The Lonely Hour

Sex with Shakespeare author Jillian Keenan struggled with understanding her spanking fetish—and so did those around her.

Our host Julia Bainbridge attempts to answer why she's doing this podcast, and shares what's in store for season two.

For writer Charlotte Druckman, wearing a hood lets people know she’d like to be left alone.

Writer and activist Stephen Satterfield reads his Lonely Hour poem, called “Lonely Our.”

Writing professor Rachel Mennies considers the particular breed of loneliness found on Carnegie Mellon's campus.

Former New York Times 'Frugal Traveler' Matt Gross finds himself alone (in Istanbul) for the first time in years.

In the first of our five essay episodes, a pre-season two mini-series, Jamie Feldmar wonders if her lack of loneliness means something might be wrong with her.

Human closeness is fundamental to our mental well-being, but many people have hurdles to human closeness. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, or addiction, mental illness can be isolating.

Both substance abuse and sobriety can be isolating.

We idolize the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world, but many of those entrepreneurs struggle through anxiety and loneliness on their way to the top — if they ever reach it.