Nuremberg Tour 23

I press Sarge for details on how her writing career got started. She just grins, in high school, she had been part of the kink crowd. When it came time to write, it just literally poured off her fingertips into the word processor.
"Naomi told me, just as a joke, if I need a porn scene, I should get your advice."
"Skip sex totally. You're writing on the late 1940's. Oral, S&M, all the various perversions hadn't been invented yet. Or more accurately, only the odd person did. So, if you portray those forties characters honestly, means the sex scenes will be deathly boring. Better to leave sex out, people will just think you're a prude."
"They would be right."
She laughs, "don't admit to being a prude, claim your goal is to market to adults and young adults."
"Hmm."
"But seriously, after this one book, you better loosen up and fast. Unless you show a specific goal like aiming for school libraries, any book without sex is doomed."
"Just a minute," I protest, "you're referring to contemporary fiction. Historical is different. If I portray Guyana of the Forbes Burnham epoch, it too was very prudish. I would have to be honest to the historical period."
She ponders a moment, "you're right. I can't imagine East Indians of centuries ago in an S&M orgy. Can't even imagine modern day ones doing it."
"Even Guyana nowadays is very prudish, compared to Canada."
"Then don't set any of your books in modern day Israel. From what I've heard, kiddo, they are into Kink with a capital K."
"Why?"
"Sex is a reflection of overall society. Guyana, sleepy, peaceful, so is sex. Canada, faster pace, more stress, produces more kink. Israel, kinda stress there, leads to ultrakink to unwind."
"Oh, so then all those S&M people are the more freaked-out ones?"
She laughs, "I'd be broke if I tried writing in Guyana. But I've tapped into the Canadian and American markets. If people weren't nuts nowadays, I'd be outa business."
"Sarge, what about the career army set? Are they nuts too?"
Laughs, "non-whites like Farzana, most are people who simply struck out in the job market. Overall 3/4 of non-whites are sane, sensible people. Whites, every last one, is nuts."
"Are you including yourself in that number?"
Laughs heartily, "of course, one day I'll tell you the real story."
"Be honest now Sarge, have I crossed over any lines? Become a career soldier?"
Blush, "I ah well ah that is to say"
"Yes or no Sarge?"
"Yes. But you're still an ok person. Take what Naomi tells you with a grain of salt. She doesn't lie, but tends to be overly pessimistic. Meaning you can trust her statements of fact, but opinions are often unreliable."
I stare off into the distance a moment, then "Sarge, how many real Jews are career soldiers?"
Sad tone, "used to be just one, now there are two."
I grin, "I'm guessing there are no rabbis as chaplains."
"Nope, but chaplains are trained to be non-denominational. So, go to a priest or minister, makes no difference."
"What do chaplains mostly do?"
"Keep people alive. Tell them not to kill themselves, not to drink themselves to death."
I nod.
"See it's a culture of defeat. Some people find a way to achieve something or other. It keeps them sane, away from booze or drugs. Anyone who doesn't generate some outside mileage tends to fall into the pit. So now, do you truly understand how important it is to write? It's your life at stake here. Even if you don't make much royalties, far better a book a year than a month a year in rehab."
I gasp.
"See, now you're one of us, know our secrets."