Skip to content

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

MODERN INTIMACY™
What is bondage?
sex education
What is bondage?

Here's how to start exploring the world of bondage safely.

Sexy body parts you didn’t know had names.
Culture
Sexy body parts you didn’t know had names.

What the hell is Apollo’s belt?

The Prehistory Of Dating Apps.
dating
The Prehistory Of Dating Apps.

Eight decades of algorithmic hookups.

What It Means When You Feel Instantly Turned On.
Science
What It Means When You Feel Instantly Turned On.

The Difference Between Spontaneous and Reactive Desire.

sex lives of vikings.
History
sex lives of vikings.

Nordic boot knockin'. Vikings arguably get a bit of a bad rap. The Viking age was by no stretch of the imagination a feminist utopia—just like almost every other culture in history, there were a gr...

what is the male g-spot?
sex education
what is the male g-spot?

Everything you need to know about the underrated erogenous zone.

How Your Period Impacts Your Sex Drive.
health
How Your Period Impacts Your Sex Drive.

What to know about hormonal shifts.

Cleopatra And The Sexy Bee Myth.
History
Cleopatra And The Sexy Bee Myth.

Did Egypt's most celebrated queen really have a vibrator filled with bees?

A Field Guide To Couch Sex.
Living
A Field Guide To Couch Sex.

The essential dos and don’ts of sofa sexcapades.

What, exactly, IS Gaslighting? 
dating
What, exactly, IS Gaslighting? 

From antique lamps to emotional abuse.

Newsflash: Singles Are On The rise.
dating
Newsflash: Singles Are On The rise.

Down with prescriptive relationship labels.

Where does the term “honeymoon” come from?
Culture
Where does the term “honeymoon” come from?

Mead, marriage, & money.

The Peculiar Link Between Free Love And Forks
Living
The Peculiar Link Between Free Love And Forks

America’s biggest silverware manufacture began as a commune.

a brief history of glory holes.
History
a brief history of glory holes.

The legacy and resurgence of the notorious hole in the wall.

how a zoologist changed the way we think about (human) sex.
History
how a zoologist changed the way we think about (human) sex.

The founding father of sexology in the US was researching wasps until he was assigned to teach sex-ed.

The Mystery Of The Royal Sex Chair.
History
The Mystery Of The Royal Sex Chair.

King Edward VII employed custom-made sex furniture, but how did it work?

on simultaneous orgasms.
Relationships
on simultaneous orgasms.

Sometimes the stars align just right. 

when your partner doesn’t want sex.
Relationships
when your partner doesn’t want sex.

Positive ways to navigate this sensitive subject.

how the all-american biker birthed a gay subculture.
Culture
how the all-american biker birthed a gay subculture.

How The All-American Biker Birthed A Gay Subculture.

Why Opposites Don't Actually Attract.
Relationships
Why Opposites Don't Actually Attract.

According to science, the old adage just doesn’t hold up.

the world of romance writing.
Culture
the world of romance writing.

The sub-genre that set the stage for 
50 shades.

A Brief History Of Genital Piercing.
History
A Brief History Of Genital Piercing.

From Manila to Victorian England.

a brief history of the gentlemen's club.
History
a brief history of the gentlemen's club.

The social side of 18th-century masturbation.

What is romantic friendship?
Relationships
What is romantic friendship?

“We’re JUST friends”.

The Link Between Breakfast Cereal And Masturbation.
History
The Link Between Breakfast Cereal And Masturbation.

One of these things is the ideal start to a day, the other is a nice breakfast.

how to use a vibrator with a partner.
sex education
how to use a vibrator with a partner.

Great for when you’re flying solo, it can also be a memorable guest star during partner sex.

How Las Vegas Became America’s Sex Capital.
Culture
How Las Vegas Became America’s Sex Capital.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… but why?

sex as cardio.
health
sex as cardio.

exploring the art of sexercise.

Why Eye Contact Is So Integral to Intimacy.
Relationships
Why Eye Contact Is So Integral to Intimacy.

A short lesson in vulnerability. 

Why Rising Temps are Good For Your Libido.
health
Why Rising Temps are Good For Your Libido.

It’s getting hot in here…