Love Letters
Psychology & Relationships
About
Love stories. Dating stories. Relationship stories. Stories about romance, marriage, partnership, sex, loss, and the human heart. Served with a side of advice. Hosted by Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein.
Episodes
- What's wrong with having a type?
Jordan shares his dating 'type,' which he developed after seeing actress Janeane Garofalo. He and Meredith discuss the implications of having a type and the potential need to broaden one's parameters when seeking a partner.
- The Phone Booth
Meredith shares insights from the Love Letters Tell-A-Booth at Boston Public Library, which has received over 1,000 calls. Library staffer Bailey Watroba discusses why young people are drawn to older technologies.
- Why Don't Men Ask Questions?
Simone, a single mom in her 40s, wrote to Love Letters because men on dating apps answer questions about themselves but don't ask any in return, leaving her to carry the conversation. Meredith discusses this with Simone and experts like To…
- Meredith and Margaret on Lindy West and “Adult Braces”
Meredith talks to Margaret H. Willison about Lindy West's new memoir
- "Gettin' After It Together"
Nicole provides an update on her life, reflecting on her past efforts to meet a boyfriend through various classes and activities. She discusses her current feelings about lifelong learning and participation.
- ‘I’m sorry I hid you’
Yowei Shaw, host of the podcast “Proxy” – and former host of NPR’s “Invisibilia” – joins Love Letters to tell a story about the time she was embarrassed of her partner … because he’s a man. This is Part 2 of our two-part series inspired by…
- Are boyfriends embarrassing now? Some answers.
Last fall, Chanté Joseph wrote an essay with the headline: “Is it embarrassing to have a boyfriend now?” The piece – about the politics of showing off heterosexual relationships – went viral; people debated it all over TikTok and beyond. (…
- Justin Garcia: “Monogamy is not just one thing.”
Meredith has long been interested in the Kinsey Institute, a place were researchers focus their work on sex and relationships. In this episode, Meredith interviews Kinsey Executive Director Justin Garcia about his new book, “The Intimate A…
- Third Wheels Are the Best Wheels
Third wheeling has long had a bad reputation. If you’re a single person, you may have heard that hanging out with a couple makes you the odd person out . But Meredith doesn’t believe that. She LOVES third wheels – and has third wheeled wit…
- Your ex is still on Venmo
Must you block your ex on social media? Maybe. Probably. It could make your breakup a lot easier to deal with. In this episode, Meredith talks to Love Letters podcast producer Jazmin Aguilera about Jazmin’s recent breakup. They listen to a…
- Share your story for our upcoming season
We’re looking for your stories for the Love Letters podcast. We love all tales of breakups, dating, love, and connection. But for a special upcoming series of the show, we’re looking for stories about COMMUNITY . We want to hear about frie…
- Elin Hilderbrand: Married to Nantucket
Meredith has always been a little afraid of Nantucket. Despite living a fast ferry ride away, she’s only been there twice. As far as Meredith is concerned, the people on Nantucket are fancy, the drama is high, and because it’s an island, i…
- The Chimera
Elise, 17, appreciates that she’s growing up in a world that understands what it means to be nonbinary. She just wishes people had an easier time understanding fluidity . Because sometimes Elise feels like a boy, and other times she feels…
- Mi Amor
Nexan Asencio Corado was 20 when he left Guatemala and crossed into the U.S. illegally. He wound up settling in Massachusetts and built a life there. Within a decade, he was working in construction and framing. He fell in love with Christi…
- Model Behavior
Jenna is a part-time model. Sometimes her modeling jobs are unique – think wearing stilettos and popping balloons... or wearing lingerie while feeding ducks. Recently, she's been getting paid to play a damsel in distress. With cars. How do…
- Great Situationships
Situationships. Are they all bad? Can you have a meaningful, hopeful, life-changing … situationship ? In this episode, Meredith talks to Nicole, a woman who has come full circle on situationships after many years of resenting them. She’s w…
- For The Love Of Sports
This time of year is a little unsexy and unromantic to Love Letters host Meredith Goldstein. Why? She doesn't like sports. In the fall, there are so many sports . Football, hockey, and basketball – not to mention that baseball can extend i…
- Akela Cooper on Horror and Love
Akela Cooper knows dating can be scary. Cooper, a screenwriter known for “M3GAN,” sits down with Meredith to talk about the horror of vulnerability – and opening yourself up to love. Enjoy this episode filled with pop culture references, a…
- It's Scary Out There
Rory Uphold was in a literal haunted house when she realized her date for the night... might be the real monster. Is she just a "final girl" in love? ___ Do you have a story? Send questions about your relationships to loveletters@boston.co…
- Moving Day
Moving is STRESSFUL and movers... are sometimes de facto relationship experts. They help people through their most stressful moments! In this new episode, Meredith talks to a professional mover who has seen it ALL - from makeups to breakup…
- Single Mom By Choice
Meet an aspiring Single Mother By Choice. An SMBC, if you will. Kristy has made the decision to go it alone as she tries for her second child. What does it mean to choose children over romance – and why does it seem to matter so much to ev…
- Jeff Hiller’s Big Breakup Speech
Jeff Hiller, a 2025 Emmy nominee for “Somebody Somewhere” – is a very funny man. A dramatic man. A theater man. A man with many feelings. What do thoughtful performers do when they get dumped? They make a screen-worthy speech. A proclamati…
- So Much Gratitude
Back in the day, Meredith was kind of … married to her mother. It was “Gilmore Girls”-esque – for better and worse. That’s why Meredith brought her friend Kumar on Love Letters in 2022 – to talk about how having a partnership with a parent…
- Season 11 Trailer: Moments Of Clarity
Love Letters is back with new episodes Sept. 9! You’ll hear guests tell REAL stories about finding love … dating more honestly … planning for a family … navigating big moves with a spouse … getting over breakups (with lots of laughter) … a…
- Those Summer Nights
Summer camp love is for kids. Unless you reach out to your camp crush as an adult and fall in love with them all over again. Today, hear a classic Love Letters podcast episode about two people who reconnected after decades. Find out where…
- Inspired by Coldplay
Earlier this month, two executives were caught cheating – exposed via Jumbotron! – at a Coldplay concert. It happened at Gillette Stadium, about 40 minutes from Meredith’s house. The incident – and its viral aftermath – reminded Meredith o…
- Quarantine, Revisited
Five years ago, in the summer of 2020, Meredith Goldstein and the Love Letters team were in lockdown because of the pandemic, making the podcast from separate closets and basements. In their personal lives, they were asking: how can we rem…
- It's A Metaphor, Get It?
This season, we’ve tried to answer one big question: Can people change for the better? The answer has been complicated. Basically: sometimes. In our season finale, we recap what we learned. We also visit a magical place called Butterfly Ho…
- Queen Of Palm Springs
Meredith’s sister, Brette, has told a beautiful story about falling in love with her husband. But sometimes the narrative needs to change. In an emotional episode about partnership, sisterhood, and community, Meredith and Brette dissect th…
- Revisiting Fairy Tales
Do you love meet-cutes? Then tune in to this episode – because Meredith would quite literally not exist without the adorable, rom-com love stories in it. Her family is FULL of meet cutes... and in this episode from Season 2 of Love Letters…
- Love Across Lines
She’s American-Israeli. He’s Palestinian. They fell in love and navigated a universe of complications. Then, in 2023, a new war. Conflict, violence, and devastation rocked the world. Echos of trauma from decades past. Mya Guarnieri tells t…
- Pictures Of You
Sadie Dingfelder was in the grocery store one day. She went to her husband to ask him why he was buying something new. Then she realized… this man was not her husband . Sadie was eventually diagnosed with face blindness. How did that chang…
- Shroom With A View
Michael's anxiety got so bad it was starting to ruin his marriage. That’s why he flew to Oregon for a psilocybin treatment that wound up changing his life. But with change ... comes more questions. Michael and his husband explain how mushr…
- Alexandra Solomon: How to Have Flourishing Relationships (From the No Small Endeavors Podcast)
Today, we’re sharing a special episode from the Signal Award-winning podcast No Small Endeavor, a show that explores what it means to live a good life through insightful conversations with thought leaders across various disciplines. Hosted…
- Roll With It
Ever heard of perimenopause? Meredith has! So has Eileen, who tells a story about how aging changed the course of her relationships for the better. This is a story about how an evolving older body … isn’t so bad. Sometimes the best love st…
- A Spoonful Of Sugar
Economist and Wharton professor Katy Milkman has spent a lot of time figuring out why people decide to change – and how they actually do it. Through a great conversation about everything from friendships to the power of “Twilight,” Milkman…
- Lessons with Daddies
In Part 2 of a two-parter about video games and change, Meredith talks to Celeste Sangiorgio, a psychologist and researcher who thinks about video games a lot. Celeste happens to be co-creating a video game that’s meant to help us navigate…
- Ready Player One
For Anthony Ureña, video games are more than simple entertainment or a way to pass the time. Games have actually changed him , he says. They’ve taught him who he is. They’ve shown him how to take the best next steps. Through a story about…
- Too Much of a Good Thing
Love can be addictive. When Heather Mason leaves her relatively happy marriage to follow her heart, she has no idea that the mysterious South African photographer she’s following will teach her so much about herself. This is a story about…
- Still Under The Tuscan Sun
This season, we’ve been talking about how to change. We’ve wondered: can a big move really change you ? Or are you the same inside, just with new, prettier scenery? Frances Mayes, author of “Under the Tuscan Sun,” has opinions about this.…
- The Gates of Plasticity
Meredith sits down with Dr. Steven Hyman – a brain expert at The Broad Institute – for a talk about the meaning of change … and whether it’s actually possible. Are people capable of change – in life and relationships? If so, how? Dr. Hyman…
- Changing Your Stars
Can moving to a new place change you? Consider the story of Kelly, from Western Australia, who never quite fit in around her small hometown – before, during, or after her marriage. She says she was the victim of Tall Poppy Syndrome; as she…
- My Clown Era
In her late 20s, Funmi Adejobi was stuck in fight-or-flight mode. She’d been caregiving for her mom after a medical emergency – and every phone call felt like it would bring bad news. Forget dating. Funmi could barely relax on her own. But…
- Season 10 Trailer: Can People Change?
In Season 10 of Love Letters, host and advice columnist Meredith Goldstein explores whether people can change... in life, love, and relationships. Can old dogs learn new tricks? Can a troubled relationship improve over time? Can we be bett…
- Globe Summit Relationships
Last March, Somerville passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance protecting non-monogamous couples from discrimination. In a ‘Love Letters’ live podcast recording, host and columnist Meredith Goldstein interviews a few of the changemakers who m…
- Bonus Episode: BEATING BURNOUT with Emily Nagoski Connects Sex and Stress
A bonus episode from Boston Globe podcast Say More with Shirley Leung. Sex educator Emily Nagoski didn’t set out to be an expert on stress. But it turns out, stress is affecting peoples’ sex lives, big time. After helping her sister Amelia…
- Can you give us some help?
Love Letters is getting ready for next season — and it’s going to be good! You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You might move to Italy. It’ll all be explained. In the meantime, can you help us better ourselves? Please take this survey. https://www.s…
- Brooke: This Is Not Reality (from the Last Day podcast)
In this guest episode from the podcast “Last Day,” host Stephanie Wittels Wachs shares the story of Brooke, who had the best and worst days of her life within a couple months of each other. The whiplash from the bliss of her wedding day to…
- S9E15: The Power of Story
In the final episode of a season all about help, Meredith sits down with students from the writing and publishing organization 826 Boston, which just released a new book — called “What if the World Needs You?”— that’s full of advice and li…
- S9E14: Fly Me to the Moon
As The Boston Globe’s travel writer, Chris Muther has gotten very good at navigating the planet alone. But he wasn’t always this way. It took years, through multiple relationships, for him to gain the independence necessary to thrive on hi…