Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey
Published in September 2011 by Bright Mountain Books, Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey delves into David Joy's obsession with fish. With a closer connection to fish than to humans, the author works to reveal why he is inherently defined by the piscine world. Topics range from environmentalism to family, Rousseau's "noble savage" to the ones that got away, places that remain wild to the worn cork of rods, the beauty of native trout to the art of fly tying. Ultimately, by revealing the reasons for his obsession, David is able to understand the man he has become.
Ron Rash, author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner finalist Serena, had this to say about the memoir: "If any human could grow gills, it would be David Joy. His life-long connection to fish is vividly realized in this book, in large part because of his poetic language and sensibility. Growing Gills is a book anyone interested in our connection to the natural world will relish."
Pamela Duncan, author of Plant Life and other novels, writes, "Attention fishing widows: if you've struggled in vain to understand man's obsession with fishing, you must read David Joy's memoir Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey. In prose clean and clear as a mountain stream, Joy explores his own abiding love of fish and, by extension, the natural world that is their habitat. His passion is contagious and, even if you've never seen a trout in your life, by the end of this beautifully written book you can't help but feel a connection. You may even be tempted to take up a rod yourself."
In the early summer of 2010 David contacted a local artist, Michael Polomik, to commemorate the completion of Growing Gills. After receiving a degree in studio art from the University of Wilmington in 2005, Polomik began work at Western Carolina University's graduate program. Spanning numerous media, Polomik’s work traces visual and mental systems. Paths in which one might move, see, feel, or imagine often define or connect subjects, expressing a spiritual progression of growth and understanding. Combining the figural with conceptual space, Polomik's work on Growing Gills attempts to illuminate the themes of the memoir, while providing a visual addition to the text. To view all of Polomik's work on Growing Gills click here.
The book was released in September 2011 from Bright Mountain Books of Fairview, North Carolina.The book is available through all major retailers and can be ordered directly from Bright Mountain Books by visiting their site.Bookstores, libraries, and interested dealers can view marketing details, distribution plans, and ordering information from Blair Publishing's fall 2011 catalog by clicking here, and can place orders with John F. Blair, Ingram, Baker & Taylor Books, or Appalachian Book Service.
Bright Mountain Books, Inc.; 206 Riva Ridge Drive, Fairview, North Carolina 28730; 828.628.1768, 828.437.3959, Fax: 828.628.1755, www.brightmountainbooks.com
Growing Gills has been named a finalist for the 2012 Reed Environmental Writing Award
Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey was recently named a finalist for the 2012 Reed Environmental Writing Award, put on each year by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) to recognize outstanding writing on the Southern environment. The panel of judges is comprised of some of the top environmental writers, journalists, and activists of our time, including writers such as Lee Smith, Nikki Giovanni, and Silas House. The winner will be announced in March, but it is an oustanding honor for David to simply be listed among the finalists for such a prestigious award.
Reviews & Interviews
January/February 2011; WNC Magazine: In a review of regional books, Joshua Simcox of WNC Magazine reviewed a copy of Growing Gills alongside titles by New York Times bestselling authors Robert Morgan and Ron Rash. In the review, Simcox praises David's "wit and wisdom" as well as his "poetic romanticism that will connect with anyone," adding that, "the themes Joy presents are universal: inner peace, family, acceptance, understanding, and a connection with nature. To read the full review click here.
Oct. 14, 2011; Western Carolinian: Bayleigh Davis interviewed David in early October to discuss the release of Growing Gills for the university's official newspaper: the Western Carolinian. In the interview David explains the basis for the book: "The inspiration for the work stems from a lifelong relationship with the piscine world. Ever since I was a child, I've been fascinated by fish: spending mornings watching television shows like 'Spanish Fly' and 'The Walker's Cay Chronicles,' afternoons on mud banks casting to anything that would bite, and evenings reading field guides on North American fish. As I've grown older I started to question why this innate connection exists, and that questioning ultimately became the driving force behind the project." To read the full story click here.
Fall, 2011; Western Carolina Magazine: In a feature story written by Randall Holcombe of the Western Carolina Magazine, WCU's official alumni publication, Holcombe interviews David's long-time mentor Deidre Elliott who states, "[David] is just the sort of student a writing teacher appreciates. David already possessed a body of knowledge to draw upon for his writings--his love of fly fishing and all things fish. Also, he was ready to work hard and be persistent as he leared the craft of writing." To read the full story click here, or visit the magazine online by clicking here.
Sept. 15, 2011; The Mountaineer: In an interview conducted by Stina Sieg with The Mountaineer in Waynesville, North Carolina, Sieg writes about Growing Gills, "The book speaks of larger truths, especially when it comes to one of his biggest concerns in this part of the world: development. In his opinion, that more than anything is encroaching upon his beloved wild world." To read the full story click here.
Sept. 14, 2011; The Smoky Mountain News: Jeff Minick of the Smoky Mountain News writes a review of Growing Gills, titled "A tribute to fishing and fish." In the review, Minick writes, "Joy offers readers both a paean to fishing and a memoir of his own days on the water. He takes us from the coast of North Carolina, where he fished as a boy with his family, to the creeks and rivers of our own mountains." To read the full story click here.
Sept. 14, 2011; The Crossroads Chronicle: In an interview conducted by Editor Kelly Donaldson of the Crossroads Chronicle, David explains that, "Far too often it seems that we become too attached to the modern, technological world, and neglect the place that we all come from, a place that still holds purity and truth, a place filled with beauty, auroras, and the sound of water over stone." To read the full story click here.