Marriage. Death. Adoption. Catfishing. For 16 years, The New York Times’ Modern Love column has brought the joys and complications of real-life relationships to its readers through reader-submitted essays. Now, in recent years, the Modern Love podcast relays some of the best of those stories through inspiring podcast episodes.
When the Modern Love podcast first premiered, The New York Times had teamed up with the Boston-based WBUR radio station to create the show. Famous actors and actresses—from Terry Crews to Molly Ringwald to Daniel Radcliffe—read each of the essays, and a journalist from NPR served as the host. After more than 200 episodes, the show underwent a transformation. NYT Audio took over, and column editor Tim Jones came on as a host along with Miya Lee, editor of the Tiny Love Stories spinoff. Readings now happen by professional voice actors, or sometimes the authors themselves.
Besides the essays, episodes of Modern Love often include a short conversation segment with the author, or a Tiny Love Stories addition often relating to the longer piece. Original music samples are sprinkled throughout, and listeners will recognize some of the love-related movie quotes and song lyrics that make up a brief montage at the beginning of each episode. It’s these kinds of additions that help make the podcast so captivating, as well as the reflective moments of pause or the surprise reveals that add to the storytelling.
With a name like Modern Love, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this podcast dives into a diverse range of topics such as online dating, divorce, LGBTQ relationships, and polyamory. For Christians and non-believers alike, the podcast is a useful way to engage with different perspectives and learn about what might be unfamiliar. And it’s also an opportunity for God’s children to appreciate and seek to emulate Christ’s perfect love.
Episodes of Modern Love are available for listening on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms.
About the Author
Kayleigh Fongers graduated from Calvin University in 2018 and works as a reporter for a Grand Rapids-based publication. She’s also a freelance writer and contributes music and podcast reviews for The Banner. Kayleigh currently resides in Muskegon, Mich.