Dear Sugars

WBUR

A podcast that fields all your questions and offers radical empathy in return. Now Playing: "You Could Make This Beautiful" co-hosted by Maggie Smith & Faith Salie.

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21 episodes
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Avg 35 min
English

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

August 29 · 45 min
Rewind: The Stepchild's Dilemma
Whether you’re 5, 15, or 50 years old, it can be difficult to usher a stepparent in and out of the family unit. In today’s episode, the Sugars answer letters from stepchildren who have fraught relationships with their stepparents. This episode was originally released on April 28th, 2018.
August 7 · 45 min
You Could Make This Beautiful: Henry Winkler & Saeed Jones
In this first episode of "You Could Make This Beautiful," actor Henry Winkler tells hosts Maggie Smith and Faith Salie about the poetry he's found in everything from fly fishing, to music, to acting. Poet Saeed Jones talks about the chemical reaction that poems set off in our brains and bodies, and he reads us one of his original poems.
August 7 · 48 min
You Could Make This Beautiful: Peter Sagal & Stephanie Burt
In this second episode of "You Could Make This Beautiful," hosts Maggie Smith and Faith Salie talk to Peter Sagal, host of the NPR news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" about a poem that's haunted him for decades. They also talk to poet and Harvard professor Stephanie Burt about finding poetry in science fiction, Taylor Swift, and politics.
August 7 · 45 min
You Could Make This Beautiful: Mike Birbiglia, J. Hope Stein, & Peter Kessler
Our miniseries finale features comedian Mike Birbiglia and his wife, the poet J. Hope Stein, talking about the poetry in comedy and the comedy in poetry. Also, a masterclass in metaphor from teacher and poet Peter Kessler, who argues that human beings need metaphor and imagery to fully understand each other.
July 24 · 3 min
Coming soon... 'You Could Make This Beautiful'
Something sweet is coming to the Dear Sugars feed: a new series called "You Could Make This Beautiful," co-hosted by poet Maggie Smith and journalist Faith Salie. The show is about making life more beautiful with poetry in all its forms — music, art, nature, you name it. All 3 episodes will be available on August 7th.
July 11 · 37 min
Repost: Haunted By Ghosting
In the past, a total halt to communication with a friend might leave you feeling concerned that something bad happened to him/her. But in a time where our devices have made us more accessible than ever, it can leave the person who's been ghosted feeling rejected or unworthy.
June 27 · 35 min
Rewind: Location, Location, Location
Location, location, location. It makes all the difference in real estate, and it can make all the difference to one's happiness. But finding a place that really feels like home can be tricky.
June 13 · 42 min
Rewind: Sexual Fluidity
"Whatever" -- that's how the actress Maria Bello describes her sexual orientation. Her "love who you love" attitude toward sexuality, regardless of gender, is often referred to as fluidity. In this favorite episode from the archives, Maria joins the Sugars to discuss letters having to do with the complications that can accompany a shift in one's sexual preferences and partnerships.
May 30 · 35 min
Rewind: Baby or Bust
This episode was originally published on March 22nd, 2017. You wants kids; your partner doesn't. Or your partner wants kids, and you don't. Whatever the scenario, few subjects are as emotionally charged and potentially deal-breaking in a relationship as a disagreement over the decision to become parents. In this favorite episode from the archives, The Sugars take on this tricky topic with the help of the writer Danielle Herzog, who's written in the past about ending her own marriage to become a mother.
May 16 · 44 min
Redux: Rapid Fire, Love & Money
When it comes to love, money is supposed to be no object. But there’s no disentangling love from anything in our lives, and income is no exception. So how do you assess the role money should play in a relationship, and what happens when your desires and means change over time? The Sugars take on 5 letters in this episode.
April 25 · 20 min
Dear Sugars presents: "The Midnight Rebellion," a new adventure fiction podcast
Lost in a watery wasteland, Joule must find her way home. She needs YOUR help.
March 21 · 36 min
Repost: Sex & Aging
This episode was originally released on May 25th, 2018. When two women in their sixties start losing interest in sex, their sex-starved partners become increasingly frustrated. Both women blame old age for their waning libidos. But is their diminished sex drive because of age or something else? The erotic lives of senior citizens are typically made invisible by our culture, which can lead to confusion and misinformation. Dr. Pepper Schwartz, the love and relationship columnist for AARP, joins the Sugars to dispel certain myths about sex and aging: Do libidos change after menopause? How does the aging body affect the way we feel about sex? Should medical interventions be considered for a declining sex drive? Dr. Schwartz is a professor of sociology at the University of Washington and has written more than 25 books on love and sexuality. She’s also an on-air expert for Lifetime TV’s “Married at First Sight.” The Sugars Recommend “Our Souls at Night,” by Kent Haruf “Scary Old Sex,” by Arlene Heyman
March 7 · 35 min
Repost: Change Is A Work In Progress
In this episode, we check in with some of our most memorable letter writers from previous episodes. The Sugars find out if “Struggling” was kicked out of his mother’s house, and they give “Bad Mom” a call to see if and how her views of motherhood have changed since hearing the Sugars’ advice more than two years ago.
February 21 · 34 min
Repost: Should I Stay Or Go?
In this favorite episode from the archives, The Sugars give rapid fire answers to a handful of letters that are all centered around a theme. The theme for this episode is "stay or go" -- people who have a voice in their head telling them to leave their relationship, but who aren't sure it's the right move.
January 31 · 26 min
Throwback: How Do I Find The Courage To Be My Own Guide?
The Sugars often discuss letters dealing with very specific problems or struggles. In this encore episode, they take on a broader, more existential question: how to follow your heart. The Sugars discuss with the GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter India Arie, who shares how she learned to be her own guide. This episode was originally released September 23rd, 2016.
January 17 · 46 min
Rewind: Pet Dilemmas with Julia Barton
This episode from the archive is all about adventures in animal ownership! The Sugars, along with Julie Barton — author of the memoir "Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me From Myself" — answer letters about pet dilemmas and the ways these creatures affect human relationships.
Dec 6, 2025 · 34 min
Rewind: Body Weight and Romance
This episode was originally released on August 19, 2017. It’s never easy to talk to our romantic partners about their bodies, especially when it’s about weight. The Sugars, along with writer Ashley C. Ford, answer letters from people questioning their relationships because of major changes in their partners’ bodies.
Nov 22, 2025 · 41 min
Episodes We Love: Love In Doubt (Rapid Fire)
How many times have you heard this: "I love him, we're great together, but..."? There's always room for doubt, even in the happiest of relationships. So this week, the Sugars take on some of those doubts in rapid-fire fashion. This episode was originally published on January 5th, 2017.
Nov 8, 2025 · 24 min
Rewind: The Other Half of Sexless Relationships
This episode was originally released on October 28th, 2017. Sex-starved, meet sex-hounded. Recently, the Dear Sugars inbox was flooded with responses to the two-part episode “Sexless Relationships” with Esther Perel. In those episodes, the Sugars answered letters from people who were longing for sexual intimacy with their partners. But many readers asked why we didn’t address the other side of sexless relationships: the people who want less sex than their partners. In today’s episode, we hear from a letter writer who feels pressured by her partner to have sex. “Every night — EVERY NIGHT — when we get in bed, he rubs my back to see if he can arouse me,” writes the letter writer." "Enough is enough.” Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond dig into the power dynamics that play out when one partner constantly demands sex. Then, they attempt to answer the question, “Is there such a thing as wanting too much sex?”
Oct 25, 2025 · 39 min
Rewind: Make the Call
In this encore "rapid fire" episode, the Sugars give brief answers to a handful of letters. This time, they challenge each other to make the call -- one way or the other -- on the questions they're discussing, rather than offer open-ended guidance.

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