All Comments on 'Bathers and Black Squirrel'

A wonderful tale of their first lovers and wondering if life could have been different. Very nicely done.

This is the first story of yours that I’ve read. You left this supposedly world-wise man in tears as Peter looked through the stack of Lacey’s paintings that she’d intended as a birthday gift for him. Every scene that led up to this part of the narrative was presented with touching sensitivity to the characters and their deepening relationship.

I have to confess that the final reminiscence about a New Year’s get-together left me somewhat confused. Perhaps I was feeling that this part of the narrative was unnecessary to the story , or perhaps the previous scene with Peter the Son had left me so emotionally tangled (in a good way) that I could not fit the final paragraphs into the story as you intended. No matter. No story here - and there are many wonderful stories here - has moved me so much.

Eventually, I’ll go back and reread from the beginning. But I just want to savor, for now, the emotions that you have ignited through Bathers and Black Squirrel. I am indebted to you for sharing your talents here.

This is a wonderful effort. Carrtuen, thank you so much for sharing with us!

The story had the quality most needed and most absent in too many articles here: it was plausible! The relationship developed naturally and charmingly. Your intro minimized the sex in the story, but this was over cautious, as it was sexy as hell. Great job, loved it! The only off note was the hostility with the character Peter: that was unnecessarily insensitive.

This could’ve been written by me. The similarities between your story and my first love are amazing. I never did find another woman as passionate and horny as she was.

Ah, youth. I’m thankful for the few years we had.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful, lovable story!

Lovely story, very matter of fact in style and sexy in its simplicity. Loved that you didn't descend into hackneyed language during the sex descriptions!

I could tell from the title alone this was going to be a cut above. Very nostalgic and nicely written. This is what an erotic story should be, not a bad retread of Penthouse Letters. The only (and I am really splitting hairs here) change I might have considered would have been to shorten the last sexual sequence and add a little dialogue between the two to add a little more gravity. But as it is it is worthy of anthologizing.

Loved it!

There's something special about young love, and, as one grows older, memories of it grow fonder. You've captured the aspects young love in this sensuous story.

Thanks.

What an enjoyable story that leads us through the learning part of youngsters lives. I enjoy stories that are erotic but not crude and this definitely falls into that bracket. A.F.C. Somerset.

Your story has touched my soul. I am the same age as your characters and have a Lacey of my own. Her artistic temperament and my enthusiasm for history and sports cars were a poor combination, but we remained friends. If I were to fall heir to such an artistic trove, I can only imagine the river of tears that I’d cry. You have a rare talent. Thank you.

This is a beautiful story. My wife (a UVM graduate) and I (a Wesleyan graduate) found great nostalgia in your description of the countryside. Your characters so reminded us of those we knew and whose swimming holes we shared. Thanks very much.

Great story on a lot of levels.

I agree with squareybob about the new year’s scene. Didn’t really fit with the rest of the narrative and was a bit out of sync with the arc of the story. Otherwise a great story.

Bittersweet. Very well done.

Brilliant. I can think of no other story on this list that has had a greater emotional impact - a couple are close, I guess, but I don't make lists and keep checking them.

This is my no means the first time I've read the story - or second, or third, either - just the first time I have acknowledged how brilliantly the author melded sex and love and getting old.

Very nice story, the new years bit didn't quite seem to fit.