Love Letter: A Kinky Holiday Rendezvous

And: Is the Grinch bringing sexy back?

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 24, 2021 By Charanna Alexander While sitting at a bar with her on-and-off fling, Melody Federer, the writer of this week's Modern Love essay, gave a stranger the ugly Christmas sweater right off her back. In return for her good deed, he dug into his bag and offered them purple sex tape, used for light bondage. Could this be what they needed to finally solidify their bond? Or would she need something stronger? MODERN LOVE "Soon he was mummifying me, rolling me over like a burrito." Brian Rea Modern Love 'The Nutcracker' and the Sex Tape A holiday story about passion and other adhesives (and an ugly Christmas sweater). By Melody Federer Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE MODERN LOVE Bite-size love stories. Brian Rea Modern Love Tiny Love Stories: 'Nobody Knows I'm a Lesbian' Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words. LOVE AND MARRIAGE A heartfelt tribute leads to a dream wedding. Clara Mokri for The New York Times Vows His Love for Her Could Fill a Book. Instead, He Wrote a Post. Emilia Gonzalez, a nurse, and Joseph McCloud postponed their 2020 wedding because of her work on the frontline. He then entered a contest on Instagram that turned their luck around. By Vincent M. Mallozzi Rosser/Lebeau Mini-Vows Finding Romance in the Ups and Downs Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington, both mountain climbers, met on Mount Everest, at 21,000 feet. By Lois Smith Brady Gabriel Photobook Mini-Vows The First Spark Flew in the Fifth Grade Daniel Khaytman and Angela Ratmansky met at 8-years-old. Eighteen years later, they married. By Shivani Gonzalez Andy Buscemi Mini-Vows He Lit Up Her Life as the Lights Dimmed on Broadway Melanie Bowen, a former aspiring actor, and Joe Pinzone, a casting director, met the day before Broadway shuttered last year because of the pandemic. By Tammy La Gorce ASK THE EXPERTS Why helping others doesn't always have to be a selfless act. M. Scott Brauer for The New York Times An Overlooked Cure for Loneliness Science tells us the solution may lie in what we do for others, not ourselves. By Christina Caron Miguel Porlan Social Q's Why Doesn't Anyone Put as Much Effort Into Secret Santa as I Do? A reader feels consistently disappointed by her family's gift exchange. By Philip Galanes Continue reading the main story ADVERTISMENT MORE ON LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS And, how the Grinch became a sex symbol. via Alex Drastal How the Sexy Grinch Spiced Up Christmas A genre of content that recasts the holiday antihero as a sex symbol has grown from niche into a new kind of Christmastime ritual. By Valeriya Safronova Timothy O'Connell for The New York Times Q. AND A. As Well as Bows, This Santa Ties Knots Frank Pascuzzi, who legally changed his name to Santa Claus in 2012, has officiated many weddings dressed as the jolly old elf. By Alix Strauss Jake Terrell First Person Marriage Requires Amnesia Do I hate my husband? Oh for sure, yes, definitely. By Heather Havrilesky Andrew Kelly/Reuters The Dreaded Return of the 'Park Hang' In the midst of a new Covid surge, New Yorkers are bracing themselves for another chilly season of outdoor "fun." By Alex Williams Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images Best Quarantine Yet? Maybe not, but thanks to vaccines and practice, some people are getting better at isolation. By Alyson Krueger David Lee/Sony Pictures 'A Journal for Jordan' Review: Reflections on Love Built and Lost The actors Michael B. Jordan and Chanté Adams bring a compelling chemistry to the screen as opposites who fall for each other. By Lisa Kennedy Neville Elder/Corbis, via Getty Images Frank Bruni Migraines, Marriage, Mourning: Joan Didion Showed Us How to Bare All The sorceress of syntax, with an unrivaled eye for detail, insisted we see her. By Frank Bruni We want to hear from you. We want to deliver content that truly matters to you, and your feedback is helpful. Email your thoughts to loveletter@nytimes.com. Also, here's how to submit a Modern Love essay or how to be featured in an Unhitched column. Don't feel like writing more than a tweet, an Instagram caption or a Facebook post? Consider submitting to Tiny Love Stories, which are no more than 100 words. Getting married? Here's how to submit your love story and news of your upcoming marriage. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Love Letter from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018