Daniel Jones (UNFINISHED 2023): Modern Love essays have been the start for many writers’ careers

He has edited the Modern Love column in the New York Times since it began in 2004 and now manages the global franchise it has become: 2 weekly columns, 3 books (“Modern Love,” “Love Illuminated,” and “Tiny Love Stories”), a weekly podcast with more than 150 million downloads, and the “Modern Love” streaming series on Amazon Prime Video, on which he serves as co-producer. BR met Daniel Jones at the Romanian festival UNFINISHED and talked about Modern Love and its radio and TV versions, what he is looking for in the stories he receives in order for them to get published and many more.

By Romanita Oprea

How has Modern Love started for you?

Modern Love started because my wife and I edited books about relationships and marriage — hers included essays by women, mine was all men — and the New York Times Style editor at the time read those books and asked us if we’d be interested in doing that kind of work in the New York Times once a week. I wanted to do it, my wife didn’t, so that’s how it began, almost 20 years ago.

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How do you choose what stories get published and which do not?

My colleague, Miya Lee, and I open every submission and start reading, some 12,000 a year. We look for honesty, humility, humor and intelligence. There needs to be some point the essay is making, a revelation, where readers see or understand something about love better than they did before.

Have you ever been very impressed by someone’s writing and helped that person turn it into a profession?

Yes, many writers have gotten agents from their published Modern Love essays, and book deals, or teaching gigs at a university.

Did you have from the beginning a special style of writing that you were looking for in the stories or they just have to check some boxes?

Mostly the style needs to open up and invite the reader into someone’s private life. All of the storytelling techniques – scenes, conversations, concrete details – are super important. Many people just summarize their stories, and it’s hard to connect with a summary.

Have you ever imagined Modern Love turning into a weekly podcast with more than 150 million downloads, and the “Modern Love” streaming series on Amazon Prime Video?

No, I never imagined Modern Love would become a podcast or a television series, but working on those – and learning about TV and audio — has been among the best experiences of my life. Mostly it has broadened the audience beyond New York Times readers and US residents. Nearly 40% of the podcast audience is outside of the US, and Amazon went on to make Modern Love streaming series in India, Japan and the Netherlands as well, developing Modern Love essays for those audiences, which shows how universal these stories can be.

What were your goals when starting the podcast and how do you choose your subjects?

The goal was to bring talented actors to read the stories aloud, and to find a whole new audience who appreciated listening to the stories and learning more about them through author interviews.

What about the Amazon series?

The Amazon series was my first experience in having the stories be adapted for screen, and in the process the writers and directors fictionalized some elements, changing the stories in ways that would be better for TV. Which was interesting to see. They were based on real stories, but also changed.

How was the experience in the studio while they were filming?

First of all, I couldn’t believe how many people were involved; it seemed like there were 100 people on the set, or more. And they’d shoot the scenes over and over, maybe a dozen times. I marveled at the skill and patience of the actors. So different from how easy it looks when you see the finished TV episode or movie.

Where do you want to take it in the future?

I have loved doing live events, live storytelling, which is what we do at Unfinished, and then applying the stories to people’s lives in the audience and having them share their own stories. It can be very cathartic for all involved.

What do you think are the qualities of a good writer in 2023?

Honesty, self-reflection, humor, wisdom.

What does UNFINISHED represent for you?

Unfinished is a festival about feelings, ideas, sharing and generosity – all qualities the Unfinished team is so great at bringing out.