Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 22:27:27 EDT

From: Raku2u@aol.com

Subject: Re: An Interview with Laura Jacquez Valentine

Laura said:

<< It was something I saw in the series. People were always treating Chekov like a child, and he was obviously annoyed by it, but constrained by rank and circumstance from objecting too much. I wanted to give him somewhere where he could be himself. He's not a little kid, and he's not afraid to go afterwhat he wants, and I love showing that. >>

Good for you, Laura. I was thinking the other day about how Chekov gets the short end of the stick every time. And that ridiculous Davy Jones bit they put Walter Koenig through. Annoying.

I much enjoyed the interview--seeing what ticks, or not, for you. Great stuff.

Keep 'em coming, Karmen! More, more!

raku, off to look at Killa's again.

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Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 20:33:41 -0700 (PDT)

From: Karmen Ghia <stormal@yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: An Interview with Laura Jacquez Valentine

-- Raku2u@aol.com wrote:

> From: Raku2u@aol.com

> Laura said:

> << It was something I saw in the series. People were always treating Chekov like a child, and he was obviously annoyed by it, but constrained by rank and circumstance from objecting too much. I wanted to give him somewhere where he could be himself. He's not a little kid, and he's not afraid to go after what he wants, and I love showing that. >>

> Good for you, Laura. I was thinking the other day about how Chekov gets the short end of the stick every time. And that ridiculous Davy Jones bit they put Walter Koenig through. Annoying.

Yes, very. I was always more of a Bobby Sherman girl myself. Although I was a devoted Monkees fan, I truely never twigged that Chekov was wearing a DJones wig until I read Shatner's annoying memoirs (I was in Prague, my flatmate had it, there was nothing ELSE in english to read. I SWEAR it!).

> I much enjoyed the interview--seeing what ticks, or not, for you. Great stuff.

> Keep 'em coming, Karmen! More, more!

I'm workin' on it.

> raku, off to look at Killa's again.

BTW, I forwarded both this to LJV and your Killa comments to Killa since they are not subscribers. I'll forward any replies onto the list as soon as I get them.

Your Ghia

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Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 15:53:51 PDT

From: "Skazi netilsky" <skazi90@hotmail.com>

Subject: Re: An Interview with Laura Jacquez Valentine

>Laura said:

><< It was something I saw in the series. People were always treating Chekov like a child, and he was obviously annoyed by it, but constrained by rank and circumstance from objecting too much. I wanted to give him somewhere where he could be himself. He's not a little kid, and he's not afraid to go after what he wants, and I love showing that. >>

This is a aspect that I enjoy in LJV's work (and I *do* enjoy LJV's work) -- her Chekov tends to have a "Lolita" qualiy. He is young and seems child-like, but turns out to be anything but an innocent. LJV makes this contradiction very sexy. Her stories also have a lyrical, almost poetic quality that is different from anyone else currently writing Chek-slash. Keep up the good work, Laura! More! More! More!

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Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 23:44:40 EDT

From: Raku2u@aol.com

Subject: Re: An Interview with Laura Jacquez Valentine

Skaz wrote:

<< This is a aspect that I enjoy in LJV's work (and I *do* enjoy LJV's work) -- her Chekov tends to have a "Lolita" qualiy. He is young and seems child-like, but turns out to be anything but an innocent. >>

I like to think the writers *finally* figured out this dynamic, and that's why they play with Harry Kim the way they do. Done right, it's a great combo, and IMO has more dramatic possibilities for personal development than some of the obvious "grownup" characters do (Janeway, Kirk, McCoy, Sisko, etc.).

raku

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Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 09:10:04 PDT

From: "Skazi netilsky" <skazi90@hotmail.com>

Subject: Re: An Interview with Laura Jacquez Valentine

Skazi wrote:

><< This is a aspect that I enjoy in LJV's work (and I *do* enjoy LJV's work) -- her Chekov tends to have a "Lolita" qualiy. He is young and seems child-like, but turns out to be anything but an innocent. >>

Raku responded:

>I like to think the writers *finally* figured out this dynamic, and that's why they play with Harry Kim the way they do. Done right, it's a great combo, and IMO has more dramatic possibilities for personal development than some of the obvious "grownup" characters do (Janeway, Kirk, McCoy, Sisko, etc.).

I agree. Kim and Chekov are very much two incarnations of the same character. I think both of them are more fun for the writer (fan or pro) because while each is as good, brave, and intelligent as a Star Fleet officer should be, these young men are at the same time impulsive, romantic, and failable. They naturally get themselves into the sort of dramatic situations that a "grownup" character would have to be pushed into by the author. Each is less restrained, more open to passion -- and passion is what drama (and slash) is all about.

I also think that the Paris/Kim relationship is very much analoguous to the Chekov/Sulu dynamic. Despite the fact that Paris is supposed to have had a problematic past, most of the time he's played as a happy-go-lucky, hard working optimist like Sulu rather than as a jaded cynic. Sometimes for a giggle, a friend of mine and I take P/K stories and perform "search and replace" makeovers on them to convert them to Sulu/Chekov stories. It works rather well -- although you do wind up with a tatooed Spock and Kirk in a bun... I'm sure a Voyager makeover on Chek-slash would be just as entertaining and instructive.

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