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Love in the time of COVID-19...and romance down through the ages

Valentine's Day 2022: As we enter the third year of a global pandemic, the search for true love continues, as it has through the ages. (photo by Sneha via Wikimedia Commons)
Valentine's Day 2022: As we enter the third year of a global pandemic, the search for true love continues, as it has down through the ages. (photo by Sneha via Wikimedia Commons)

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today on our show, it’s Midday on RomanceA little later, Tom speaks with a medieval historian who has written a history of love in what she calls five fantasies. Barbara Rosenwein looks at love through the ages and how human beings fall in love and stay in love.

The Match Pro is a Towson-based online matchmaking service for "commitment-minded singles." (courtesy TheMatchPro)
The Match Pro is a Towson-based online matchmaking service for "commitment-minded singles." (courtesy TheMatchPro)

Of course, in order for that to happen, you’ve got to meet someone with whom you are inclined to be in love. An apartment search company called Rent Café has just published the results of a survey that names the best places to “mingle as a single.”

Kimberly Simonetti is a dating expert and co-founder, with Tammy Tilson, of The Match Pro online matchmaking service. (photo by KiMberly_Fine_ Portraiture
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Kimberly Simonetti is a dating expert and co-founder of The Match Pro online matchmaking service. (photo by KiMberly_Fine_Portraiture)

Baltimore comes in 5th in the country because of the high number of single households. 69% of households in Baltimore are headed by single folks, about four points behind Detroit, the leader in this regard at 73%.

Tom's first guest is in the business of putting some of those singles together into meaningful relationships. Kimberly Simonetti is a commercial photographer, dating expert, and the co-founder of The Match Pro, a matchmaking service in Towson.

Kimberly joins us on Zoom…and we welcome your love stories!

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Next, Tom turns to a historian of the middle ages, who has just published her second book in a series exploring the history of human emotions. Dr. Barbara Rosenwein is Professor Emerita at Loyola University Chicago.

Her latest book is called Love: A History in Five Fantasies. It looks at love through the lens of Like-Mindedness, Transcendence, Obligation, Obsession and Insatiability. It’s a fun and fascinating take on how our notions of love have evolved through the ages.

Barbara Rosenwein joins us on our digital line from Evanston, Illinois.

"Love: A History in Five Fantasies"(PolityBooks) is the latest book by historian Barbara Rosenwein (r), emeritus professor at Loyola University-Chicago. (photo courtesy LUC)
"Love: A History in Five Fantasies"(PolityBooks) is the latest book by historian Barbara Rosenwein (r), emeritus professor at Loyola University-Chicago. (photo courtesy LUC)

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.