Introducing: Savvy Love
The Erotic Review has always been a forum for the sensual goings-on and the coming-outs; the politics and books, the stories and essays, the art and performances having to do with all things arousing. But what about the practical world of love and sex in our own private lives – whether it’s marriage and monogamy or dating and daredevilry?
So… pull up a chair. And let’s talk about it.
My name is Karin Jones and I’m the new Relationships Editor at ER. I’m originally from across the pond so you may find me brash and un-British at times. In my former life I practised medicine for 18 years and will use that background when discussing sexual health and wellbeing, as well as featuring new data about love and relationships. I’ve experienced long-term marriage, parenthood, midlife singledom, online dating, and lots of sex. But more importantly, throughout this journey, I’ve been talking with my partners and friends about what makes relationships thrive and forming new ideas about how to be a good a 21st century lover.
Our articles may give you greater insights, our fiction transport you to a world of erotic fantasy, but how do we express that between the sheets, whether with someone we’ve met online or faced with the same person we’ve shared a bed with for twenty years? Let’s discuss how we’re getting off and getting it on. Let’s talk about how love fits into our sexual lives and how sex fits into love. And even if we’re not having sex, how are we managing our desires? Let’s rumble with relationships; seeking them, growing them and keeping them strong. Let’s tackle magical thinking, romanticism and traditional monogamy and see where the dust settles.
No matter what your relationship status, whether married, committed or single, I’m here to talk to you about abundance, not scarcity. Our lives are a narrative and our minds are the storytellers. Just as we face an avalanche of choice when we enter a bookstore, we also have more choice in how to live our sexual and romantic lives. And this doesn’t end as we age. In fact, I’m here to tell you that midlife is hardly a time to think your best sex is behind you. Living a full, juicy life is not a young person’s exclusive right.
So I want to hear from you: your questions, your conclusions, your reactions to what you read in this space. I stop short of calling this an advice column. Rather, I would like it to be a place for discussion, without fear, guilt or shame. As you’ll come to learn I think the foundation for good relationships and intimacy is honesty. Learning to ask for what you need, in the most gentle and considerate way, is the pathway to stronger bonds and happy selves. Each week I’ll feature a new topic, tell you how I see it, how other people might see it and offer up some empirical data in the mix. Let’s start this new adventure, shall we?
Love,
Karin
You can write to me at relationships@ermagazine.org
Next week: What Brexit Says About Your Love Life
