Ira Glass

When I walked around Lauren's neighborhood with her, it had been two months since her boyfriend broke up with her. They'd gone up for about 10 months before that. She was incredibly nice to let herself be taped in still a pretty raw state. But even in the middle of that raw state, she was acutely aware and said herself that everything she was going through was a cliche.

When I walked around Lauren's neighborhood with her, it had been two months since her boyfriend broke up with her. They'd gone up for about 10 months before that. She was incredibly nice to let herself be taped in still a pretty raw state. But even in the middle of that raw state, she was acutely aware and said herself that everything she was going through was a cliche.

A cliche that she was forced to live through.

A cliche that she was forced to live through.

If I had to say one thing about Lauren, it's that she was full of feelings that completely contradicted each other. Which, I guess, just comes with his territory. Like, she emphatically did not want him to call. But also, maybe a little bit, wanted him to call. She missed him, and she didn't want to stop thinking about him.

If I had to say one thing about Lauren, it's that she was full of feelings that completely contradicted each other. Which, I guess, just comes with his territory. Like, she emphatically did not want him to call. But also, maybe a little bit, wanted him to call. She missed him, and she didn't want to stop thinking about him.

But she also did all this elaborate math to calculate the day that she would finally be over him and not thinking about him and with somebody else. We get to an area where she had been on walks with the ex-boyfriend. There were benches and a sidewalk promenade.

But she also did all this elaborate math to calculate the day that she would finally be over him and not thinking about him and with somebody else. We get to an area where she had been on walks with the ex-boyfriend. There were benches and a sidewalk promenade.

And what happened down here?

And what happened down here?

It's just that there was an us.

It's just that there was an us.

During a breakup, you just stare at what happened. There's a before and there's an after, and you just can't believe it. Lauren says she still doesn't even understand what went wrong between her and him. And that's part of it, too, so much of the time. Well, we got the idea for today's radio show from an email that a listener sent. It says... here.

During a breakup, you just stare at what happened. There's a before and there's an after, and you just can't believe it. Lauren says she still doesn't even understand what went wrong between her and him. And that's part of it, too, so much of the time. Well, we got the idea for today's radio show from an email that a listener sent. It says... here.

Dear This American Life, I'm suffering from a gut-wrenching breakup with my former boyfriend, and I searched your site for shows about breakups and general heartbreak to commiserate. But to my surprise, I didn't find many stories specifically regarding the act of breaking up. I hope you consider it. A show like that would really cheer me up.

Dear This American Life, I'm suffering from a gut-wrenching breakup with my former boyfriend, and I searched your site for shows about breakups and general heartbreak to commiserate. But to my surprise, I didn't find many stories specifically regarding the act of breaking up. I hope you consider it. A show like that would really cheer me up.

And so, with that in mind, we devote our show today to breakups. Partly today we have an anatomy of the completely contradictory feelings that are part of a breakup. I think that's what makes it such a special and particularly cursed state. And we have stories today about people trying in some very unusual, very resourceful ways to make themselves feel better during a breakup.

And so, with that in mind, we devote our show today to breakups. Partly today we have an anatomy of the completely contradictory feelings that are part of a breakup. I think that's what makes it such a special and particularly cursed state. And we have stories today about people trying in some very unusual, very resourceful ways to make themselves feel better during a breakup.

Key word there would be trying. Our show today in four acts. In Act 1, Starlee Kine heads out on a breakup mission unlike any we have ever heard of. In Act 2, an 8-year-old heads out into the world to get some answers about her parents' breakup. In Act 3, a man who has turned his back on the ways of his people. His people, in this case, being divorce lawyers. Act 4, Meryl Markle.

Key word there would be trying. Our show today in four acts. In Act 1, Starlee Kine heads out on a breakup mission unlike any we have ever heard of. In Act 2, an 8-year-old heads out into the world to get some answers about her parents' breakup. In Act 3, a man who has turned his back on the ways of his people. His people, in this case, being divorce lawyers. Act 4, Meryl Markle.