This week, we're asking: do the fantasies we read in romance novels say anything about what we want in our real-life relationships? Devoted readers share how the genre has impacted their love lives. Host Brittany Luse revisits her conversation with writer Rebekah Weatherspoon about how she builds a world of desire.

Then, we revisit our talk with Dr. Gale E. Greenlee, teacher-scholar in residence at the bell hooks center in Berea Kentucky, about lasting impact of bell hooks' work, and how she changed the way we think about love.

If you have 10 minutes, please do the team at It's Been a Minute a huge favor by taking a short, anonymous survey about the show at npr.org/ibamsurvey. Tell us what you like and how we could improve the show!

This episode of 'It's Been a Minute' was produced by Liam McBain and Corey Antonio Rose. Engineering support came from Joby Tanseco and Gilly Moon. We had fact-checking help from Julia Wohl. It was edited by Jessica Placzek. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni.