The love trilogy
Three pieces on love and dating, released from the paywall
Hi Chaffinches,
As it’s Valentine’s weekend, a treat. I’ve freed three of my columns on love and dating from behind the paywall for the next week. That means, until 22 February you can read them for zero pounds and zero pence. Of course, it would be excellent if you decide you want more of this sort of writing and decide to sign up as a paid supporter, for just £3.50 a month (less than a daily coffee!). But that’s your choice.
In the meantime, enjoy these musings on everyone’s favourite topic. And don’t worry, there’s a fresh Chaff locked and loaded, ready to hit your inboxes on Tuesday. It’s a long one so I’ll also be doing a bonus separate reviews and views later this week for the paid crew, because I have some Wuthering Heights/Charli XCX thoughts I want to share. Thanks for reading! I love you!
1. The one about commitment
For ever and ever
We were in a charmingly poky wood-panelled Liverpool pub when one of my favourite colleagues brought up a reported essay I’d written about how commitment-phobic London is.
This piece delves into a supposed crisis of staying power, with some bonus economic analysis from Eva Illouz (expect more from her in the forthcoming Tuesday instalment). Are we really facing an epidemic of commitmentphobia? And, if so: why?
2. The one about what rom coms get right about how we fall in love
Does what it says on the tin. I watched Bridget Jones 4 and had an epiphany.
3. The one about realising you’re the problem
In the tower
When patterns persist in your romantic life, you have to turn the microscope upon yourself.
“It’s never me”, “I’m unlovable”. What happens when you turn self-hatred and pity into self-reflection?