Wednesday, March 14, 2012

War Story

I wrote this week’s Reader cover. It is a huge deviation from my normal stuff. For one, there is absolutely nothing comical in the piece. Secondly, it is about the military.

I got the idea to write this story after having my Bff’s brother over for dinner a few weeks after he arrived home from Afghanistan. The stories he told us that night made me feel incredibly sad.

Dan agreed to let me write his story. I am not a hundred percent pleased with it. I think it could have been better. I think my biggest problem with the story is near the end when I discuss don’t ask don’t tell. I wanted to showcase what it was like to be deployed when it was repealed. It could have been an excellent moment to discuss the bigotry that still exisits. Instead, I think it gave the story an odd homophobic tilt. That was not at all my intent and it kills me that it reads that way. I’m going to view it as a learning experience. Next time I will do better.

No comments: