The Way We Were (On Tape)

In the 1980s and '90s, young lovers traded cassette mixtapes instead of sending love letters. But in this decade, iPods and file-sharing changed the way we romance one another with music. Today: Jason Bitner, editor of the essay collection Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves, explains why old mixtapes are still powerful. And, authors (and exes) Rick Moody and Stacey Richter attempt to recreate the playlist of a long-lost mixtape.

Tell us: Why do some people have such fond memories of the cassette mixtape? Did it ever play a role in an old romance? Share your story.