Should I Buy Shapewear?

Over the years I’ve seen many women in mermaid dresses or skintight knit dresses (especially on the red carpet) with no visible underwear lines or fat bulges. How is that done? I’m a fit woman, but as I have gotten older, even I have a belly and back fat. What’s the secret? — Liza, Michigan…

Love Letter: What is Black Love Today?

Last August, Modern Love and The New York Times’s Narrative Projects team invited readers and a few prominent writers to respond to the question: “What is Black love today?” After sifting through submissions from people around the world, we are delighted to present eight moving first-person essays that illuminate the breadth and depth of contemporary…

Weeknights Are for Lovers

I sort of love Valentine’s Day, which is coming up on Monday, and which I acknowledge is a little ridiculous as a day on the calendar. But I find its retro sweetness irresistible, especially when it’s done right, with French toast, strong cocktails, fudgy desserts and homemade Valentines. I don’t yet know what I’m making…

Julian Shapiro-Barnum interviews kids for his social media sensation “Recess Therapy.”

They caught up with kids on benches, in front of statues, in the median of Flatbush Avenue. Mr. Shapiro-Barnum wielded his interviewer’s microphone like a magic wand, using it to distract, redirect, conjure and bestow. A consummate director, he double-checked his lighting, or shifted Ms. Ty Goldberg’s position. Mr. Shapiro-Barnum scrolled through approaches like one…