Content Interview with Rich Merritt, author of "Code of Conduct"
Last Updated on Monday, 23 February 2009 15:16 Written by Tom Basgill Monday, 24 March 2008 23:00
In Code of Conduct, former U.S. Marine Rich Merritt, explores the secret double lives of Don, Eddie, Karl and Patrick, all currently serving as closeted military men. Agent Jay of the Naval Investigative Service struggles with his past as he follows his own personal vendetta against homosexuality. As hope of President Bill Clinton’s promise to relieve the ban on gays in the military flourishes, Jay attempts to ruin the careers of our heroes. Action-packed, this novel kept me on the edge of my seat, while at the same time beautifully illustrating the passion and love that gay servicemen and women can have for each other.
A fast read, Merritt’s novel explores a fascinating section of the LGBTI community through his and others’ experiences in the military. Although the dialogue reads rather unrealistically, the novel was thoroughly enjoyable.
I had the pleasure of speaking to author Rich Merritt on the phone. A well-spoken and good-natured man, he briefly touched upon his first major work, the autobiographical Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star, before moving on to Code of Conduct.
So, what’s it like going from a Christian fundamentalist background to being a closeted Marine to becoming a pseudo-celebrity among the gay world?
Rich Merritt: When I was a kid I just always imagined, given the fundamentalist nature I had, I would be a youth pastor at a church. Maybe a teacher at the school I was at Bob Jones University. Once I was in the Marines, I was off, and my life was a whirlwind… I’ve just tried to enjoy it along the way.
How much of Code of Conduct is based on personal experiences?
RM: I would say at least half of it is based on my own personal experience, but I would take my personal experience and say, “What if it had gone differently? "What if there was a different factor there?”
Which character or characters do you relate to or identify with the most?
RM: We all have kind of shadow self, and if you’re a follower of Karl Jung, the antagonist, Jay, is my shadow self. In my early Marine Corps time, I feared that I would become him.
How heartbroken were you when former President Bill Clinton went back on his word and didn’t repeal the ban on homosexuality in the military?
RM: It was devastating. There was a brief moment of hope in January 1993. I had just come out of the closet myself. When that brief moment of hope was extinguished... I know that we’re going to be victorious, but it’s going to take a lot of work.
What do you think would happen were gays and lesbians allowed to openly serve in the military?
RM: Absolutely nothing. It would be such a non-issue that people would barely register it as a blip on the radar screen. People always talk about what you do about the barracks. The thing is… so many people are going to come out; people will realize that someone is your roommate and also gay. The counter argument that they always give… we shouldn’t let what happened in France happen to our country. My counter-counter argument is ‘Why not?’
Explain to me your mantra: “Our secrets keep us sick.”
RM: It was a kind of last minute add on [to Code of Conduct]... I was in therapy, which I’ve always been in, and [the therapist] said that our secrets keep us sick. That sums up my whole book. In the marines, [my secret] was being gay. And when I started acting out, it was the porn. It was fun. It was validation… Part of it was acting out. Not having dealt with [my secrets] led to drugs and alcohol. That shadow part of you again ends up exerting itself in some way.
What are you going to do next?
RM: I’m focusing my writing now on the fundamentalist part of my life… the secrets of gay people that have survived growing up as fundamentalists. [Christian fundamentalism] affects everyone. I’m dreading going back to that place in my mind where all that pain still resides.
Any last questions or comments?
RM: If you want a hero, be a hero. That’s the best way to sum it up.
Code of Conduct
Rich Merritt
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-2274-9
ISBN-10: 0-7582-2274-2
$15.00 Softcover
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
http://www.richmerritt.com/author.html
