Welcome to David-Joy.com
Welcome to the official site of Appalachian writer David Joy. David is the author of Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey, his first memoir released in September 2011. His writing has appeared in multiple magazines and journals including Smoky Mountain Living, Wilderness House Literary Review, and Bird Watcher's Digest. He recently finished his second book of creative nonfiction, a memoir titled, Ruth: A Beautiful Dismantling. Take a look around the site and feel free to contact David with any questions or concerns that you may have.
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.
Order a copy of Growing Gills from your local Indie Bookstore
David strongly urges readers to buy their copies of Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman's Journey and all other books on their reading lists from their local independent bookstore. While copies are available through all major retailers, there has never been a more important time to support your local economy and the first step in this process is to patronize the stores owned by your neighbors. IndieBound.org makes it easy for you to track down your local bookstore to buy a copy of Growing Gills. Just click the IndieBound logo to the right and follow the steps to "buy online from an indie bookstore." You can also get to the site by clicking here.
Recent reviews and interviews on Growing Gills
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.
David finishes Ruth: A Beautiful Dismantling and is currently seeking a publisher
David recently finished work on his second book-length memoir and has begun searching for a publisher. Ruth: A Beautiful Dismantling is a memoir, which delves into themes of family, love, mortality, grief, memory, and the power of story as a unifying tie between all of humanity. With a century of Southern storytelling dying with Ruth Weaver, a victim of Alzheimer’s, David races to collect her Depression-era tales of Paw Creek, North Carolina. Yet more than mere memories, David discovers a doctrine that challenges his views on the human experience and defines his beliefs on life, death, and the immortality of story. Check back often for updates. Interested publishers and agents can contact David to express their interest.