Their moms were crazy about me
Judy’s warm brown eyes sucked me right in. Her son David and I had only been dating four months, but that didn’t stop me from falling for her hard. I was 30, and still reeling from my parents’ recent divorce and the fact that my mom had just moved five floors above me on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I practically went from shaking Judy’s hand to curling up on her lap in a fetal position. I ...

Couple seeks other couple
It was a beautiful evening, the room filled with candlelight and buttery smells. Our wine was perfect. But after just two sips, I knew this wasn’t going to work. Our conversation was boring and needlessly loud. The man had a braying laugh and mentioned his boat repeatedly, calling it “she” each time. I snuck a look at my phone: 8:17 on Saturday. I could be home in my pajamas, watching “Breaking ...

Don Draper loses his touch
Last night “ At the Codfish Ball ,” our mad men and women learned that life isn’t a party just because you’ve dressed yourself up, and losing can sometimes appear disguised behind a mask of winning. Fortunately, to borrow Cosgrove’s term, there’s also the possibility of a “double secret reverse,” in which you get what makes you happy even if it’s not what you expected – or what others think is ...

TV’s coming attractions
The fall brings shows from Dane Cook, Matthew Perry and Kevin Bacon. Is there anything new to look forward to?

“Mad Men’s” generation gap
Something strange occurred somewhere in the middle of the 1960s. People began doing what they felt like doing, rather than what was expected of them. Of course, rebels and freethinkers had always done this, but they were rare and often paid a price for their actions, even losing their lives. Now ordinary people began adopting the mantra, “If it feels good, do it.” Personal satisfaction, rather ...

“Mad Men’s” evil twins
“I don’t like going in with two ideas – it’s weak.” A strange statement coming from a man with a dual identity and often hidden motives, but then “Dark Shadows,” the latest “Mad Men” episode, is rife with competitive doubles, if not actual evil twins. ( Just like in a soap opera , wink wink.) Don and Ginsberg have dueling SnoBall campaigns, Peggy reminds Roger she’s supposed to be his secret ...

“Suddenly, I’m Tipper Gore”
Twenty-five years after Tipper Gore and Susan Baker went on a legendary crusade against rock 'n' roll , mothers are still battling the pernicious influence of popular culture on our offspring. Back then, it was dirty Prince lyrics. Now, it's the JC Penney catalog. Oh, how the so-called culture wars have changed. Last week, the conservative Christian group One Million Moms, already enraged that ...

Finding my mother again
In the 15 years since my mother has been gone, she has become a mythical figure in my life. She was a woman to be revered, but also one so complicated and so different from me that I fear I’ll never stop struggling to make sense of her and to accept myself within the context of her shadow. My mother was 37 years old, twice divorced and childless when she met my father. She had been living in ...