019. They had a long distance relationship during lockdown, before moving in together at the end of 2020In 2019, Damoon was teaching at a school in Coonamble, a town in rural New South Wales. He wa…
My husband shows no interest in me and won’t talk about it
It’s as if you are in some sort of subconscious prison and I want you to escape, says Philippa PerryThe question I’ve been with my husband for 22 years. Ten years ago, I suffered depression. My doctor said it was nothing and dismissed me.My husband sho…
Three and/or Sixty-One Literary Bears
Patricia Lockwood (LRB, 08/12/2021), “Pull Off My Head”: “Is Bear one of those 1970s books about growing out your armpit hair? Kind of, but not only. Is it a metaphor for our relationship to nature? Fuck off.” Marlena Williams (LitHub, 10/23/2020), “Sy…
‘Now I know love is real!’ The people who gave up on romance – then found it in lockdown
Dating apps can be difficult and daunting at the best of times, and many users give up on them entirely. But for some the pandemic was a chance to reassess their priorities, and they were able to forge a much deeper connectionWhen the country first wen…
‘There’s risk in everything, right?’ The serendipity and agony of dating your neighbour
Finding love across the back fence or apartment corridor is a high risk, high reward proposition. Convenient? Yes. But also, potentially, mortifyingOne night, Hayden Starr returned home to find his neighbours having a party. He lived in an apartment co…
‘I’d rather be alone’: the influencers pushing for ‘relationship minimalism’
A group of young people are not only eschewing excess material items, but also meaningless relationships and ‘emotional clutter’Ronald L Banks was just 21 when he stood in front of his closet containing 60 pairs of jeans, a huge collection of shoes, an…
In a society that fetishises female self-sacrifice, saying ‘no’ saved me | Grace Jennings-Edquist
Women continue to take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid household labour and the ‘mental load’. But the road to ‘no’ can be a long oneAs a working mother, one word has saved me as the pandemic has worn on: “No.” I’ve learned to say “no” to being …
Blind date: ‘We disagreed about whether aliens existed’
Cam, 26, consultant, meets Ash, 29, police analystWhat were you hoping for?Romance, of course! But at the least, someone who shared my passion for music and fitness. Continue reading…
The power of no: how to build strong, healthy boundaries
When we find it difficult to say ‘no’ at work or at home, our responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming. For good mental health, focusing on our own needs and capabilities is crucialNo. A tiny, yet mighty word. To hear it can make us feel childl…