Stop Looking for the Perfect Partner

Stop Looking for the Perfect Partner

Author: The New York Times March 15, 2023 Duration: 21:35
“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.

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
The Language Of Love With Saoirse Ronan | Encore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:32
Saoirse Ronan ("Little Women") reads an essay about how a language barrier impacts the relationship between a young woman and an Iraqi doctor. This is an encore presentation.
How ‘Lolita’ Freed Me From My Own Humbert | With Jameela Jamil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:33
"Lolita," Vladimir Nabokov’s novel about a man’s sexual obsession with a young girl, is famously controversial. But when Bindu Bansinath started to read it, it unexpectedly became a kind of road map for her, showing her…
Alone In A Pandemic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:03
Living alone can be liberating, maddening, joyful ... lonely. It also might feel very different today than it did several months ago. This episode features stories from people who live alone, telling us how they are doin…
To Fall In Love With Anyone, Do This | Encore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:54
If you're running out of things to do at home — or if you just need a break from stress and worry — we have a suggestion. Listen to this week's episode featuring Gillian Jacobs and Mandy Len Catron, and then try the 36 q…
Modern Love Presents: Sugar Calling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:43
Modern Love presents an excerpt of the first episode of “Sugar Calling." Hear Cheryl Strayed in conversation with the author George Saunders, her old friend and mentor from graduate school.
Somewhere Inside, a Path to Empathy | With Daniel Radcliffe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:10
When you’re in a new relationship, you’re always trying to present your best self. But anyone who’s been in a relationship for awhile knows that you can’t keep the act up forever. David Finch writes about that in his ess…