Billy McCoy's Blog: Billy McCoy
March 10, 2023
Conformityville
This is a philosophical satire to be reckoned with, both for its own intrinsic power and as a profound symptom of our time.” -- Literary Weekly Supplement
Toussaint has become so entranced by reading that he is determined to become a philosopher himself. His reading exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While monomaniacal Toussaint’s fancy often leads him astray— into the boxing ring, imagining he can think his way through a shellacking — he becomes like a bee who has accumulated too much honey and now wants to share his pearls of wisdom.
Toussaint has become so entranced by reading that he is determined to become a philosopher himself. His reading exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While monomaniacal Toussaint’s fancy often leads him astray— into the boxing ring, imagining he can think his way through a shellacking — he becomes like a bee who has accumulated too much honey and now wants to share his pearls of wisdom.
Conformityville
This is a philosophical satire to be reckoned with, both for its own intrinsic power and as a profound symptom of our time.” -- Literary Weekly Supplement
Toussaint has become so entranced by reading that he is determined to become a philosopher himself. His reading exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While monomaniacal Toussaint’s fancy often leads him astray— into the boxing ring, imagining he can think his way through a shellacking — he becomes like a bee who has accumulated too much honey and now wants to share his pearls of wisdom.
Toussaint has become so entranced by reading that he is determined to become a philosopher himself. His reading exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While monomaniacal Toussaint’s fancy often leads him astray— into the boxing ring, imagining he can think his way through a shellacking — he becomes like a bee who has accumulated too much honey and now wants to share his pearls of wisdom.
excerpt from Conformityville
Jenkins didn’t have the patience or discipline or curiosity to listen to anyone else’s point of view but his own. Frustrated, he would cut people off mid-sentence to state his point of view. His weakness was that he couldn’t stand long-winded nappy heads like me! I meant to take advantage of his weakness and punish him with a long-winded, verbose, heavily abstract dialogue about art which was sure to make him fume.
Starting off slowly, I spoke as monotone as possible, “Attrappe - dummy -works of poets and artists contain treasures of profound wisdom. The poet and artist interpret things differently. A painting of a waterfall isn’t just a waterfall, it may ask the viewer to contemplate the idea of gravity or some other pearl of wisdom. Therefore, everyone who reads a poem or contemplates a work of art must contribute some of their own imagination towards bringing that wisdom to light.”
Heated and irritated, Jenkins folded his arms across his chest, scoffed and looked at the ceiling. With sweat buds forming on the tip of his nose, he seethed, “Jesus, let this ass be succinct and laconic this morning!”
He loosened his tie and exhaled.
“I’m sorry, but please give me a minute Mr. Jenkins. I cannot say this succinctly or laconically. To be made clear, this needs a detailed discussion, and the patient listener must suspend his surprise for a while, it’s only until his surprise has vanished that he can fully grasp the whole of my thoughts.”
“Increase son! Make haste!”
“Yes, sir, but in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s novel August 1914, Versonofiev relaxed and said with a tired smile: ‘Important questions always have long, tortuous answers..’
More scoffing and heavy exhaling. Jenkins couldn’t take it any longer. Hot steam seemed to be blowing from his ears. His head dripped with sweat. And his jaws seemed tired from struggling to hold a polite smile.
“I told you that I was a verbose flibbertigibbet who is misjudged because I am misunderstood, and misunderstood because men choose to skim through the book and not to think through it – a disagreeable task, because the work is dry, obscure, opposed to all ordinary notions, and moreover long-winded.”
Starting off slowly, I spoke as monotone as possible, “Attrappe - dummy -works of poets and artists contain treasures of profound wisdom. The poet and artist interpret things differently. A painting of a waterfall isn’t just a waterfall, it may ask the viewer to contemplate the idea of gravity or some other pearl of wisdom. Therefore, everyone who reads a poem or contemplates a work of art must contribute some of their own imagination towards bringing that wisdom to light.”
Heated and irritated, Jenkins folded his arms across his chest, scoffed and looked at the ceiling. With sweat buds forming on the tip of his nose, he seethed, “Jesus, let this ass be succinct and laconic this morning!”
He loosened his tie and exhaled.
“I’m sorry, but please give me a minute Mr. Jenkins. I cannot say this succinctly or laconically. To be made clear, this needs a detailed discussion, and the patient listener must suspend his surprise for a while, it’s only until his surprise has vanished that he can fully grasp the whole of my thoughts.”
“Increase son! Make haste!”
“Yes, sir, but in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s novel August 1914, Versonofiev relaxed and said with a tired smile: ‘Important questions always have long, tortuous answers..’
More scoffing and heavy exhaling. Jenkins couldn’t take it any longer. Hot steam seemed to be blowing from his ears. His head dripped with sweat. And his jaws seemed tired from struggling to hold a polite smile.
“I told you that I was a verbose flibbertigibbet who is misjudged because I am misunderstood, and misunderstood because men choose to skim through the book and not to think through it – a disagreeable task, because the work is dry, obscure, opposed to all ordinary notions, and moreover long-winded.”
August 14, 2018
excerpt from Conformityville
excerpt from Conformityville
“Herr Dictator,” I added very smugly, “All this sounds very convincing for a while, especially since there is no dissenting voice to be heard. The faithful have labored for generations to build vast temples to their Gods and dead Gods—temples with stones as large as out-houses and hay-wagons. The business of interpreting their god's whims employs thousands of priests, wizards, archdeacons, evangelists, haruspices, bishops, and archbishops. And they all disagree with God's meanings and intentions, but to doubt either one of them is to die, usually at the stake.”
Herr Jesuit shrugged his shoulders and ignored me. The slight made me burn with indignation.
“Food and housing insecurity and under-employment is ubiquitous and is the ultimate cause of all revolts. And revolutions require ‘les lumières de la raison,’ to forge awareness, analysis, plans and knowledge of conditions in order to shatter humiliating chains, they need ‘the light of reason’ which is disseminated by philosophes-revolutionaires like Montesquieu, Rousseau and Diderot. There is no such thing as a successful fight against credulity and bigotry unless directed by la philosophie.”
“What in the world does ‘les lumières de la raison,’ mean?” he sneered.
I shrugged my shoulders and muttered “O mes concitoyens, (O, my fellow citizen), shit if I know! Saint Justice, why don't you ask God or Google it.!”
“Herr Dictator,” I added very smugly, “All this sounds very convincing for a while, especially since there is no dissenting voice to be heard. The faithful have labored for generations to build vast temples to their Gods and dead Gods—temples with stones as large as out-houses and hay-wagons. The business of interpreting their god's whims employs thousands of priests, wizards, archdeacons, evangelists, haruspices, bishops, and archbishops. And they all disagree with God's meanings and intentions, but to doubt either one of them is to die, usually at the stake.”
Herr Jesuit shrugged his shoulders and ignored me. The slight made me burn with indignation.
“Food and housing insecurity and under-employment is ubiquitous and is the ultimate cause of all revolts. And revolutions require ‘les lumières de la raison,’ to forge awareness, analysis, plans and knowledge of conditions in order to shatter humiliating chains, they need ‘the light of reason’ which is disseminated by philosophes-revolutionaires like Montesquieu, Rousseau and Diderot. There is no such thing as a successful fight against credulity and bigotry unless directed by la philosophie.”
“What in the world does ‘les lumières de la raison,’ mean?” he sneered.
I shrugged my shoulders and muttered “O mes concitoyens, (O, my fellow citizen), shit if I know! Saint Justice, why don't you ask God or Google it.!”
July 22, 2018
The Awakening
A young woman takes on causes like lint tape, and in the process threaten to drag down her love ones along in her wake.
October 12, 2017
The Awakening: a novel
A young idealist discovers both the power and curse of a controversial protest rally.
The Lundgren family has a long history of social activism and now it's twenty-year-old Holly's turn to carry on that tradition. Amidst her communities' darkest hour and deepening polarization, Holly hastily joins an activist group. She is soon disappointed by the movement's fanatical aim and blind obedience. Gravely disillusioned, shattered Holly struggles to pick up the pieces.The Awakening is a sweeping story that uses the power of kindness to transform the soul.
AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Bill...
The Lundgren family has a long history of social activism and now it's twenty-year-old Holly's turn to carry on that tradition. Amidst her communities' darkest hour and deepening polarization, Holly hastily joins an activist group. She is soon disappointed by the movement's fanatical aim and blind obedience. Gravely disillusioned, shattered Holly struggles to pick up the pieces.The Awakening is a sweeping story that uses the power of kindness to transform the soul.
AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Bill...
May 19, 2017
Americana a novel
A messy moral dilemma that will force readers to reexamine everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Americana is a stunning new page-turner.
The Lundgren family has a long history of social activism and now its twenty-year-old Holly's turn to carry on that tradition. Desperate for a cause to join Holly falls into the clutches of Mrs. Moles, leader of the All People's Lives Matter movement. Holly soon discovers that Mrs. Moles is corrupt and only interested in her for her family connections, money and blind obedience to movements fanatical aims. Disillusioned and heartbroken, Holly runs off with the wrong man against the advice of her mother. Americana captures the life of Holly at various ages and circumstances, as she learns to deal with the limits and lies of passion, unfulfilled dreams, motherhood, betrayal, and the bonds of love. "Ambitious and topical" Kirkus "Multifaceted and Compelling" Midwest Book Review
The Lundgren family has a long history of social activism and now its twenty-year-old Holly's turn to carry on that tradition. Desperate for a cause to join Holly falls into the clutches of Mrs. Moles, leader of the All People's Lives Matter movement. Holly soon discovers that Mrs. Moles is corrupt and only interested in her for her family connections, money and blind obedience to movements fanatical aims. Disillusioned and heartbroken, Holly runs off with the wrong man against the advice of her mother. Americana captures the life of Holly at various ages and circumstances, as she learns to deal with the limits and lies of passion, unfulfilled dreams, motherhood, betrayal, and the bonds of love. "Ambitious and topical" Kirkus "Multifaceted and Compelling" Midwest Book Review
February 25, 2017
all people's lives matter
NOT BLACK, BUT LIVES OF EVERY TINT, SHADE AND, HUE MATTERS. ALL PEOPLE’S LIVES MATTER IS A BITTERSWEET NOVEL FOR READERS WHO CAN APPRECIATE THAT NO ONE LIFE MATTERS MORE THAN ANOTHER…[with] LESSONS THE WORLD MUST LEARN AND NEVER FORGET.
In a Midwestern city swept by polarizing protests Holly, a young idealist and social activist, joins All People's Lives Matter. Tragedy unfolds when utopian-minded Holly is exposed to the intense fanaticism of the movement. Set against a vast and richly textured canvass of social unrest, doubt and hesitation, All People's Lives Matter is a story of disillusionment, heartbreak and resilience.
"Ambitious and topical...an idealist wrestles with the austere realities of life beyond the safe confines of her college campus." KIRKUS REVIEW
"As Holly comes to understand the real motivation and influences of the movement she's chosen; her true imprisonment really begins." MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
In a Midwestern city swept by polarizing protests Holly, a young idealist and social activist, joins All People's Lives Matter. Tragedy unfolds when utopian-minded Holly is exposed to the intense fanaticism of the movement. Set against a vast and richly textured canvass of social unrest, doubt and hesitation, All People's Lives Matter is a story of disillusionment, heartbreak and resilience.
"Ambitious and topical...an idealist wrestles with the austere realities of life beyond the safe confines of her college campus." KIRKUS REVIEW
"As Holly comes to understand the real motivation and influences of the movement she's chosen; her true imprisonment really begins." MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
February 17, 2017
All People's Lives Matter
l People's Lives Matter, a novel
A REVELATORY, TIMELY AND NECESSARY STORY THAT SWEEPS AWAY THE CONFUSION OVER WHICH LIVES MATTER.
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
A REVELATORY, TIMELY AND NECESSARY STORY THAT SWEEPS AWAY THE CONFUSION OVER WHICH LIVES MATTER.
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
January 13, 2017
excerpt from a review of 'All People's Lives Matter
FROM MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW:
What leads a person to join civil rights causes, fight for the underdog, and join movements that acknowledge and validate the injustices that plague lower-class American lives? What would lead a tireless, passionate woman to become disillusioned with this process; and what impact will this have on an idealistic young family member generations later, who cultivates her own convictions that all people's lives matter, and decides to actively support her conviction?
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
What leads a person to join civil rights causes, fight for the underdog, and join movements that acknowledge and validate the injustices that plague lower-class American lives? What would lead a tireless, passionate woman to become disillusioned with this process; and what impact will this have on an idealistic young family member generations later, who cultivates her own convictions that all people's lives matter, and decides to actively support her conviction?
https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Lives-...
