Are Dating Apps the Last, Great Hope For the American Literary Journal?

Hinge released a free audiobook this week: five original short stories written and narrated by contemporary authors including Tembe Denton-Hurst, Nicola Dinan, Curtis Garner, Raven Smith, and Rufi Thorpe. Each is inspired by real dating experiences of Hinge users and extends the app's No Ordinary Love series, which has previously featured writers like Roxane Gay and R.O. Kwon. Per Literary Hub, Hinge is part of a growing trend: dating apps are becoming cultural patrons. Feeld, another platform, launched AFM, an arts and literary magazine; independent presses like eight thirty-one Stories are elevating romance fiction to mainstream literary status. The article notes an irony woven through all of this: these platforms position themselves as gateways to authentic human connection, yet remain entirely screen-mediated experiences.

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