Originally coined by David P. Barash and Judith Even Lipton in their 2001 book The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People, “the myth of monogamy” is defined as “the often unspoken assertion that even desire-at-a-distance is not only wrong, but a uniquely human sin.” This roundtable builds on this definition and suggests that in 2026, the “myth of monogamy” also refers more broadly to the pervasive (and socially constructed) idea that monogamy is biologically natural and socially superior.

With the booming popularity of romance novels–and romantasy, specifically–the structure of the marriage plot continues its pervasive stronghold in literature. And yet, as ubiquitous as the marriage plot is its counterpart: the affair plot. Historically, the affair plot can only end one of two ways: exile or death. Novels like Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, and Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, among many more, all end tragically, cautioning readers against infidelity of any kind.

However, contemporary novels like Raven Leilani’s Luster, Miranda July’s All Fours and Kim Beagin’s Big Swiss, all explore various relationship configurations that directly challenge monogamy as the default relationship structure. Though many critiques of these narratives focus on the problematic nature of the relationships (i.e. infidelity), this roundtable is interested in the ways in which these kinds of stories problematize traditional monogamy.

This roundtable aims to investigate so-called “problematic” representations of non/monogamy and how these representations challenge the ways we structure and understand romance, love, the institution of marriage, and relationships more broadly. We are interested in ideas that call into question society’s understanding of affairs, adultery, cheating, and betrayal in both monogamy and also within non/monogamy. Finally, we encourage papers that consider the ways we can rethink and reimagine alternative ways of loving that do not simply reproduce the same neoliberal ideals and constraints as contemporary monogamy.

We welcome papers that discuss monogamy, non/monogamy, polyamory, polygamy, bigamy, polyandry, cheating, affairs, adultery, infidelity, ethics, scandal, betrayal, swinging, open relationships, the institution of marriage, the marriage economy, the nuclear family, family abolition, queer love and relationships, affect theory, decolonizing love, and any other fields of study that intersect with the interrogation of monogamy in literature, film, television, and cultural studies.