PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a single woman in my 40s. It’s been ages since I’ve seriously dated anyone. People tell me that I seem “closed off.” I don’t want to be, but I worry that I’ll get into another relationship that ends badly. I don’t want to die alone but I just […]
Amy Alkon
Posted inArts & Culture
You’re the none for me
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon You’ll probably think I’m messing with you, but I swear I’m not. I am a man who has no desire to have sex. I was married, but after my wife got pregnant with our second (planned) child, we never had sex again. I just had – and have – […]
Posted inArts & Culture
All in a day’s jerk
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a happily married 30-year-old woman. A co-worker pointed out a senior trainer at work constantly sneaking lustful glances at me. I was later assigned to his section. We quickly became close friends, and he began mentoring me. He’s married, too, with two children, so though we were extremely […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Inaction figure
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon My girlfriend got laid off four months ago, along with many of her co-workers. She is not making a serious attempt to find a job and is just living off unemployment benefits. She stays up until morning watching TV and sleeps until the late afternoon. I figured that she […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Mr. Throng
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a 35-year-old woman, and I’ve been involved with a guy around my age for almost two years. It’s been “open.” Well, that is, he’s had the freedom to sleep with other people. I haven’t wanted to. I finally realized that I am not happy with this and want […]
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Shove hurts
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 […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Photo-bomb scare
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m a 29-year-old woman, and I’ve been dating a guy for two months. I was scrolling (okay, stalking him) on Instagram and saw a pic of him with this pretty girl with her arm draped around his neck. Does monogamy just happen, or should I initiate the “commitment talk”? […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Wed blanket
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I’m very attracted to my co-worker – a self-described “happily married man.” We are “friends,” but he always has a warm hug, an interesting YouTube video or a poem or short story he’s written to share with me. He has taken me to lunch and has done work for […]
