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…