Writing a New York Times' Modern Love-Style Essay

Dates:April 28 - May 26, 2026
Meets:Tu from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location:United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304
Cost: $84.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

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For more than 20 years, the New York Times has published a weekly "Modern Love" column that's carved out a niche in the world of personal essays. Modern Love focuses on the human connections that shape--and sometimes unravel--our lives, and each one tells a story. In this course, we'll study some Modern Love essays and what makes them special. Students will then craft their own (which they can submit if they choose), with teacher support and peer discussions. Writing a Modern Love column can be deeply meaningful and quite different from classic personal essay-writing. Writing about oneself can be both inspiring and emotionally challenging, but we all have stories and we have all experienced memorable personal connections. Putting these stories to paper and figuring out how to tell them can enrich our own lives, and enrich the lives of those with whom these stories are shared. In this class, we will learn from each other and everyone's stories will be valued.

Notes:

$5 materials fee payable to the instructor.
Fee: $84.00

United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304

United Lutheran Seminary Brossman Center 7301 Germantown Ave Philadelphia, PA 19119

Jennifer Couzin-Frankel

is an award-winning science journalist and writer, having spent more than 20 years on staff at Science and appearing in other publications.After studying the Modern Love essay format, she wrote, submitted, and published the Modern Love essay, “After a Suicide, a Security Guard for the Heart,” about an unusual friendship that followed tragedy.
Date Day Time Location
04/28/2026Tuesday6 PM to 8 PM United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304
05/05/2026Tuesday6 PM to 8 PM United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304
05/12/2026Tuesday6 PM to 8 PM United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304
05/19/2026Tuesday6 PM to 8 PM United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304
05/26/2026Tuesday6 PM to 8 PM United Lutheran Seminary - Room 304

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