TheStoryReader

What’s this, no CAP on Saint Patrick’s Day? I guess we all know where your sympathies lay now, don’t we Mr. Arbour, ye Orange hearted bastard ERIN go BRAUGH!

Regarding troops serving over seas, not everyone in an Army or USMC unit is in the Army or Marine corps. There is an augmentation program which brings members from other services (e.g. the Navy and Air Force) to full in the empty spots. In addition, the Air Force runs it's own convoys, and thus have suffered a very high number of casualties as a result of ambush/IED attacks. Some info on the augmentation program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_augmentee

Mark-If you were waiting for fan permission to begin posting the next book in the CAP saga, please consider it given All the Best, Jason

It will indeed be interesting to see J.P.’s and Steph.’s reaction to the war on terror. I have observed a great deal of internal conflict in my father and several relatives and friends of his generation. The parallels are there, but, there are a lot of stark differences as well. Particularly for those who are leftists. The drive for independence and freedom by the North Vietnamese and their allies was widely respected, particularly on the left, but, even by many of their enemies in the South and the United States. The same is not so for the Taliban or Al Qaeda or similarly motivated individuals, groups, and governments. I can remember clearly how heartbroken my father was when (and this was before 9/11) the Taliban government destroyed those ancient Buda statues. Or when, some years later, two Taliban militants on a motorcycle blinded two, and disfigured another two, school girls on their way to school, for going to school. Pacifist ideology aside, many of the people who we are fighting now are people who are opposed to almost everything (most close to home to those of us reading this board, gay rights) that the left holds dear. And they are willing to go to horrifically violent lengths to achieve their aims. I am in no way swinging the bat for the Bush Administration and their War on Terror, just pointing out that the enemy this time is a very different group of people than we faced in Vietnam (which should make for some interesting story telling).

Another great story. You are one of my favorite authors. But I must ask: WHERE IS OUR JESSIE-101? MORE JESSIE-101. PLEASE, PLEASE SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?

More Jesse-MORE MORE MORE. Now please. Or at least very soon, like tomorrow, or the next day. Maybe three days would be ok if you had a A LOT MORE Jesse-101. Please. If not for me, for the children. Don't let the terrorists win Comicaity, don't let the terrorists win. Which they will do, if we don't get more Jesse soon. Sillyness asside, I hope this finds you well, and you continute writing, StoriReder

Definitely something to the top/bottom gender connection you mention. Just like there is so much less of an outcry when a female teacher has sex with a young male student than there is when the genders are reversed. Clearly, there is a weird bias in the community where you need to be much more mature to take it than to give it-like there is this great burden that comes with being penetrated that is not there if you are the penetrator. And we consider ourselves so liberated-ha. So, make the bottoms of the world happy and have him take it first (and soon, go ahead and generate a little outrage!). Or not, either way your work has been of such high quality the story will be worth the journey. P.S. Sorry for totally missing the time of this story by a decade. I was an avid reader for a long time, but then lost connection with your work for a while, and just came back. Still, a disrespectful oversight for which I apologize. If I might add one additional observation, I grew up (and am still a part of) wealthy California (though, sadly, not with the kind of gay friendly support that the CAP clan has built together, if only!). I can say that even in 2000, while the rest of the world was turning more conservative, the attitudes towards sex, drugs, etc…, that Will would be around, a lot of people would find surprising. Not just by the families, but also by community (even the police if you live in the right neighborhood). A little bit of tutoring and a lot of money, and a first rate university is guaranteed, and as long as you don’t f**k up too badly most peoples teen years are sort of considered do as you please time, as you will never have the kind of freedom again you have now.

I would also point out that there would be much less of a conversation about this if Will were straight. Growing up in the wealthy, hedonistic, permissive environment that he is; there would be no great reaction to a fourteen year old having sex, even if the girl were a few years older than he. Keep in mind that the story is set in the time of 2LiveCrew and the Miami Sound, a time in which I remember being a teenager in California, which was a lot more openly sexual than it is (oddly enough) for teens now. It was a weird time when sex and drugs (especially cocaine) were this big open secret that everyone was doing and then pretending not to. Things are actually a lot more calm (and safe) now than they were in the early nineties.

A kid with his kind of self-confidence, growing up in that sex-over-charged enviroment, I say 14. Let him get in over his head and make his way back out again, it's something we have not seen yet (from someone so young).

Huge Fan, Keep up the Great Work.

Love the addition of Will's perspective. It will be great to see the CAP world from a younger perspective. Please Keep up the Great Work!