For the first time in history, more than half of American adults are single, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While single men are often lauded as “bachelors,” single women are sometimes derided as “spinsters” or “old maids.” We talk with people living outside the conventions of marriage and childbearing about the labels we use, the decisions we make and the shifting cultural norms that influence us all.

Guests

  • Kate Bolick Author, "Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own"
  • Elliott Holt Author, "You Are One of Them"; contributor, "Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision NOT to Have Kids"
  • Tim Kreider Essayist and cartoonist; contributor, "Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision NOT to Have Kids"

Reclaiming The Word "Spinster"

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