Chronicles of an Academic Predator

[Mark Arbour]

I realized that when I got "promoted" to hosted, and I got this cool new forum, that the previous threads for my earlier stories had been lost. Like this one. I got a review on CAP in the Story Archive and I found it a bit surprising. Here's what it says:

 

Rating: 7 (on 1-10 scale)

Comment: Initially moves very well but the last third bogs down by over complication on the relationships.Real life possibly,but I feel that it becomes draggy as a novel. It did make me read it in one go though

Here's why I was surprised. I thought CAP started out slow but ended up pretty quick. So I figured I'd throw this out there and see what you all thought.

[methodwriter85]

I realized that when I got "promoted" to hosted, and I got this cool new forum, that the previous threads for my earlier stories had been lost. Like this one. I got a review on CAP in the Story Archive and I found it a bit surprising. Here's what it says:

 

Rating: 7 (on 1-10 scale)

Comment: Initially moves very well but the last third bogs down by over complication on the relationships.Real life possibly,but I feel that it becomes draggy as a novel. It did make me read it in one go though

Here's why I was surprised. I thought CAP started out slow but ended up pretty quick. So I figured I'd throw this out there and see what you all thought.

 

I thought it ended pretty quick- slow to start and then ends quick. That's pretty much how you do your stories, man.

 

Anyways, this spring I took a geology class, and we had something on the Ash Wednesday storm. It made me think of CAP, with JP and Peter Gordon dealing with the wrecked Delaware beaches. LOL.

[DragonFire]

I realized that when I got "promoted" to hosted, and I got this cool new forum, that the previous threads for my earlier stories had been lost. Like this one. I got a review on CAP in the Story Archive and I found it a bit surprising. Here's what it says:

 

Rating: 7 (on 1-10 scale)

Comment: Initially moves very well but the last third bogs down by over complication on the relationships.Real life possibly,but I feel that it becomes draggy as a novel. It did make me read it in one go though

Here's why I was surprised. I thought CAP started out slow but ended up pretty quick. So I figured I'd throw this out there and see what you all thought.

Mmmmm, well I only read it about a month or so ago and agree with you. I mean it was slow by your standards at the beginning, but certainly speeded up towards the end. Very strange.

[Mark Arbour]

Jeremy/Dragon:

 

Thanks for your input. I was kind of weirded out by that one, since I think Jeremy's right about my stories. They usually start out slow and end fast. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Sometimes it's hard to be objective when analyzing your own work.

[KJames]

Mark, I've thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in the CAP series, and my only gripe about your hosted website section is the lack of ability to resize the font...making reading difficult on my BlackBerry when away from home and the PC...

[Rilbur]

Mark, I've thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in the CAP series, and my only gripe about your hosted website section is the lack of ability to resize the font...making reading difficult on my BlackBerry when away from home and the PC...

 

So I'm not the only one who prefers to read 'on the go' using a smartphone? (Palm Treo for me) (Mind you, my main problem has less to do with font sizes, and more to do with fancy web formatting that my palm can't read right for some insane reason)

[corvus]

Here's the review I posted on the... other place, dunno what to call it. I liked the story a lot.

 

So I finally got round to reading some of your work. From your blog and forum posts, I'd expected to be entertained, and I was...

 

I like how lean your story is. You get people on the page, characterize them, and have them happen. The first person narration is exceptionally effective -- despite the fairly large cast, everyone is clear, and character develop rather than repeat themselves. I found the working-out of relationships in this story particularly fascinating -- the out-in-the-open emotionally monogamous, sexually polygamous, heterosexual-norms-free model is demonstrated to be effective, but I wonder if it'd work out in real life, or if, later on in the characters' lives, this model would hold.

 

I was rather ambivalent about the white-and-blackness of some of the psychology. For example, JP was basically remorseless about his actions having driven Jensen to commit suicide; he was equally remorseless with Jason before Jason repented with attempted suicide. Even though JP isn't a wishy-washy person, the quickness of his condemnation and lack of guilt made me, well, condemn him, or at least question him. Regardless, this was a great story, and I really enjoyed reading it. It'll be interesting to see how you juggle such a large cast in the future -- other series I've read have done that very disappointingly. Thanks for writing!

[Mark Arbour]

Here's the review I posted on the... other place, dunno what to call it. I liked the story a lot.

 

Thanks Corvus! I appreciate your feedback. One of the goals of the series is to ultimately make JP likable. If you move on to 1968, that won't happen. But he develops over time into a pretty good person.

[Daisy]

hey

Just started reading this one as well.

 

Now, I've just got to the bit where Billy has died! and that conversation about losing all bestfriends. and I know the rumours about Jeff. now Mark, really, I can understand all the rage now !!!!!

[Tiger]

hey

Just started reading this one as well.

 

Now, I've just got to the bit where Billy has died! and that conversation about losing all bestfriends. and I know the rumours about Jeff. now Mark, really, I can understand all the rage now !!!!!

Yeah, Jeff was an awesome character that went down a road of self-destruction and never returned. A lot of people were upset by it too.

[Mark Arbour]

I still enjoy re-reading this story. It's my favorite, maybe because it was my first.

[Kewljim]

I've really enjoyed CAP (currently in The Land Whore section) and all the historical events really bring back memories for me. A question though regarding the war in Vietnam. I was curious why the news always comes from the newspaper. America was on the edge of their seats when CBS evening news with Walter Cronkite came on each evening because he (ften shocking) showed footage taken the day before. This was taken one day and flown to the US for the evening news the following day. It was the first time a war was brought to America's living room in prime time. The graphic nature of much of the footage was part of what motivated the demonstrations all across America. Our returning soldiers were often treated like they had leprosy and did not receive a hero's welcome when they came home.

I was in college and in the military myself during those years (however was never sent to S.E. Asia although I have no idea why not).

Jim

[Mark Arbour]

I've really enjoyed CAP (currently in The Land Whore section) and all the historical events really bring back memories for me. A question though regarding the war in Vietnam. I was curious why the news always comes from the newspaper. America was on the edge of their seats when CBS evening news with Walter Cronkite came on each evening because he (ften shocking) showed footage taken the day before. This was taken one day and flown to the US for the evening news the following day. It was the first time a war was brought to America's living room in prime time. The graphic nature of much of the footage was part of what motivated the demonstrations all across America. Our returning soldiers were often treated like they had leprosy and did not receive a hero's welcome when they came home.

I was in college and in the military myself during those years (however was never sent to S.E. Asia although I have no idea why not).

Jim

 

 

That's a really good point. I used some television for significant events, but mostly in CAP. I should have done it more in 1968. Even a studious guy like JP would have watched the news.

 

 

[PrivateTim]

While I have been a pretty consistent reader of the Bridgemont series I never read CAP because the "predator" word turned me off.

 

But I finally decided to break down and read it and I am liking it. I am only in Chapter 19, but something really confuses me and I am sure it is discussed someplace, but I couldn't scroll through page after page looking for the topic.

 

Why does JP do what he does with Scott Mallory? Surely JP had Scott right where he wanted him and he could have found stuff that was humiliating like scrubbing toilets, etc. to "bully" him with, but with the sex stuff, surely the table is turned and that gives the power to Scott if he wanted to destroy JP.

 

Maybe it is answered later on, but it seems out of the norm for cold, calculating JP.

[rjo]

Interestingly that does not happen, If fact Scott helps JP. I think over the Cap saga you see JP slowly change. Once you get into later chapters you get to meet Jeff Hayes. They are good for each other. JP has two people very close to him die Andre and Billy his cousin. I hope you keep reading It is worth it.

[PrivateTim]

So I finished Chronicles of an Academic Predator. I really like walking through the 1960's and the interplay of history and people's lives. What I don't like is most of the sex, to me it distracts from a great story of personal relationships and people interrelating. I'm also not terribly fond of JP, I think he is a bit of a bully. Or I should say I liked the JP of the first few chapters when he was more contained, more cautious and more considerate. There also seems to be a lot of guys wanting to have sex and finding each other pretty easily which wasn't all that easy in the early 1960's if I understand how gay life was back then. And given the number of gay guys who could have been pissed at JP and ruined his career at a conservative campus like Northwestern in the 1960's it seems like there should have been some drama from Willie, Ronnie, Scott or Jason.

 

Anyway, as I work my way through the series I hope I come to like JP better.

[methodwriter85]

You will, but you have to get through 1968 first.*wishes Adam was here to discuss 1968*

 

I'll be honest and say I'm more interested in the relationships and the historical context of the story than I am in the sex. The characters that Mark's invented purely for sex reasons generally tend to bore me.

 

CAP is good, 1968 pisses people off although it's still good in my opinion. The Land Whore was a cute story. Be Rad and Man In Motion were the first two really good stories. A Summer Love was a mixed bag, but If It Fits was a return to form for Mark. Bloodlines was freakin' amazing in my opinion, and the Box started off slow but turned into a great story. Millenium's been pretty good so far.

Edited November 13, 2010 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

Five chapters into 1968 I am liking JP even less..........

[Mark Arbour]

Five chapters into 1968 I am liking JP even less..........

 

One of the key themes of this saga is JP becoming a better person. You're at the point where he gets worse.

[sat8997]

See...and I never saw it that way. To me all JP did was what he had to so he and his family could survive.

[PrivateTim]

See...and I never saw it that way. To me all JP did was what he had to so he and his family could survive.

I blame JP for a lot of Jeff's issues and he threw Jeff aside for a second time (Andre being the first) for a guy he knew only 4 months, Sam. I think it especially bad given that he first hooked up with Jeff when Jeff was only a junior in high school so I blame JP for retarding Jeff's growth and maturity.

 

I find JP incredibly self absorbed and selfish emotionally and personally. Giving away material possessions doesn't make you not selfish, in fact I know a lot of guys in the gay community who are 'generous' like JP, but in reality it is all about them, not the person on the receiving end.

 

I am a few chapters into the Land Whore and resent JP even more at how easily he moved on from Jeff given that Jeff is the probably father of two of his kids and how easily he let the kids forget "Papa".

[Caedus]

I am a few chapters into the Land Whore and resent JP even more at how easily he moved on from Jeff given that Jeff is the probably father of two of his kids and how easily he let the kids forget "Papa".

 

Wait till you get to Be Rad. The story is told from Brad's POV, but you get the see the karma train start come around the corner and hit JP at full speed. It's almost ironic how his choices, some he rationalized as protecting his family, lead to hurting them anyways in the future...

 

 

 

[methodwriter85]

I blame JP for a lot of Jeff's issues and he threw Jeff aside for a second time (Andre being the first) for a guy he knew only 4 months, Sam. I think it especially bad given that he first hooked up with Jeff when Jeff was only a junior in high school so I blame JP for retarding Jeff's growth and maturity.

 

I find JP incredibly self absorbed and selfish emotionally and personally. Giving away material possessions doesn't make you not selfish, in fact I know a lot of guys in the gay community who are 'generous' like JP, but in reality it is all about them, not the person on the receiving end.

 

I am a few chapters into the Land Whore and resent JP even more at how easily he moved on from Jeff given that Jeff is the probably father of two of his kids and how easily he let the kids forget "Papa".

 

There's a guy who's an author here, Adam Phillips, that wrote this incredibly analytical piece that basically reflects your thoughts. I'll bump it up for you to read.

[sat8997]

I blame JP for a lot of Jeff's issues and he threw Jeff aside for a second time (Andre being the first) for a guy he knew only 4 months, Sam. I think it especially bad given that he first hooked up with Jeff when Jeff was only a junior in high school so I blame JP for retarding Jeff's growth and maturity.

 

I find JP incredibly self absorbed and selfish emotionally and personally. Giving away material possessions doesn't make you not selfish, in fact I know a lot of guys in the gay community who are 'generous' like JP, but in reality it is all about them, not the person on the receiving end.

 

I am a few chapters into the Land Whore and resent JP even more at how easily he moved on from Jeff given that Jeff is the probably father of two of his kids and how easily he let the kids forget "Papa".

 

That's the beauty of fiction. Everyone gets to put their own spin on what they read. And it helps when you've got an author that creates such wonderful characters, causing such diverse opinions.

[Mark Arbour]

That's the beauty of fiction. Everyone gets to put their own spin on what they read. And it helps when you've got an author that creates such wonderful characters, causing such diverse opinions.

 

Thank you!