The New York Times Magazine: Is an Open Marriage a Happier Marriage?

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, May 12, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( ‘‘For several nights, they talked in their bedroom, with an attention they had not given each other in years,’’ writes Susan Dominus. “The sex, too, was different, more varied, as if reflecting the inventing going on in their marriage. Elizabeth was still someone’s wife, still her children’s mother, but now she was also somebody’s girlfriend, desired and desiring; now her own marriage was also new to her.’’ For this week’s [cover story]( Dominus follows Elizabeth and her husband, Daniel, as they open up their marriage — just two of the more than 50 members of nonmonogamous marriages she interviewed. Over the course of her reporting, she witnessed pain, confusion and jealousy — but also boldness, honesty and commitment that made her reflect on her own relationship with her husband. As with any marriage, she found, the theory is easier than the practice. Elsewhere in this issue, Matthew Desmond investigates how [homeownership]( became an engine of American inequality, thanks to enormous subsidies that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy. Ryan Bradley profiles the [producer]( of ‘‘Get Out’’ and other horror hits. And Ferris Jabr writes about a biologist who believes the stunningly complex sounds of [prairie dogs]( should be considered a true nonhuman language. Happy reading, Jake Silverstein Editor in Chief [Zaeli Kane and Joe Spurr.]( Zaeli Kane and Joe Spurr. Holly Andres for The New York Times [Feature]( [Is an Open Marriage a Happier Marriage?]( By SUSAN DOMINUS What the experiences of nonmonogamous couples can tell us about jealousy, love, desire and trust. [Ohene Asare and Régine Jean-Charles are homeowners in Milton, Mass. They live with their four children and an au pair.]( Damon Casarez for The New York Times Feature [How Homeownership Became the Engine of American Inequality]( By MATTHEW DESMOND An enormous entitlement in the tax code props up home prices — and overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy and the upper middle class. [Jason Blum.]( Emily Shur for The New York Times Feature [The Scarily Profitable Hits of Jason Blum]( By RYAN BRADLEY The film “Get Out” is the latest horror blockbuster in an eight-year run of lean, inventive films from the Hollywood producer. Eat [The Case for Hard-Shell Tacos]( By SAM SIFTON Gringo tacos, some people call them. But they remain well loved, in surprising quarters. Diagnosis [He Was on Blood Thinners and Supplements. Could He Still Have Had a Stroke?]( By LISA SANDERS, M.D. The man had suffered two strokes and was actively trying to prevent more. So why was he slurring his words and his face drooping? ADVERTISEMENT [A Gunnison’s prairie dog in Flagstaff, Ariz., warns of an approaching predator.]( A Gunnison’s prairie dog in Flagstaff, Ariz., warns of an approaching predator. Ronan Donovan for The New York Times [Feature]( [Can Prairie Dogs Talk?]( By FERRIS JABR An Arizona biologist believes that their sounds should be considered language — and that someday we’ll understand what they have to say. Illustration by Derek Brahney First Words [How Privacy Became a Commodity for the Rich and Powerful]( By AMANDA HESS It used to signal a quiet, anonymous life. Now privacy is a premium that may be out of reach for ordinary citizens. [Ben Webster and John Coltrane.]( Roy DeCarava. Copyright: Sherry Turner DeCarava/RSD Foundation On Photography [The Intimacy Behind Jazz’s Seminal Image]( By GEOFF DYER Roy DeCarava wasn’t photographing giants of jazz. He was photographing the people and places he knew and understood. Letter of Recommendation [Letter of Recommendation: Talking About the Weather]( By DAVE BRY Chatting about that heat wave isn’t banal. It’s an art form. Letter of Complaint [Letter of Complaint: Purell]( By MICHELLE DEAN Little dispensers of hand sanitizer are popping up everywhere, but what sort of world does the product envision? ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTimes [Twitter] [@nytmag]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's The New York Times Magazine newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018