I like Rod Dreher, the celebrated creator of the so-called “Crunchy Con” phenomenon and author of a blog and book by that name. (”Crunchy con” = social conservatives interested in communitarian values and possessed of a mild environmentalist streak.) Dreher is usually wrong, ...

I’ve avoided commenting on the Rihanna/Chris Brown drama for a host of reasons, not least among them that I haven’t had the time to follow the story. I knew, vaguely, who Rihanna was (thanks to the marvelously catchy “Umbrella” song), but had never heard of Brown until after ...

I’ve worked with a mentee of mine for about a year who, while immensely bright, struggles with some sexual compulsivity issues. (Yes, this mentee is also in therapy; I’m not overstepping my role.) “Kelly” read this old post of mine about flirtation, and brought the subject up...

Yona Wallach is a controversial and challenging Israeli poet; many of her poems have a strongly sexual theme. This is one of her more restrained pieces. When you come to sleep with me come like my father When you come to sleep with me come like my father come in darkness speak in his voice so I wonâ...

First off, I’m feeling fine this morning. But I didn’t feel so fine yesterday afternoon, when I fainted — twice, in rapid succession — in our bedroom at home. I was standing at my dresser, pulling out my running gear, when I felt woozy; the next thing I knew, I was on the flo...

The splendid sex educator Heather Corinna put up a terrific post at Scarleteen on Saturday: Why I Deeply Dislike Your Older Boyfriend. It dovetails very nicely with the ongoing discussion here about older men and younger women relationships, and Corinna writes from the particularly vital perspective...

Elizabeth Alexander had the misfortune to have the largest audience any poet has ever had, and the misfortune to follow rather than precede Barack Obama’s inaugural address. She deserved better, though I thought she acquitted herself well, far more effective than some critics have suggested. T...

Yesterday’s post about emotional affairs and betrayal elicited this comment from jennyfields: I am relating to today’s post on many complicated and vague levels. I wonder how this applies to “entertainingâ€� fantasies that would be an emotion betrayal of yourself instead of a partner. Is i...

A week ago, I posted a request once again for “older men, younger women” stories. I’ve had several dozen replies, but am still eager for more. In any case, the discussion thread below the post turns to a re-visiting of the old myth about younger women and fertility. Hector takes th...

A few months ago, I put up a long post about how we move on with and without the people from our past: The crowded “cloud of witnesses�: of ex-lovers, ex-wives, and the call to grow. This week, Amber, who introduced me to the marvelous (if somewhat cobbled together) term Erfolgtraurigkeit (sadne...