Love Letters

The Boston Globe

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.

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For details, visit ⁠Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits⁠.

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Today · 36 min
Melanie Maimon: We Belong Together (The Fall Out Boy Remix)
In our last episode, we learned how loving a boy band can help us love each other. We told the story of Theresa, a 50-something New Kids on the Block fan, who got a life-saving medical assist from Christina, another fan, who stepped up for a stranger simply because they both love NKOTB. In this follow-up episode, Bryant University assistant professor Melanie Maimon – who studies the psychology of belonging – explains how being part of a community of fans can help us develop relationships. If we love something (music, art, books, etc.) and are around likeminded others, we might be on our way to forming important platonic and romantic connections. Maimon herself is a Fall Out Boy fan. When she’s at a concert, she assumes the best of people around her – like she’s may have found her group As Fall Out Boy might put it, “I was just an only child of the universe … and then I found you.” (If you know that lyric, you're a real one.) Meredith and Maimon also get into how lonely it can feel when fans of the same artist don’t agree with each other about everything. (A timely conversation with news about Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, etc.) This episode is part of a special Love Letters series about all kinds of love. We wanted to tell these stories because without our platonic and community connections, romance is less healthy and fun. This “All Kinds of Love” series is supported by the Greater Good Science Center’s “Spreading Love Through the Media” initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Remember, Love Letters is an advice column. You can send anonymous questions about friendship, dating, marriage, divorce, messy breakups, dating fatigue, situationships, etc. through our anonymous form. Also remember: we now have a Friends With Benefits program. You can get ad-free episodes, a bonus episode a month, extended cuts of episodes, and Love Letters swag by signing up at loveletters.supportingcast.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today · 1 min
Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
We at Love Letters want you to know about Kelly Ripa's podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera. On the show, Kelly dives deep into her life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
September 15 · 48 min
New Kids on the Block saved my life
Can boy bands fans save the world? Maybe. They can certainly save each other. In this episode, we meet Theresa Crockett, of California, who needed a kidney and found hope – and a lifeline – through her love of New Kids on the Block. This is a feel-good story about love between strangers (both of whom are “Blockheads”). It’s also about supportive spouses, family members, and a guy named Donnie Wahlberg. Read more about their story here: ⁠https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/15/magazine/new-kids-nkotb-fans-kidney-transplant/ ⁠ And learn more about kidney donation here: ⁠⁠https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney⁠⁠ Our “Friends with Benefits” members get an extended cut of this episode – and one extra episode a month! And no ads! Join the group here. We appreciate your support. Also, Love Letters is an advice column; send your anonymous questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com or through this anonymous form. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 1 · 48 min
The Mother-In-Law Episode
Meredith has wondered: why do so many people despise their in-laws? Specifically … their mother-in-laws? To explore the topic, Meredith welcomes Janice Page, who tells a story about her mother-in-law, Yu Ying. Janice explains how she and her mother-in-law became close, despite not speaking the same language, and how they stayed connected over decades. Meredith and Janice discuss how to see extended family, and what relatives of partners can teach us about ourselves. Want extra new episodes? Join our Friends With Benefits club by visiting ⁠globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits⁠. You’ll get an ad-free experience, an extra episode a month, and a Love Letters journal (if you join for a year). And you'll even be able to hear an extended cut of this episode. Thank you for supporting our show. We want to support you right back. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Ask Meredith a question about your relationship life by emailing ⁠loveletters@boston.com⁠. Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 18 · 25 min
Be sad about loss, but not all the time
Margo Howard, daughter of advice columnist Ann Landers and noted advice columnist in her own right, died recently at the age of 86. Meredith had the pleasure of knowing Margo for years in Boston. Occasionally they lunched at fancy restaurants and talked about the advice column business. Sometimes they gossiped. Sometimes Margo gave Meredith advice about her love life. Today we're sharing an episode from Season 1 that features Margo – with some new thoughts from Meredith about what she learned from Margo about moving on. Remember, Love Letters is an advice column. Send your questions about all kinds of relationships to loveletters@globe.com or visiting our anonymous submission page. You can join our special Friends With Benefits club – for extra episodes, an ad-free experience, and bonus content – by clicking here. 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/LOVELETTERS ⛵ Exclusive Coveron discount: : https://coveron.com/LOVELETTERS or use the code LOVELETTERS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 18 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
We at Love Letters want to know about a new podcast called Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
August 4 · 47 min
Turning 80, getting a divorce
Want extra new episodes? Join our Friends With Benefits club by visiting globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. You’ll get an ad-free experience, an extra episode a month, and a Love Letters journal (if you join for a year). And you'll even be able to hear an extended cut of this episode. Thank you for supporting our show. We want to support you right back. In today’s episode we learn it’s never too late to grow, make change, and get single to live your best life. Meet Chrissy, who is 79 and getting a divorce. She explains why this is happening after decades of marriage, and why this new path is essential now. Chrissy also shows us her blooming garden, which is a lovely metaphor for what’s to come. Click here to read the transcript. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Ask Meredith a question about your relationship life by emailing loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 21 · 32 min
My high school boyfriend is better than yours
First: please join our Love Letters “Friends With Benefits” group. You’ll get extra episodes, swag, and an ad-free experience. For more info, visit globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. Today Meredith revisits an episode from the vault that features her high school boyfriend. She offers some new perspective – and fun updates. Meredith wanted to take a closer look at this story because of 18-year-old Lyla, our most recent guest, who explained her own high school breakup. In this one, there are lessons, laughs … and some new perspective. Enjoy revisiting former loves, and remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 7 · 41 min
How (not) to break up with your high school girlfriend
Join our Friends With Benefits club for an ad-free experience, a monthly bonus episode, and more. For details, visit Globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits. In this episode, we meet Lyla, a recent high school graduate who tells a story about being dumped by a college-bound senior when she was a junior. It was a devastating breakup. It was also messy. A year later, it’s also a bit funny. The truth is, it’s hard to know when to end a high school relationship. It’s confusing, emotional, complicated – and there’s so much changing all at once. A year after this breakup, Lyla – now a college-bound 18-year-old herself – shares this story, with lessons about how to manage a relationship that’s probably temporary, and how to be kind when you’re letting go. Remember, we’re also an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. When you share your quandaries, you help others dealing with the same thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 29 · 2 min
A Special Announcement
Hey everybody, it's Meredith. I'm here with a big announcement. We are starting a club. We are calling it Friends with Benefits. We're doing this for two reasons. One is for connection. Two is for bonus episodes and perks. If you join our FWB club, you’ll get an ad-free experience and an extra episode a month. If you sign up for a year, you get that ad-free experience and extra episode at an 18 percent discount. You’ll also get Love Letters swag in the form of a pretty journal for your thoughts and feelings. You can sign up to join by clicking that link wherever you get podcasts, or visit globe.com/loveletters/friendswithbenefits There is no pressure to join! Truly, we’re so grateful you show up for Love Letters. This podcast will continue to be free, available wherever you listen. But if you want extras, we’re here for that too. We’re so grateful for your support. Thanks for being here and spending time with us. We love telling you stories about love in all forms. It means so much that you’re here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 23 · 41 min
Olivia Wilde on awkward relationships, marriage, and Esther Perel
She directed and co-stars in “The Invite,” a film about two couples who have a fairly monumental, impromptu dinner. It’s a comedy that turns into a drama … and then back to a comedy. It also stars Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton. Meredith saw “The Invite” and thought, "Oh, this should be part of a Love Letters Film Festival, if we ever had one." Today Meredith is joined by Olivia for a discussion about many things, including: why we like to see couples be awkward, Gen Z and technology, polyamory in Massachusetts, the meaning of marriage in 2026, how to stay optimistic about love, and, most importantly, their experiences with psychotherapist and podcast Esther Perel. Meredith and Olivia both have personal connections to Perel, who served as an adviser on the film. Enjoy a lively conversation about love and the stories we tell about it. Also, an event reminder! You can also sign up to attend Meredith’s free June 30th phone booth event – a 6 p.m. celebration of the Tell-A-Booth (featured on the pod) – by visiting bpl.org. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Feel free to tell us your anonymous questions about your relationship life my emailing loveletters@globe.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 9 · 36 min
When to get off that train, with Drag Queen Jujubee
Jujubee, the boisterous drag queen and fan favorite on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” is the alter-ego of Airline Inthyrath, a relatively introverted homebody from Massachusetts. In this episode, Airline tells us a story about a recent relationship – and the lessons that came with it. In short: sometimes it’s difficult to be present. Other times it’s hard to know when to stop that relationship train. Learn all about Airline – and then see Jujubee in “Stop! That! Train!,” a new movie directed by Adam Shankman, who made the musicals “Hairspray” and “Rock of Ages.” The movie also stars RuPaul as the President of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 26 · 39 min
Ruhama Wolle on bridesmaids and ‘bestie inflation’
Welcome to summer wedding season. To celebrate, Meredith interviews Ruhama Wolle, the author of “I Hope You Elope: A Bridesmaid Survival Guide.” Ruhama says too may people say “yes” to being a bridesmaid before they understand the job. This is why weddings can turn friends against one another. Join Meredith and Ruhama for a discussion about wedding costs (financial and emotional), alternatives to traditions, and how to take care of yourself during someone else’s celebration of love. Remember Love Letters is an advice column. Send your questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com. Get Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 26 · 1 min
Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
We at Love Letters want you to know about Kelly Ripa's podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera. On the show, Kelly dives deep into her life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. Give it a listen, and we hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
May 12 · 34 min
What's wrong with having a type?
When Jordan was young, he saw actress Janeane Garofalo on television. Since then, he’s had a type: smart, creative, sardonic, sarcastic, brunette, glasses-wearing women. Not a bad thing … or is it limiting? What does it mean when we have a type? If our type doesn’t like us back, do we have to expand our parameters when looking for love? Take a journey with Meredith and Jordan through an exploration of types ... and the perfection of the woman who starred in “Reality Bites,” and “The Truth About Cats and Dogs,” and made a memorable guest appearance on “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” Share your thoughts on this episode by emailing loveletters@boston.com. Tell us all about your type – or share your relationship questions. Remember, we’re an advice column, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 28 · 36 min
The Phone Booth
Come by the Boston Public Library June 30th at 6pm for a celebration of the Tell-a-booth! https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a0f3efffab4ff0f649aaf51 In February, Meredith unveiled a Love Letters Tell-A-Booth at The Boston Public Library. More than 1,000 calls have come in already … mostly from locals – and many tourists – who stop in, enter the booth, and leave a question on an old-school payphone. What can we learn from an anonymous phone booth where people can ask anything? Meredith explains by sharing messages from the booth, and by processing the experience with public library staffer Bailey Watroba, who has thoughts about why young people love old technology. Remember, Love Letters is also an advice column. Send a question about romance, friendships, marriage, breakups, dating fatigue to loveletters@boston.com. You can also submit your own stories to the podcast at that address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 14 · 32 min
Why Don't Men Ask Questions?
Really? What’s up with that? Simone, a single mom in her 40s, wrote to the Love Letters advice column asking, “Why don’t men on dating apps ask me any questions?” Simone said these men are happy to answer questions about themselves, but they don’t ask anything in return. That means Simone has to do so much work to keep the conversation going. Simone tells her story to Meredith, who also gets feedback and context from experts who study curiosity and the art of asking questions. They include Todd Kashdan, director of the Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University. He helps Meredith examine the gender piece of it all, the cultural influences, and why asking questions is a beautiful skill – and, perhaps, a lost art. Remember, Love Letters is an advice column that LOVES questions. Do you have something on your mind about your relationship life? Email it to loveletters@boston.com or visit boston.com/loveletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 14 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
We at Love Letters want to know about a new podcast called Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
April 14 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
We at Love Letters want to know about a new podcast called Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
April 7 · 1 hr 6 min
Meredith and Margaret on Lindy West and “Adult Braces”
Meredith talks to former Love Letters guest Margaret H. Willison about “Adult Braces,” a new memoir by feminist writer Lindy West that has sparked big debate about West’s polyamorous relationship. West – who also wrote “Shrill” (which became a Hulu show) – says in this new book that she didn’t want to be in a non-monogamous relationship … but is now happy being one of three. But some readers/fans of West have found this happiness hard to believe. The book reminded Meredith of Margaret’s episode, which was about a complicated non-monogamous relationship that did not work out for Margaret. If you haven’t read the book, that’s OK. Meredith and Margaret will explain the conversation, and how critiques of the book have revealed what we expect of other people’s love stories. Margaret also gives an update on her love life, which is more calm than it used to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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