Season Premiere: One Man's Trash

Season Premiere: One Man's Trash

Author: The New York Times June 1, 2022 Duration: 21:03
When Mike Rucker and his partner, John, moved in together, they purchased a sofa they affectionately named Miss Bee. “I didn’t just feel grown up buying this sofa, I felt sophisticated,” Mike wrote in his Modern Love essay. Miss Bee had low arms, wooden legs with brass wheels and a white denim slipcover. Miss Bee was not only a provider of comfort, but also the anchor of Mike and John’s home life. For our season premiere, we listen to Mike’s story about the process of saying goodbye to Miss Bee — and the role she played for him in grieving John’s death. Then, Mike joins our host, Anna Martin, in the studio. He reflects on some of the other physical objects that continue to keep John alive for him. Modern Love is back for the summer: For the next 10 weeks, we’ll be releasing episodes about love in all its messy, complicated forms — including stories about star-crossed lovers in their 60s, the best nanny in all of New York City and an adoptee who overturns her assumptions about her mother. New episodes drop on Wednesday afternoons.

For two decades, the Modern Love column in The New York Times has offered a uniquely intimate window into how people navigate relationships, heartbreak, and connection. That same spirit of honest, personal storytelling finds its voice in this weekly podcast, hosted by Anna Martin. Here, the written essays are brought to life, often by notable actors, and expanded upon through Martin’s thoughtful conversations with the authors and other guests. They delve into the aftermath of the published story, exploring what was learned and how lives have unfolded since. You’ll hear about love in its many forms-romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love-across a spectrum of experiences that are by turns heartbreaking, awkward, humorous, and profoundly uplifting. This isn’t about fairytales, but the real, messy, and transformative moments that define us. The Modern Love podcast, from The New York Times, continues that essential tradition of sharing our most vulnerable stories to see our own lives more clearly. New episodes arrive every Wednesday.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 445

Modern Love
Podcast Episodes
How I Got To Here | With Katie Couric [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:00
Katie Couric reads Leslie Lehr's Modern Love essay about learning the true depth of her relationship with her husband.
Friends Without Benefits | With Taissa Farmiga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:29
Taissa Farmiga reads a story about "friends without benefits" who spend years circling each other without defining their drawn-out, nebulous relationship.
A Heart Outrun | With Colin Farrell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:01
Colin Farrell reads the story of man who had given up on love -- until it showed up at his door.
A Second Embrace | With Cheryl Strayed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:22
Cheryl Strayed -- co-host of WBUR's "Dear Sugar" podcast and author of the best-selling memoir "Wild" -- reads a story about taking a second chance on love.
Broken, Not Bound | With America Ferrera [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:31
America Ferrera reads the story of an African aid worker, and an event that drastically shifted her perspective.