Phenomenal, as per usual. I didn't think I would at the beginning, but I appreciated having the story told from Chris' point of view. Especially when it got to parts about his fight during the jog, or the face-touching scene.
What really surprised me is that the story progressed major steps from Chris' POV (I would've thought you'd have saved it for Joe). It's fascinating, and unremarkably, I cannot wait for the next instalment.
But just quickly, while I appreciated the narrator deviation, it's probably not something I'd look forward to if it was a common alternation. Joe, as a narrator and character, is a much more compelling storyteller, and I kinda missed him.
I especially loved Chapter 15 where that unusual throwdown with his brother took place. Fucking brilliant. But I trust you've got a thorough grasp of these characters as well haha, and that you missed writing through Joe too.
I haven't told you this in emails yet, but you should really considering writing a novel and getting it published, or at least consider collating these chapters into a proper book. You're just so talented.
Quick sidenote before I end this rambling comment: 'Will Cove' just killed me. That's so Chris Riis hahah.
Looking forward to the next chapter - don't make me wait 20 days again hahah. And really loving this blog, such an easy way to keep track of your work.
P.S. In case you haven't heard it, listen to Wilco's cover of Big Star's 'Thirteen', it's really great. It's the song that started playing in my head when Joe put the CD on haha.
This was great. I had to jump back to where the narration switches from second to first person, everything before that point being in the fog of pent-up anticipation.... That's sorta how I remembered it for myself.
Alex -- I'm not planning on switching perspectives again, but who knows? Maybe I'll go all Sound and Fury and have a chapter where Sam Frost is like Benjy Compson. I know the outline of the whole story but not always how I'm going to tell it.
Also, I was listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when I wrote the last half of the chapter. Jesus, Etc. came onto iTunes and the whole thing sort of fell into place.
The whole story feels painfully real to me. It is a really beautiful work. Telling the tale from Christopher's perspective was so unexpected and absolutely perfect. It left me in tears several times -- and again it felt so real. I look forward to more and more and more.
All I can really say is that this chapter made me smile a whole lot; I smiled when I saw there was a new chapter, was smiling when I was reading through, and I smiled after I finished for about 2 hours, which creeped some people out since I was smiling for no apparent reason. This story never ceases to make me happy. I look forward to a lot more! Thanks
Hear hear. Yeah I love that song, I used to listen to it when I jumped out of bed into the shower. Great tone for this chapter.
Another question - feel free not to answer it - but how many chapters do you plan to write? While I'll obviously be devastated if it ends, it'd be interesting to know where Joe and co. are placed in the entire scheme of the story.
Great chapter as usual. Being a (rather Chris-like) college student myself, it's familiar and comforting to hear his views on smartasses like Joe and Sam.
Dude, I thought this chapter was amazing; and then I put together the Will Cove/ Wilco business and I realized that it was genius. You so worked hard to give Riis his own voice. I really appreciated your turn at sort-of stream of consciousness as well. In that "the medium is the message," the style defintely advanced character development. Fucking Beautiful.
As a 23yr-old woman, I feel like kind of an impostor/ bad actor reading this. But your expression of the angst, agony and awkwardness of college and queerness ring painfully true- even for someone with a vag. I can't believe I've been following this story for two years. Please don't leave me waiting too long for the next chapter, babylove.
I've read and reread this story so many times...I also loved the story from Chris' POV sadly I have been through the saga of having a relationship with a guy who wanted to experiment with his sexuality..we're still friends after 15 years...he has a girlfriend and a daughter..he wanted me to be the baby's "Godfather" MOm didn't...as I emailed you when I went to print out the last chapter...it was 30 pages..Dude....thank you.
I know it's not good interwebs etiquette to respond to items that are "ancient" in terms of webhistory, but I just stumbled across *Joe College* like three days ago. (I caught myself up to chapter 25 late yesterday.) However, I feel compelled to tell you, JPM, that the switch to Christian's POV in chapter 16 both caught me by surprise and convinced me of your absolute genius.
Yes, I knew you were good from early on in Joe's initial flirtation with Andy . . . and it's consequences for the two boys. But, jumping out of Joe's head in order to demonstrate that there's more to Chris than "meets the eye" or fits inside Joe's flawed imagination is/was simply brilliant!
I disagree with Alex's advice above to avoid another switch of narrators. When you come to the denouement of Christian's involvement with Joe, I encourage you to consider letting us back inside of Chris' head. If not, I'm afraid that whatever decisions he makes will feel too arbitrary. We need to SEE what he's thinking as he comes to ultimate terms with his sexuality.
Also, I think your speculation about something from Sam's perspective could only enhance the storyline, particularly if it comes at a judiciously chosen moment. After all, he's been there since the beginning of Joe and Chris' time at college; he's the prime mover in bringing the two of them and their housemates together. And if, on top of elucidating another major character, you could do so in relatively Benjy-Compsonesque language . . . Wow! (Of course, I don't mean Sam is in any way correspondingly "deranged" or otherwise retarded like Benjy, but you have to admit there's something a bit weird about Sam, yet we know his weirdness is sourced differently from Joe's or Chris'—or even Katie's, for that matter.)
Anyway, I have a ton of comments inside my head about other episodes and scenes in the story. I suspect I won't be able to stop myself from sharing some of them as I work my way through this blog—despite my awareness of their untimeliness—because no story I've previously read on Nifty (and I've probably slogged through way more of them than I'd care to admit) has affected me so profoundly as *Joe College.* I'm hugely grateful to you for having given it to us and for continuing to share your amazing talent with us for years to come, I hope.
Wow! That was great. I loved the different viewpoint. Thanks for posting this chapter!!
ReplyDeletePhenomenal, as per usual. I didn't think I would at the beginning, but I appreciated having the story told from Chris' point of view. Especially when it got to parts about his fight during the jog, or the face-touching scene.
ReplyDeleteWhat really surprised me is that the story progressed major steps from Chris' POV (I would've thought you'd have saved it for Joe). It's fascinating, and unremarkably, I cannot wait for the next instalment.
But just quickly, while I appreciated the narrator deviation, it's probably not something I'd look forward to if it was a common alternation. Joe, as a narrator and character, is a much more compelling storyteller, and I kinda missed him.
I especially loved Chapter 15 where that unusual throwdown with his brother took place. Fucking brilliant. But I trust you've got a thorough grasp of these characters as well haha, and that you missed writing through Joe too.
I haven't told you this in emails yet, but you should really considering writing a novel and getting it published, or at least consider collating these chapters into a proper book. You're just so talented.
Quick sidenote before I end this rambling comment: 'Will Cove' just killed me. That's so Chris Riis hahah.
Looking forward to the next chapter - don't make me wait 20 days again hahah. And really loving this blog, such an easy way to keep track of your work.
P.S. In case you haven't heard it, listen to Wilco's cover of Big Star's 'Thirteen', it's really great. It's the song that started playing in my head when Joe put the CD on haha.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with this chapter. Seeing things from Chris's point of view explained alot. I'm glad they finally hooked up.
ReplyDeleteGreat read. Been enjoying it. This chapter didn't let me down. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis was great. I had to jump back to where the narration switches from second to first person, everything before that point being in the fog of pent-up anticipation.... That's sorta how I remembered it for myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, guys.
ReplyDeleteAlex -- I'm not planning on switching perspectives again, but who knows? Maybe I'll go all Sound and Fury and have a chapter where Sam Frost is like Benjy Compson. I know the outline of the whole story but not always how I'm going to tell it.
Also, I was listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when I wrote the last half of the chapter. Jesus, Etc. came onto iTunes and the whole thing sort of fell into place.
The whole story feels painfully real to me. It is a really beautiful work. Telling the tale from Christopher's perspective was so unexpected and absolutely perfect. It left me in tears several times -- and again it felt so real. I look forward to more and more and more.
ReplyDeleteAll I can really say is that this chapter made me smile a whole lot; I smiled when I saw there was a new chapter, was smiling when I was reading through, and I smiled after I finished for about 2 hours, which creeped some people out since I was smiling for no apparent reason. This story never ceases to make me happy.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to a lot more!
Thanks
Hear hear. Yeah I love that song, I used to listen to it when I jumped out of bed into the shower. Great tone for this chapter.
ReplyDeleteAnother question - feel free not to answer it - but how many chapters do you plan to write? While I'll obviously be devastated if it ends, it'd be interesting to know where Joe and co. are placed in the entire scheme of the story.
Painfully real indeed (although I went to the Bay Area, not the Midwest). You are indeed very, very good at this.
ReplyDeleteThat second Anonymous isn't the same as the first.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous2
Great chapter as usual. Being a (rather Chris-like) college student myself, it's familiar and comforting to hear his views on smartasses like Joe and Sam.
ReplyDeleteDude, I thought this chapter was amazing; and then I put together the Will Cove/ Wilco business and I realized that it was genius. You so worked hard to give Riis his own voice. I really appreciated your turn at sort-of stream of consciousness as well. In that "the medium is the message," the style defintely advanced character development. Fucking Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAs a 23yr-old woman, I feel like kind of an impostor/ bad actor reading this. But your expression of the angst, agony and awkwardness of college and queerness ring painfully true- even for someone with a vag. I can't believe I've been following this story for two years. Please don't leave me waiting too long for the next chapter, babylove.
I've read and reread this story so many times...I also loved the story from Chris' POV sadly I have been through the saga of having a relationship with a guy who wanted to experiment with his sexuality..we're still friends after 15 years...he has a girlfriend and a daughter..he wanted me to be the baby's "Godfather" MOm didn't...as I emailed you when I went to print out the last chapter...it was 30 pages..Dude....thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know it's not good interwebs etiquette to respond to items that are "ancient" in terms of webhistory, but I just stumbled across *Joe College* like three days ago. (I caught myself up to chapter 25 late yesterday.) However, I feel compelled to tell you, JPM, that the switch to Christian's POV in chapter 16 both caught me by surprise and convinced me of your absolute genius.
ReplyDeleteYes, I knew you were good from early on in Joe's initial flirtation with Andy . . . and it's consequences for the two boys. But, jumping out of Joe's head in order to demonstrate that there's more to Chris than "meets the eye" or fits inside Joe's flawed imagination is/was simply brilliant!
I disagree with Alex's advice above to avoid another switch of narrators. When you come to the denouement of Christian's involvement with Joe, I encourage you to consider letting us back inside of Chris' head. If not, I'm afraid that whatever decisions he makes will feel too arbitrary. We need to SEE what he's thinking as he comes to ultimate terms with his sexuality.
Also, I think your speculation about something from Sam's perspective could only enhance the storyline, particularly if it comes at a judiciously chosen moment. After all, he's been there since the beginning of Joe and Chris' time at college; he's the prime mover in bringing the two of them and their housemates together. And if, on top of elucidating another major character, you could do so in relatively Benjy-Compsonesque language . . . Wow! (Of course, I don't mean Sam is in any way correspondingly "deranged" or otherwise retarded like Benjy, but you have to admit there's something a bit weird about Sam, yet we know his weirdness is sourced differently from Joe's or Chris'—or even Katie's, for that matter.)
Anyway, I have a ton of comments inside my head about other episodes and scenes in the story. I suspect I won't be able to stop myself from sharing some of them as I work my way through this blog—despite my awareness of their untimeliness—because no story I've previously read on Nifty (and I've probably slogged through way more of them than I'd care to admit) has affected me so profoundly as *Joe College.* I'm hugely grateful to you for having given it to us and for continuing to share your amazing talent with us for years to come, I hope.