vwl Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Joe College at http://www.nifty.org...ge/joe-college/ is very, very well written but is slow to updatd, now at Chapter 21 after a couple of years. Maybe with some encouragement the author can be persuaded to speed up the chapter completion. I have found it one of the best that I can recommend, with characters that are nicely differentiated. Link to comment
The Pecman Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Wow. I concur, VWL. That's one of the best opening chapters I've read in a long time. If it stays that good, this will be one of the best stories I've read all year. Good call. Link to comment
vwl Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 After a hiatus of hiatuses, jpm770 is back with another chapter of Joe College, which is a fine read despite its slow publishing pace: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-22 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Damn, this is a good story. The author's little asides and interludes are hilarious, and I laughed out loud at being reminded of my freshman year in a dorm at Florida State. Very funny, and very warm and human, and his dialogue is snappy as hell. Damn good writing. Link to comment
Merkin Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I love smartass narrative built on sensitivity and convincing self-awareness if it is consistent and funny. This is. Link to comment
colinian Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I'd prefer the focus be on Andy at UC Berkeley (a.k.a. Cal), since I'm a grad student there. That would be very interesting for me! Doug, Chris, Steve, and I didn't booze it up at Cal. We were focused on classes and each other. We had no reason to party hard because the focus of that is hooking up, and we were and are already hooked up (me and Doug, Chris and Steve). We did party, but they were more sedate hang-outs with nothing stronger than beer (which I am actually allergic to – it's the brewer's yeast; having allergies sucks – and besides I don't like the taste) and no drunks (usually). Good story, BTW. It's always refreshing to read a story with a college student focus. I'm only on chapter 5 so there's a long way to go and not a lot of time for recreational reading. Colin Link to comment
The Pecman Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 The story takes some dramatic turns at a certain point, some that I honestly didn't expect. Let's just say we've all had life experiences where you encounter somebody who gives off some vibes, you're not exactly sure that they're gay, maybe they're bi, whatever... and some of them never go through with it. And there's also asexual people who you figure may never be with anybody. This story handles a character like this very well, and I gotta say, I was genuinely surprised by what happened. The emotions here feel very real, and very surprising. One chapter violates my famous rule of not changing points of view, but I'd say it falls into the 1% of novels where it works because it's almost a standalone chapter that fills in all the blanks of quite a few other chapters, revealing some startling truths we didn't suspect. I'll say no more, except goddamn if this isn't the best novel I've read in a year. Link to comment
jpm770 Posted February 1, 2013 Report Share Posted February 1, 2013 Aw, thanks guys. Found out about this site and forum from an e-mail. I really appreciate the interest and support. Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted February 1, 2013 Report Share Posted February 1, 2013 Glad to have you here! C Link to comment
vwl Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Another chapter of Joe College has just been posted: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-23 Link to comment
vwl Posted May 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 Another chapter is available, slow-published but worthwhile: http://www.nifty.org.../joe-college-24 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 That was very good... but I get the feeling the author is kind of holding back, just treading water before the denouement. Having said that, the writing quality is really superb. Link to comment
vwl Posted September 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 A new chapter of the fine Joe College has been posted: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-25 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Really fine chapter (and long, too), but I'm gnashing my teeth at the author's decision to postpone the WHY of the plotline. (No spoilers, for those who have yet to read it.) Link to comment
vwl Posted September 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 I just finished reading chapter 25. What a joy to read something that well written with characters that are so nicely drawn. Link to comment
The Pecman Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Absolutely terrific story. The author tells me in email that we're about to hit a very dramatic turn, so hold on. The relationship seemed a little too idyllic, so it seemed about time for something to happen. I agree with VWL -- this is one of the best Net stories of the year, as far as I'm concerned. Link to comment
vwl Posted February 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 A near-final chapter of this fine story is posted: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-26 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ah, thanks for the alert, VWL. I'm glad that JPM has finally hit the endgame, and we have a sense of where the ending is going. The last few pages of this chapter were cryptic, and I'm not sure if I agree with the structure, but the essential writing is very good and thoroughly compelling. Link to comment
jpm770 Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Ah, thanks for the alert, VWL. I'm glad that JPM has finally hit the endgame, and we have a sense of where the ending is going. The last few pages of this chapter were cryptic, and I'm not sure if I agree with the structure, but the essential writing is very good and thoroughly compelling. I think this is probably more five act than three act, and we're (finally!) moving to Act III. And I haven't tipped my hand to anything that wasn't heavily hinted already -- seemed better to make it fully explicit, as opposed to teasing people or dangling a series of potentially manipulative cliffhangers. Hopefully the how and why of what happens, and subsequent fallout, will be more compelling than the fact that these guys part ways. Thanks so much for your ongoing interest and enthusiasm, guys. Can't tell you how flattering it is and how much I appreciate it. Link to comment
vwl Posted May 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2014 Chapter 27 of Joe College is up: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-27 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 Thanks for the word, VWL. That's beautiful writing. Link to comment
vwl Posted June 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 The next chapter is up at Nifty. http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-28 Link to comment
The Pecman Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 I feel like somebody kidnapped the author's account and shoved this chapter in! It has little or nothing to do with what's been happening! Hep me, pleeze! And I did watch the first three seasons of The Wire, and generally enjoyed it. It's a very downbeat show, and it's about a world I know nothing about -- lowlife drug dealers in Baltimore and the cops who are desperately trying to stop them -- but it's a very well-acted, well-written show. Link to comment
vwl Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Another chapter in this fine story has been posted:http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-29 Link to comment
vwl Posted July 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Another chapter is up: http://www.nifty.org//nifty/gay/college/joe-college/joe-college-30 An excerpt that captures the story's theme: "I was better at being an undergrad than I'll ever be at anything else. From beer pong to Chaucer to indie rock to Edmund Spenser, I found the person who I was meant to be, in a place where it was all accessible, where my enthusiasm was rewarded. That person had a life expectancy of three years and nine months, but he might still be the person I'm meant to be when I'm 65, and 75, and dead." Link to comment
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