63 Years Between Kisses

On the June day in 1956 when a young woman named Annette Adkins left Woodbridge, Va., to spend the summer with relatives in Kentucky, Bob Harvey lost the love of his life. Mr. Harvey, who had slow danced with her weeks earlier at the junior prom, remembers seeing her get in a 1955 tan Pontiac,…

Do You Want to Be Touched?

Rachel Brathen had no idea of the deluge headed her way when she asked her Instagram followers if they ever had experienced touch that felt inappropriate in yoga. This was nearly two years ago. Ms. Brathen, 31 and a yoga studio owner in Aruba, heard from hundreds. The letters described a constellation of abuses of…

In Oman, Tailoring the National Attire

MUSCAT, Oman — In the alleyways near the Mutrah Souk here, amid the chattering families out for a stroll or the barefoot old men playing cards outside a small neighborhood mosque, Bangladeshi and Indian tailors tend to the business of dressing Omani men in their everyday best. Such scenes have played out all across the…

Pearls (Possibly) Beyond Price

Pearls have always adorned scepters, crowns, thrones and formal attire, symbolizing wealth and power. Queen Elizabeth I stacked pearl bracelets; Queen Elizabeth II favors a three-strand necklace. And then there’s a different slice of history: Consider the all-but-ubiquitous pearl necklaces and stud earrings of 1950s feminine America (calling Betty Draper). But when Rihanna hit the…

When a Dad’s Secret Changes Everything

“I won’t be mad,” I said to my boyfriend. “I’ll understand. Really.” “I’m not, though,” he said. “You’re sure?” “I’m not gay,” he said, looking confused. “Well, I’m just saying, you can tell me.” Bryan and I had been together for two months, and I sometimes asked him fun and engaging questions such as: “You’re…