[1]Last night, I went to one of my favorite cultural spots, the ALOUD [2] series at the downtown library, to hear a conversation with the novelist, Tim O’Brien. In person, O’Brien, who writes about his experiences in the Vietnam War [3], is a compelling mix of yin-yang, at the same time gruff and tender. He talked about the importance of mystery in storytelling, “When you learn the riddle of a person,” he said, “you’ve been married one day too long.” What is the role of mystery in romance? Whatever it is, I’m not good at it. And it doesn’t seem to be a personality trait you can cultivate, despite what some dating books suggest. When someone asks me out for a Friday night on Thursday, I just can’t pretend that my schedule is all booked up. Do mysterious women (and men) have better love lives?
If you’re looking for a feisty read about trying to find love (and often settling for sex), check out a new book by Julie Klausner, I Don’t Care About Your Band [4].
Photograph by Irving Penn