ArcaMax

PHILADELPHIA -- Scott Harmon and Mark Williams met each other in a maximum-security prison in the heart of Pennsylvania coal country in 2012.

They had both grown up in the Philly area; both were in their early 20s, at the very beginning of life sentences without the possibility of parole for homicide convictions. Both had sons.

They were also ...Read more

As the world we live in moves further and further online, there is still the opportunity to meet someone in person, or “in the wild,” as it were. I’m talking about meeting IRL — in real life. While there are, of course, no guarantees, if you’re looking to supplement your experience with online dating, I want to make sure we cover the ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 26 and going through my first real breakup. My boyfriend and I have been together for almost four years — he’s my first serious relationship, first love, all of it. We’ve been incredibly happy, but recently some major life circumstances have come up that are pushing us in different directions. There’s technically a way ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The server at Estelle in St. Paul had just brought over some complimentary cheese curds when Amanda Burke skipped the small talk and started to interrogate her new suitor. It was their very first date, and Burke launched into her “dealbreaker” questions:

No. 1: Have you ever cheated on someone?

No. 2: How many times have...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the 166-year-old pub in Center City long owned by the same family, has determined that being a matchmaker is a strategic advantage in a crowded industry.

Of course they serve draft beer, Philly cheesesteaks, and wings — but the bar has leaned especially hard into being, in its own description, the ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve (36-year-old female) been seeing a new guy (34) for about six weeks — we’ve been on six dates, things are going really well and there’s clearly mutual interest, but we haven’t had the “what are we” conversation yet. Now Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m completely lost. Do I acknowledge it? Plan something? ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been seeing someone for about two months. From day one, I told him I’m not on birth control and that condoms are nonnegotiable. Yet every time things get physical, he starts pushing back — asking if we can “just this once” skip it, saying condoms don’t feel as good, or promising he’ll pull out or be careful. We ...Read more

I get a lot of questions that sound something like, “Can you help me write a profile that attracts the type of person I'm looking for?”

In the most loving way, I say, “No, I can't do that.”

And I don’t answer that way to be dismissive. I answer that way because I genuinely don't know what the person you're looking for … is ...Read more

Dear Readers: Since announcing my departure from writing this syndicated column, I have heard from scores of people across various platforms, thanking me for more than two decades of offering advice and wishing me well in my “retirement.” I am very touched and grateful for this outpouring of support.

The thing is – I don’t think of ...Read more