I hate the way American society conceptualizes romantic relationships. The notion of "love" is typically framed as a progress narrative - whereby "marriage" is the highest form and product. Intimate connections are reduced to linear equations. Whenever people speak of... Continue Reading →
After months of resistance, I finally purchased and read Dr. K E Garland’s The Unhappy Wife. My original thoughts about the text were a barrier to engagement. Based on the title alone, I assumed that only married women could extract... Continue Reading →
When I wrote you a ballad and serenaded you beneath your window, you complained it was late and would rather be dreaming on your pillow. When I took you out on a date for a stroll beneath the stars, you... Continue Reading →
Across time and space, human beings have constructed taboos against sexual activity with close relatives. The most commonly stigmatized and legally prohibited incestuous relationships include parent-child and sibling-sibling unions. In the first part of this series, I argued that homes... Continue Reading →
Today is a special day for all you lovebirds! But what would Valentine's Day be without love music?! In the spirit of Lady G's Love is in the Air, here is a short list of my favorite love songs. What... Continue Reading →
From the box office to catchy songs on the radio, our culture is saturated with perspectives about romantic relationships. When the skeletal frame of these narratives are analyzed, we find that they tend to fall into one of two impulses:... Continue Reading →
My spirit has been mourning you the way land sobs for stars in the form of morning dew. My wristwatch reports the daunting truth because my pulse was the time and the hands haven't moved since the loss of you. Immune system lacking fortitude it's official: I miss you. Tears oxidized my face... Continue Reading →
In the first part of this series, I elucidated how both the Holy Bible and key philosophers privilege sight at the expense of touch. This follow-up will examine the shortcomings of this visual bias and no-touch culture. Over the past... Continue Reading →
Depictions of intimate relationships saturate public consciousness. The most popular movies, novels, and songs are immersed in dramas of love. Taken for granted by the entertainment industry and ordinary people alike is the seemingly innocuous declaration that we "fall in... Continue Reading →
