Dear Diary: Sex in America (audio)

Arianne Cohen (The Sex Diaries Project); AirTalk (scpr.org)

"That was one for the diary if only I weren't so sleepy now" (healthynews.com).

Sex is the one subject guaranteed to illicit raised eyebrows, flushed cheeks, and even an embarrassed giggle -- and not just from teenagers.

Adults can also be shy when it comes to sharing their bedtime habits. Yet one journalist has spent the last four years collecting over 2,000 stories of what goes on behind closed doors -- and between the sheets -- of America's homes.

• LISTEN or call in Monday, April 9, 10:00 am-12:00 pm PST
  

Compiled into one toe-curling volume, The Sex Diaries Project: What We're Saying About What We're Doing (Wiley) by Arianne Cohen explores the sexual preferences and peculiarities of the young, old, couples, singles, and confirmed celibates.

• Why are we so embarrassed about discussing sex?
• How do we differ from other sexually active people around the world?
• Could our own sex lives be more exciting if only we would discuss them with others?
• How do we respond when friends decide to share a little too much information about their private lives?

Cohen is a regular contributor to The New York Times, Elle, Marie-Claire, and The Guardian.