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Modern Love

Miranda July Knew Exactly What She Was Doing

Modern Love

The New York Times

Nytimes, Redemption, Society & Culture, New York Times, Love, Essay, Storytelling, Loss, Nyt

4.48.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s been almost a year since Miranda July released her hit novel, “All Fours.” The novel features a woman in her mid-40s who heads out on a solo road trip across the country, only to stop at a roadside motel 30 minutes from her home. She winds up staying there for three weeks, exploring and questioning what she actually wants and needs out of midlife, things she can’t really focus on when she’s busy being a wife, a mom and a working artist. In the motel, she redecorates the room, designs her days the way she wants to and gets in touch with her changing desires. In the past year, this book has become a touchstone for how our culture addresses women in perimenopause. It’s expanded beyond the page to a kind of movement. Soon after the book’s release, women started writing to July with their own stories. She started a Substack to keep those conversations going. People organized discussion groups all over the world called All Fours Group Chats. Hats were made. “All Fours” was shortlisted for the National Book Award, and it’s currently being adapted into a limited TV series. The paperback version of the novel will be released May 13. In this week’s episode of Modern Love, July talks about the anger and desire that shaped the writing of “All Fours.” And she reflects on why this novel is inspiring to some, and threatening to others, in this cultural moment. Listener Callout: How did your dad express his feelings? Tell us your story in a voice memo, and you might hear yourself in a future episode. For Father’s Day, the Modern Love team is looking at different ways dads show their feelings, and we want to know about a moment when your dad opened up to you. Where were you? What did he do or say? How did you react? Did it have a lasting impact on you? And if you’re a dad, how do you think about showing emotion or vulnerability when you’re with your kids? Is it something you do intentionally? Does it feel easy? Hard? The deadline is May 15. Submission instructions are here. Here’s how to submit a Modern Love essay to The New York Times. Here’s how to submit a Tiny Love Story.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey everyone, it's Anna. Before we start, the Modern Love team wants to hear from you for our Father's Day episode. We're looking for stories about a moment your dad opened up to you emotionally. Where were you? What did he say? And how did you react? And if you're a dad, we're curious how you're trying to show emotion and vulnerability to your kids.

0:22.5

What do you do? Does it feel easy, hard?

0:25.7

And how did your dad shape your approach to being a father?

0:30.6

Record your stories as a voice memo and email them to Modern Love Podcast at nyatimes.com,

0:36.9

and we may use them on the show. Check out our show notes

0:40.0

for tips on how to submit. Once again, we're looking for stories about a moment your dad opened up to

0:46.0

you, or if you're a father, how you're trying to show emotion and vulnerability to your kids.

0:52.0

Send us a voice memo to Modern Love Podcast at n.Y times.com.

0:57.3

We can't wait to hear from you.

0:59.3

All right, let's start the show.

1:02.5

Love now and all.

1:04.0

Love was stronger than anything.

1:08.1

And I love you more than anything. What love!

1:11.6

There's to love.

1:12.6

Love.

1:13.6

Love.

1:14.6

From the New York Times, I'm Anna Martin.

1:21.6

This is Modern Love.

1:23.6

Each week we talk about love, sex, friends, family, all the complexity of human

1:29.6

relationships. It's been almost a year since the release of Miranda July's hit novel All Fours.

1:37.3

The book features a woman in her mid-40s, who takes off on a solo road trip across the country.

1:43.3

But she doesn't get far.

...

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