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weekly dispatches by maude® on modern intimacy through the arts, culture, science, and relationships.

MODERN INTIMACY™
the eroticism of interior design through the years.
Design
the eroticism of interior design through the years.

Desire has always had a floor plan. Interior design has always been about more than where the sofa goes. Every era has had its own idea of what makes a space feel sensual. Sometimes it was velvet d...

Mutual shaving as foreplay.
Relationships
Mutual shaving as foreplay.

Can shared grooming deepen sensual bonds?

in the best light.
Design
in the best light.

The history of mood lighting, and how we learned to set the stage for intimacy.

Can your bedroom decor actually get you in the mood?
Design
Can your bedroom decor actually get you in the mood?

Ranking bedroom decor ideas to create the ultimate intimate space.

Is Sex Good For Your Skin?
health
Is Sex Good For Your Skin?

Maybe they're born with it, maybe it’s orgasm. 

maudern movies: summer skin.
Culture
maudern movies: summer skin.

Summer has a way of turning up the senses: skin exposed, schedules loosened, and every glance carrying a little more weight. These films capture that particular kind of heat, where the setting may ...

A history of Hollywood and body hair.
History
A history of Hollywood and body hair.

Body hair has been embraced, rejected, removed and recreated by Hollywood over the years.

on pheromones and pheromone parties.
Culture
on pheromones and pheromone parties.

A case for the pheromone party.

the intimacy of sweat.
sex education
the intimacy of sweat.

There’s something about summer that makes us want to be touched. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s the humidity. Maybe it’s the fact that everything feels easier to shed. Clothes. Inhibitions. Expect...

that's amore.
Film
that's amore.

Our favorite films that celebrate la dolce vita.

a case for getting busy in the bathroom.
health
a case for getting busy in the bathroom.

The tub might be the best place for a next-level tête-à-tête. 

a handy guide to shower sex.
Living
a handy guide to shower sex.

Everything you need to know before getting it on whilst bathing. 

the science behind having a type.
Relationships
the science behind having a type.

That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, either.

What a surgeon general’s firing had to do with condoms.
History
What a surgeon general’s firing had to do with condoms.

Joycelyn Elders and the fight for sex education.

Sex Education in America.
History
Sex Education in America.

How the birds and bees have transformed over time.

a case for outdoor sex.
Living
a case for outdoor sex.

When the mood strikes in a less-than-conventional location.

erotic activism: how queer desire fuels social change.
Culture
erotic activism: how queer desire fuels social change.

When we talk about activism, most people picture protests, petitions, and policy change. But there’s another kind of activism that’s just as powerful — it’s intimate, it’s electric, and it’s rooted...

america’s love affair with sex in cars.
Culture
america’s love affair with sex in cars.

Shut up and drive.

the dangers of beach sex.
Living
the dangers of beach sex.

It’s not all sunshine and orgasms.

in bed with the government.
History
in bed with the government.

The surprising history of laws that follow us into the bedroom.

the erotics of the dance floor.
Culture
the erotics of the dance floor.

Why one of humanity's oldest rituals still feels electric.

History’s Famous Bisexuals.
History
History’s Famous Bisexuals.

Bisexuality is not a trend, a phase, or a quirky sitcom trope. It has existed throughout history and some of the most fascinating, boundary-pushing people openly embraced it. Here’s a look at legen...

The history of the underrated bond girl.
History
The history of the underrated bond girl.

Caroline Cossey was decades ahead of her time.

the origins of cruising.
History
the origins of cruising.

A 200-year history of gay culture’s hook-up scene.

when queer intimacy stepped into the sun.
History
when queer intimacy stepped into the sun.

How David Hockney painted queer life out of the shadows.

sex beyond the binary.
sex education
sex beyond the binary.

Gender identity is not necessarily directly correlated with what a person likes in bed.

Famous Queer Couples Who Should Be in Textbooks.
History
Famous Queer Couples Who Should Be in Textbooks.

We’re taught history as if it’s straight. As if all great love stories followed the same script. But behind some of the most iconic books, artworks, and cultural movements are queer couples who sha...

the hidden language of queer cinema.
Film
the hidden language of queer cinema.

Queer cinema has always had a second script.

before apps, desire was local.
dating
before apps, desire was local.

What the rise of analog culture tells us about modern intimacy. Long before dating became something you downloaded, desire had a geography. It lived in neighborhoods, bars, bookstores, offices, gym...

shoot your shot.
Culture
shoot your shot.

Connection comes easier when everyone is paying attention to the same thing.