Avett Brothers 9-11 Virginia Tech Concert Review

Posted by Caleb Coy on

“We tune because we care.”

Back in 2002, about to record A Carolina Jubilee, The Avett Brothers were hired as a wandering band during freshmen orientation at Virginia Tech. Nobody wanted to listen to them. They kept following people around trying to find an audience.

Seth and Scott told this story to their VT audience twelve years later, as if to say, “look where we are now.” In all the shows I’ve seen since 2007, the band has inflated and changed their style, but they have not lost what makes them who they are. I saw the same energy, passion and soul.
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Kirkus Reviews Takes on My Debut Novel

Posted by Caleb Coy on

“Spot-on satire or earnest picture of youth in transition?…”

41LZSXEGPFL“Coy’s voice is strong and sure; he captures Neil’s voice and tone with specificity and confidence. However, readers’ tolerance for Neil and his impressions of the Nashville scene may strongly depend on whether they see the novel as a satire of the hip, ironic detachment and self-reflexive views of the millennial generation or an earnest attempt to capture their thoughts and hopes in the second decade of the 21st century. Those who see Coy’s work as being meant seriously will likely find the characters vacuous and talkative to a fault, and the thrust of the narrative will be greatly diluted. For those who see a satirical purpose to Coy’s prose, the narrative will likely carry more resonance, and the end result of Sedgwick and Oberlin’s relationship will have a particular melancholy weight, even when seen through the satirical lens.”

“A well-defined social milieu and articulate characters make Coy’s is it/isn’t it novel an interesting, if uncertain, experience.”

–Kirkus Reviews

[Bold emphasis mine]

You can find the full review here

Or Order my book on Amazon!

Baby Turtles Hustling to the Ocean: Like Baptism

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It was a Sunday morning. We were down at the beach before going to worship. A baby turtle had just broken through the sand after hatching and was making his way down the man-made path toward the ocean, helped by the guiding hand of a volunteer “turtle person.” My 3-year-old son watched with us and cheered the palm-sized turtle on as he scuffled.
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Press Release—Author pens novel about Nashville indie rocker, hipster following

Posted by Caleb Coy on

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Author pens novel about Nashville Indie rocker, hipster following. Blogger Caleb Coy publishes An Authentic Derivative.

Blacksburg, VA –Having used the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo to generate the initial funds to self-publish, Caleb Coy penned a novel set in Nashville and centering around millennial hipsters.

“It was a learning experience,” says Coy, of the funding campaign. “My skill is in writing. I had never organized a fundraising activity of any kind before, nor had I much experience as a salesman.” After successfully raising $2,000, Coy published the novel, now on sale at Amazon.

An Authentic Derivative is the story of mythical Indie rocker Garrett Sedgwick, through the eyes of Neil Oberlin, the cynical graphic designer hired to sketch the musician’s next album cover. The task leads Neil to explore his anxieties about his own generation, over-educated millennials. Although Coy lives in Virginia, the story is set in Nashville, where many of Coy’s college friends now reside.

According to reviewer Stephano Mugnaini, the book “reads like the monologue at the beginning of a later Wes Anderson film, as edited by Salinger.” Coy not only crafted the story and its voice, but also worked with Nashville illustrator Bud Thomas to design the cover. Coy chose to self-publish in order to have control over his book’s art and presentation.

Readers can purchase An Authentic Derivative on Amazon, and follow Caleb Coy on his blog (calebcoy.wordpress.com) or on his Twitter (@CalebCoyGuard).

Introducing An Authentic Derivative—My Debut Novel

Posted by Caleb Coy on

I am thrilled to announce that my debut novel, An Authentic Derivative, is now available on Amazon.

Click HERE to order a copy of An Authentic Derivative!

41LZSXEGPFLIndie rocker Garrett Sedgwick is a reclusive artist struggling to assert his identity to a sectarian fan base. Cynical graphic artist Neil Oberlin is given the task of sketching Sedgwick’s next album cover. However, proximity to the brooding musician begins to compound Neil’s own anxieties about himself, his generation, and Sedgwick’s great secret. Things are about to get awkward.

Set in Nashville, An Authentic Derivative tells the story of a generation of overeducated, over cultivated millennials.

“This reads like the monologue at the beginning of a later Wes Anderson film, as edited by Salinger. I don’t hate it.”
-Stephano Mugnaini

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The funds to produce and promote the novel were raised through an IndieGoGo campaign. I am indebted to my friends, my family, and others who helped make possible my goal of publishing the novel independently.

Follow the protagonist, @GarrettSedgwick, on Twitter.

On Friday, August 7th, I will be hosting a Reddit AMA at 10:30pm,
answering questions about the novel.