If you heard that it was National Single and Unmarried Americans week, and the first thing you thought of was a lonely woman crying The Notebook-induced tears into the Ben and Jerry's container she ate her dinner out of (and it probably is, even for the single among us), then the answer might be yes. In a terrific article in The New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope, who wrote about the science behind a good marriage (and how hers turned out not to be one of them) for O, examines new research about the unmarried and finds that—surprise!—there are a lot of misperceptions out there. So even if a week-long single-palooza is not the perfect way to recognize the women (and men) who pay more for health insurance and are just as connected to the community at large as their married friends, maybe we can celebrate this made-up holiday by easing up on the spinster stereotypes—for good.

"In a Married World, Singles Struggle for Attention" (NYTimes.com)

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