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
Modern Love Encore: Wedding Season [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:53
It's wedding season! Kathryn Hahn ("I Love Dick") and John Cho ("Star Trek") read some of our favorite nuptial-themed essays.
Before The Web | With Griffin Dunne [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:57
Griffin Dunne of the Amazon series "I Love Dick" reads a story about how distance can make the heart grow discouragingly fonder.
Standing By Your Man | With Chris Messina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:15
Chris Messina of "The Mindy Project" and "The Sweet Life" reads a story that explores what it really means to stand by your partner "in sickness and in health."
Marry My Husband | With Debra Winger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:52
Debra Winger reads the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal's essay about her fairytale love story, which was cut short by cancer.
A Slow Fade To Black | With Minnie Driver [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:26
Minnie Driver of ABC's "Speechless" tells the story of a woman whose dream life was almost complete -- until reality got in the way.
Just Don't Call Me Mom | With Gideon Glick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:26
Mother's Day is over -- for this year. Some people really look forward to those chocolates and flowers and others write a Modern Love essay bemoaning the day's existence. Broadway actor Gideon Glick ("Spring Awakening,"…
Sharing The Shame | With Anna Chlumsky [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:53
Anna Chlumsky ("Veep") tells the story of the 90 days that changed the entire course of one family's life.
A Prince Charming For The Prom | With Tituss Burgess [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:29
Tituss Burgess, the Emmy-nominated star of the Netflix series "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," reads us a story about teenage dreams -- the good, the bad, and the prom.