PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on a relationship coach who instructed me to cut off all sex and even all contact with the guy I was dating until he agreed to marry me. I knew he loved me and wanted to marry me; I just wanted him to do […]
Amy Alkon
Posted inArts & Culture
Livid and let livid
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon You responded to a woman who was very proud of herself for leaving the room to compose herself when she got really angry with her boyfriend. It is very unhealthy to stuff your anger. Why would you give this terrible advice – encouraging her to keep holding back – […]
Posted inArts & Culture
When Harry bent Sally over the hood of the car
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon My girlfriend’s “best friend” is a straight guy. I trust that she thinks he’s just her friend. However, as a guy, I know that if he could hit it, he would. FYI, I’m not really a jealous or insecure person, and my guy friends complain about this same scenario, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A man walks into a barnacle
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a 43-year-old man, and I’m trying to build my career after years of being a stay-at-home dad. I got involved very quickly with a woman I met online, but the truth is that she’s just not smart enough for me. I feel bad because she’s very sweet but […]
Posted inArts & Culture
It’s always darkest after the spawn
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m an unhappily married, 30-year-old woman. I’ve been with my husband for 10 years but we only got married seven months ago. We argue almost daily, and he spends all of his time working. Because we fight so much, the thought of him touching me has become repulsive so […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Going scold turkey
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I have a bad temper and I’m trying to change. Now when I’m mad, I leave the room to compose myself. Recently my boyfriend said something that really upset me. Taking a break allowed me to calmly explain that he’d hurt my feelings. He apologized, and I could tell […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dust in the lust
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a man who has been married three times. Upon reflection, it seems to me that most women are ultimately not that interested in sex as a recreational activity. I try to be a selfless and devoted lover, but I always see a steep drop in a woman’s sexual […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Sweeping beauty
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon My new boyfriend is messy. He drops his socks, underwear and clothing on the floor by the bed. He’s not lazy or entitled, just a spacehead. It’s no big deal for me to pick this stuff up, as I feel like I’m showing him love by caretaking. However, he […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The gospel of lukewarm
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’ve been in a long-distance relationship with my dream man. When we aren’t together, I feel super disconnected and needy. I’ve never been that sort of person, but he is a master of compartmentalization and just calls or texts back when I contact him and is happy to see […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fawn Juan
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a 31-year-old single guy with a problematic pattern. Women I ask out seem to love how I’m open and very complimentary from the start, but then, suddenly, they get cold feet. It seems that once women know they’re desired they’re done with you. My guy friends tell me […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The hurt and confused locker
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I was dating a sociopathic compulsive liar for three months. I had a gut feeling that he was lying about his work, education and finances, but I had no real proof. This allowed him to manipulate me and convince me that I was crazy, insecure and paranoid. Finally, through […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The alone ranger
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon Sometimes when my boyfriend is upset he wants comforting, just like I would. He’ll vent or lay his head in my lap, and I stroke his hair. But sometimes he just sits on the couch and says nothing. How do I know what he needs, and how do I […]
