Love Letters

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 explains the plastic brain, how it works, how eating a great sandwich in Chicago can be the best thing ever, and why Meredith once thought she looked like Reese Witherspoon. We also catch up with a very special Love Letters couple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 strived to grow taller and more beautiful, everyone wanted to chop her down. What was the fix? Moving to one of the most beautiful places in the world (Italy). Kelly explains how leaving town changed her – and her relationship with her ex-husband – in this episode about how geography affects our ability to be our best selves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 then … she took a clown class, which reminded her how to PLAY. How to be silly and ridiculous. That's when everything changed. Hear Funmi's story about how she became a happy clown – one who's open to love – on the season premiere of the Love Letters podcast. This whole season, we're trying to answer one big question: Can people change? Funmi did. Let's all learn how, together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 better to each other - and ourselves? Season 10 launches January 14. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 made it happen about what this ordinance and other public policy changes might mean for the future of relationships in Massachusetts and beyond. 

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 through two life-threatening burnout episodes, the two got together to write a book about the science of stress and how it leads to burnout. For them, the journey to understanding stress became a deeper quest for sisterhood and meaning. Emily talks to Shirley about completing the stress cycle, the problem with self-care, and the connections between stress, sleep, and orgasm. Email us at Saymore@globe.com.

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.surveymonkey.com/r/LLetters I wrote most of it myself! We want to know how to better entertain, serve, and give you *great* stuff. It'll be quick, I promise. Again, find it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LLetters See you soon. - Meredith

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 the reality of mourning rocked Brooke to her core. She had to learn how to treasure the memories while sitting in the worst suffering she'd ever felt. Find more episodes of “Last Day” at lemonadamedia.com/show/lastday.

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 life lessons for young people. Also, Meredith's producers surprise her with a collection of stories from her friends and loved ones about times she has helped them in ways large and small. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

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 his own — and be a better partner. How he got to this more confident place is a long, winding story that involves some of the most beautiful places in the world. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Can relationships survive a political divide? Meredith sits down with podcast hosts Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers of the grace-filled podcast "Pantsuit Politics" to discuss the growing gender divide and how (and if!) to handle differences in political views within the context of a romantic relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

One day in June of 2014, at the height of the Syrian civil war, Rami made a daring escape from an ISIS militia. But that meant he had to leave his home country, maybe forever. His journey from that moment — into Turkey, then to California, and then to Rhode Island — was something he never could have imagined. Neither was the love story that came out of it. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

On the next season of Love Letters, we'll be featuring stories that are outside the box. Experiences and stories that fall outside the norm and broaden our understanding of love, gifting us in the most strange and unexpected ways - because love isn't just one thing. It's everything.If you have a story that you EXPERIENCED – or FELT – or are in the MIDDLE of – that was OUTSIDE THE BOX … and taught you something important about relationships — we'd love to hear from you. Email us at loveletters@boston.com or leave us a voicemail at 401-484-0590

Krista Nabar got pretty good at talking about intimate, uncomfortable things. One, she was raised in a household where open dialogue was encouraged. Two, she became a sex therapist. But when it came to confronting things in her own life? Well, that was a different story. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Meredith sits down with Laura Stassi, host of the podcast “Dating While Gray.” They talk about what Meredith learned from her parents' divorce, how she found a partner during the pandemic, and growing wiser with age. Also, hear an excerpt of a “Dating While Gray” episode about a widower helping his daughter with dating. Find more episodes of “Dating While Gray” at datingwhilegray.com. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Can a city be a wingperson? Seongnam City, a community of more than 900,000 people just southeast of Seoul, South Korea, is certainly trying. Spooked by historically low birth and marriage rates, Seongnam City officials have launched a publicly funded matchmaking program to help young people find each other. The goal? Happy couples who start making babies. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Let's be honest: There's a lot of trashy reality television out there. Some shows seem actively manipulative. But Netflix's "Love on the Spectrum," which follows the dating journeys of young people on the autism spectrum, feels different. Meredith sits down with one of the show's stars, James B. Jones, to talk about what the show gets right, and how it feels to look for love in such a public way. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Join Meredith and fellow advice columnist Stacia Brown as they talk breakups with Anita Rao, host of the podcast “Embodied.” Stacia and Meredith give some guidance on how to break up “well” and discuss going no-contact, navigating social media, and finding the right breakup anthem for the moment. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

As an animal researcher, Meghan Martin made groundbreaking discoveries about how giant female pandas choose their mates. She realized that they wouldn't shack up with just any old male. They wanted a choice. The same held true, she would learn, with rabbits, birds, and other species. The question for Meghan was this: Could she apply those lessons to the human world—to her own world? Plus, we visit a Rhode Island animal shelter that raised money by letting people pay to have cats defecate on the names of exes. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Are more people considering polyamory these days? Has the pandemic permanently changed the ways we relate to each other? And can Esther Perel take some credit for Meredith's dating success? Meredith sits down with the psychotherapist, relationship expert, and all-around empathetic person to get into these questions and more. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

In Part Two of our series on pro athletes and their spouses, we talk to Shannon Allen, the wife of former NBA superstar Ray Allen, about a bittersweet moment in their lives. Just as they were celebrating a historic NBA championship, they got some very scary medical news about their son. Where did Shannon turn for help? The answer may surprise you. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

What does it feel like to be the partner of a pro athlete? Where do you find support to handle the public pressure, the instability, the constant threat of being traded? Today, we bring you a two-part series on elite athletes, their spouses, and the people who help them. In Part One, we talk to Jordan Whitlock, the wife of Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Jordan, who has a PhD in genetics, had to learn how to balance her own career with her husband's, and how to deal with the loneliness that sets in after many weeks apart. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Ever since Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey was a kid, music has played a major role in her life. “Eye of the Tiger” got her pumped for basketball games. She caught sets from Joan Baez and Melissa Etheridge working as a cocktail waitress. When she came out in her early 20s, she found solace in the Indigo Girls. These days, the governor uses music to center herself, especially at hard moments. She and her partner, Joanna Lydgate, sit down with Meredith to talk about how music helps them in their lives and in their relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. You can also send relationship questions to Meredith and sign up for Love Letters updates by texting 617-744-7007.

Meredith's advice column turns 15 this year. 15! So she's feeling a little nostalgic. In this episode, Meredith sits down with longtime Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy to trade notes on the thousands of columns each has written over the years. They also compare grief in love to grief in sports, reflect on why sports reporters have always been big fans of Love Letters, and discuss the couple of the moment: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When it came time for Sophia to leave a difficult relationship, she knew she couldn't do it alone. So she assembled a first-rate team, made up of friends, acquaintances, family members, and therapists. Having all of them behind her not only set Sophia free; it gave her back her future. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Michael and Alessandra were both single, bored, and lonely when they got together in mid-2020. It was the height of the pandemic; everyone craved companionship. But in time, Michael and Alessandra discovered that they were better as good friends. And what do good friends do? They help you find true love. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A bonus episode via the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Kelly sits down with Krista Tippett, the longtime host and spiritual guide of On Being, which began as a radio program and is now a podcast. At a moment when everything is broken open, when institutions are received with less reverence and more skepticism, Kelly and Krista consider: Where should we point our minds and hearts? What practices serve us best? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

When Nimish left Nepal for college in the United States, he expected some serious challenges, like adjusting to a new culture and studying in a new language. Finding love was not top-of-mind. But as he got older and started to date more, Nimish's romantic life became his biggest source of anxiety. Because with each budding relationship came an all-consuming question: How do I explain this to my parents? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

A few years ago, while at summer camp in North Carolina, Ray was wrestling with some of life's biggest questions. Identity, love, growing up, a first kiss — Ray had a lot on their mind, and no one to confide in. Until they met Maria, a counselor clad in sandals and tie-dye who would become Ray's mentor, guide, life coach, and cheerleader, all wrapped into one. In this first episode of the new season, a portrait of two people and their lasting, beautiful bond. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

1989 Boston. The crack epidemic is raging, the murder rate soaring, and white flight has taken hold. Charles Stuart and his pregnant wife, Carol, are carjacked, drawn deep into a dangerous “inner city” neighborhood, and allegedly shot by a Black man. All of Boston – and the nation – is gripped by the hunt for the suspect. What follows will reveal truths about the city... and ourselves. Presented by The Boston Globe and HBO Documentary Films, Murder in Boston: The Untold Story of the Charles and Carol Stuart Shooting is hosted by Adrian Walker who, along with a team of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporters, unveils explosive new findings and change the narrative of a story long cemented in the city's lore. The HBO Documentary Series Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning is available to stream on Max.

Almost every love story has a supporting cast — friends, relatives, therapists, and others who play a key role in what happens. In Season 9 of Love Letters, we pay tribute to those important figures in the background. You'll hear all kinds of stories about help and guidance people received in their romantic lives, from an ex who became the perfect wingperson, to the communities that support the spouses of pro athletes, to the best queer mentor anyone could ask for. Season 9 launches Jan. 23. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

It's Meredith against the world in this bonus episode as she attempts to prove why a viral list of places women will supposedly never go on a first date is wrong, and why The Cheesecake Factory – that's right, The Cheesecake Factory – is a totally acceptable date spot. To pull this off, she takes her producer, Jesse, to one of her most beloved spots for a platonic work-date. They discuss everything from Meredith's devotion to the chain restaurant, to the horoscopian powers of The Cheesecake Factory's menu, to Shaquille O'Neal and Barbie. All classic first-date stuff. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with her sister, Brette, to tackle two family-themed letters from the Love Letters column. First, a woman feels some tension with her future sister-in-law. Second, a writer discovers that her boyfriend and her mother had a one-night-stand in the past. Should the woman confront her mom? Does the mom even remember this guy? How are they going to make it through the holidays? Send your own letter to loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with comedians Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds, co-hosts of the popular new podcast “We're Here to Help.” Gareth and Jake — who played Nick Miller on the hit show "New Girl" — are longtime friends who bonded doing improv together. Their podcast is a lot like them: fun, silly, sometimes accidentally poignant. Meredith, Jake, and Gareth compare their approaches to advice-giving and dish on baldness, horses, and trashy TV. Warning: This episode is very fun. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

For the final episode in our series “We Found Love,” we explore the psychology behind prison relationships, a proposed law in Massachusetts that would eliminate life sentences without parole, and the story of an incarcerated man who's wrestling with the pressures of a young relationship. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Venus and Cornelius have been together for more than six years and engaged for five. They dream of seeing the world together, buying a house, and making their union official. But whether any of those things will ever happen is unclear, because Cornelius is serving a life sentence for murder without the possibility of parole. In Episode Two of the three-part series “We Found Love,” Boston Globe criminal justice reporter Ivy Scott brings us an intimate portrait of a committed, loving relationship that exists largely on the phone. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

The first chapter of “We Found Love,” a three-part miniseries exploring how romantic love and partnership run up against – and sometimes transcend – the criminal justice system. Through the stories of three couples, at all different stages in their relationships, Boston Globe reporter Ivy Scott dives deep into what it takes to find love in a hopeless place. In today's episode, she tells the story of Sharlene, a successful working mother with a secret, and Blake, a Southern gentleman serving time for second-degree murder. Their first encounter, in the visiting room of a Massachusetts state prison, would change the course of their lives. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith sits down with director Susanna Fogel to discuss Susanna's new movie, "Cat Person," based on the buzzy 2017 short story by Kristen Roupenian in The New Yorker. They discuss Susanna's decision to cast Nicholas Braun and Emilia Jones as romantic leads; the role that friends play in sussing out potential partners; and why "Cat Person," the story, stirred so much contentious debate — Susanna calls it a "weird Rorschach test for people's own [stuff]." Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

On the next season of Love Letters, we'll be featuring stories about the important role help and guidance from others plays in our relationship choices and love lives, from therapy and professional interventions to advice and assistance from friends, family members, and confidantes. If you have a story about a time someone helped you in your romantic life — or maybe a story about how you gave assistance to someone else — we'd love to hear from you. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Shirley Leung, a business columnist who hosts Say More — a new podcast from Boston Globe Opinion — sits down with Meredith for a few final reflections on love and money, the theme of Season 8 of Love Letters. Also, listeners weigh in with their takes on the season. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. Find Say More wherever you listen to podcasts, or at globe.com/saymore.

Meredith makes a guest appearance on the podcast Meditative Story, a show that tells human stories but with meditation prompts. Vampires, naming squirrels, the death of her mother — it all comes out. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith visits her sister, Brette, on the West Coast, where Brette is recuperating from knee surgery. Together they tackle a letter from a writer who, after a series of serious relationships, wants a year of just being single. But what if that means missing out on a connection of a lifetime? Send your own letter to loveletters@boston.com.

Erica Spates and Sam Littenberg-Weisberg have been professional television writing partners for 13 years. Together, they've co-written dozens of TV episodes, pitched and run their own Netflix series, and even won a couple Emmys. They are also married, which means they understand both the emotional highs of working with your partner and the financial lows – like the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike that's put both of their careers on ice. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith talks to Jenée Desmond-Harris, Slate's Dear Prudence advice columnist and podcast host, about weddings, commitment, and whether it's kosher to grow an ugly mustache right before you get married. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

It's easy to understand why prenuptial agreements get a bad rap. We think of that rich guy, selfishly protecting his assets just in case wife No. 3 doesn't work out. But it turns out that's a pretty narrow view. There are plenty of people whose marriages have been made stronger by prenups. For Anne and Nick, it wasn't a hedge against their marriage falling apart. It was an important gesture of trust. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

As a food and travel influencer, Anela Malik's social media feeds used to be full of inviting dishes and beautiful vistas. Then, in the spring of 2023, her posts took a turn: Anela announced tearfully to her many followers that she was getting divorced. It was an emotional hit but also a financial one. Anela was suddenly forced to make a major investment in a whole new life. And yet … it wasn't all bad. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith is joined by two of her favorite Boston Globe colleagues, business reporters Diti Kohli and Dana Gerber, to chat about two things that have long bothered her: the way lease cycles influence relationships, and the financial gap between coupled people and single people. Plus, they discuss a pair of letters, including one from a single person who is worried their married friends are growing distant. Email your dating and relationship questions to loveletters@boston.com.

A portrait of two daters in their 20s — Jackie in Chicago, and Nick in Washington. Both of them have been on lots of dates; Nick went on 46 last year alone. When you date this much, the expenses add up quickly: drinks, food, hair, parking, Ubers, clothes, and more. So how do they do it? What happens when the bill comes — who pays? And is it all worth it? Email us at loveletters@boston.com. *Programming note: The next full episode drops July 11th.*

A story about partnership and compromise, told in two acts. Two working spouses — writer Kara Baskin and psychologist Sadé Soares — talk about how they and their partners have navigated money, ambition, career, and sacrifice. How do people combine finances and lives and priorities without losing out or getting resentful? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

No matter how much you might click with a potential partner, there will always be something you don't quite see eye-to-eye on. Maybe it's religion. Maybe it's kids. Sometimes? It's money. In Vicki's case, she and her girlfriend, Jessica, seemed to be a good match — if they could just get past that one thing. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Meredith's childhood friend Justin L. Wilson was standing at a funeral, listening to a eulogy, when he had an epiphany: I'm going to quit my job. This decision to follow his passion took Justin on a journey that involves falling in love. Breakups. Martin Scorsese. Hall & Oates. The Kelly Clarkson Show. And a lesson – very much still-in-progress – about the price of a dream. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.