As of Labor Day, Total Number of Dire Series Events IS 340!

  Here is the series full count to date. We have a great schedule in the fall, opening 

with Marianne Leone who was the first feature on Virtual Dire on Zoom. 

Here is the NEXT 14! 

.
  LIVE                                                                                                                               TOTAL

February-March 2001 - First Tuesday reading at Cantab Underground                            2


June 2001-Aug 2002- First Friday, Out of the Blue Art Gallery                                       15
                                    168 Brookline St., Cambridge

Sept 2002-Oct 2011-First Friday, Out of the Blue Art Gallery                                         110
                                    106 Prospect St., Cambridge

Nov 4, 2011-                -First Friday, Yarrow                                                                        1
                                    106 Prospect St., Cambridge



Dec 2011-Sept 2014-First Friday, Out of the Blue Art Gallery                                          34
                                    106 Prospect St., Cambridge



Oct 2014-Nov 2017-First Friday, Out of the Blue Too                                                       38
                              541 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge 

Dec 2017-June 2018 First Saturday Afternoon, The Middle East Cafe
                               480 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge                                                    7

July 2018                   First Saturday Afternoon, Zuzu
                               480 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge                                                    1

Aug 2018-                Oct 2018 First Saturday Night, First Friday too
                                 Center for Arts at the Armory
                               191 Highland Ave., Somerville                                                             3

VIRTUAL DIRE

March 2020                Virtual Fridays Dire Literary Series  on Zoom                              119

 

January 5, 2023          Virtual Thursdays Dire Literary Series on Zoom                            11                     

through Sept, 1, 2023                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        __________

                                                                                                                                          340

FALL SCHEDULE, 2023 VIRTUAL THURSDAYS DIRE LITERARY SERIES (is it September already?)

As always, you can get the weekly ZOOM link posteds in the facebook group or contact me at ctgager37 @ yahoo

September 

7:   Marianne Leone

14: Matthew Olzmann

21: Tiffany Davenport

29: Special Friday Dire:  Jennifer Friedman Lang

October

5: Susan Zalkind

12 Gary Grossman

19 Eliz McKim

26 Carla Panciera

November

2: Dr. Dannagal G. Young

9: Ellis Elliott

16: Enzo Silon Surin

23: OFF

30: Josh Barkan

December

7: Laura Zigman

14: Tom Laughlin

20: OFF

27: OFF

REPLAY CENTRAL, Spring, Summer 2023 (and the rest)....Virtual Thursdays Dire Literary Series

Due to Facebook and other technical difficulties not of my own, the readings by JD Debris and Frances Donovan were not recorded. Huge apologies to them.  

Another way to keep up with all of the recordings after the fact, subscribe to my YOUTUBE

5.4.23 Jane Roper 

6.1.23 Jon Wesick

6.8.23 Jennifer Martelli

6.22.23 John Fulton

6.29.23 Tricia Barker Barton

7.13.23 Cynthia Atkins

7.27.23 Katie Moulton

8.10.23 Yael Goldstein Love

8.24.23 Julia Lisella

The Rest of the Replay Centrals

Winter 2023 (link to website)

Suzanne Frischkorn, Kim Addonizio, Thomas McNeely, Jenna Le, Sarah Bridgins, Lee Matthew Goldberg, Lise Hanes, Dr. Paula Perez, Michael Mark, Maya Williams, Hannah Sward, Caitlin Avery, Carla Swartz, Stacy TenHouton, Donna Spruijt-Metz, Morgan Baker

Autumn 2022 (link to website) 

Jonathan Papernick, A.K. Small, Aaron Tillman, David Rockland, Kimberly Ann Priest, Sain Griffiths, Harris Gardner, Lisa Taylor, Michael Keith, Jim Shepard, Zach VandeZande, Rusty Barnes, Daniel Nester. Kurk Lovelace (reading from Annemarie O'Connell's book), and Nina Shope

Spring/Summer 2022 (link to website) 

Sara Lippmann, Robin McLean, Gregory Orr, Rich Murphy, Diane Suess, Ron Tanner, Aleathea Drehmer, Christina Adams, Sharon Applegate Greenwald, Lucas Scheelk, 

Joseph Milosch, Barbara Legere, Ellene Glenn Moore, Vincent Cellucci and Chris Shipman

Winter 2022

Renuka Raghaven, Jessica Cuello, Jen Knox, Daniel Biegelson, Alison Stine, 

John Rosenthal, Peter Crowley, Maggie Doherty, Erin Khar, Elan Barnehama, 

Marguerite Guzman Bouvard

Autumn 2021

DeMisty Bellinger, Cheryl Pappas, Matt Bell, Michael Keith, Gloria Mindock, 

Molly Gaudry, CD Collins, Kevin Prufer, Beth Robinson/Chris Joseph, Alina Stefanuscu, Meg Smith, Gregory Wolos, Damian Dressic, Jason Wright, Blake Butler 

Summer 2021

Natalie Brobin Bonfig, John Domini, Anna VQ Ross, Rachel Yoder

Spring 2021

Sandra Simonds, George Wallace, Caroline Levitt, Charles Coe, Susan Henderson, 

Major Jackson, Kara Vernor, Meredith Goldstein, Kimberly Ann Priest, Joanna Rakoff

Winter 2021

Rick Moody , Laurette Folk, Mark Saba, Sarah Anne Johnson, 

Josh Barkan/ Jennifer Haigh, Keetje Kuipers, January O'Neil,  Elle Nash, 

Danielle Zaccagnino, Marty Beckerman, Nathan Graziano , Steven Cramer

Autumn 2020

Carly Israel, Daphne Kalotay, Ryan Ridge, Marge Piercy, Kerry Beth Neville, 

Yuyutsu Sharma, Chris Joseph, Elizabeth Gordon McKim, Diana Spechler, 

Jonathan Escoffrey, Dewitt Henry, Brian Sonia-Wallace, Rebecca Fishow,

 Marguerite Bouvard, Pamela Painter, Kim Chinquee, Jessica Keener, Amy King

 

Happy to be included in Ibbetson Street #53

 

I've lost count of the incredible amount of times I've been blessed to have appeared in Ibbetson Street. Somewhere in the blog I've listed it, but today I'm just going to express gratitude to Doug Holder and Harris Gardner who fill up journal twice annually. 

In this issue Michael Ansara, Richard Hoffman, Kathleen Aguero, Denise Provost, Ted Kooser, Jennifer Barber, Marge Piercy, Laura Cherry, Chad Parenteau, David Miller, Lawrence Kessenich, Danielle Legros George,Carla Schwartz, Zvi Sesling, Dennis Daley and more ...

                  * * *

The published poem is titled, "Recipe Stupid Men Use to Capture Women." I've made it no secret that I disapprove up the tricks men use in regards to other men and in regards to women in order to court them.  I believe I've used the word "hate" often.  So to the person I observed doing everything I wrote in this poem...fuck that guy.  

Please support the jouranl by considering a purchase. It is beautiful, and the Media Mail costs alone can put any journal in the red.

Fuck that guy too.  

Why are my books so cheap on Amazon? Go buy some, most less than $6 NEW

Mixed answer. 

1) They have a lot in stock in warehouse. 

2) They can do whatever the F they want. Prices will be changed at some point because Amazon can do whatever the F they want.

                        a) Mixed information on "is the reduced price eaten on publisher/writer royalties, or does Amazon take that hit?"

Either way.....here are some deals. 

$4.77

$5.95

$5.15

$10.47

$5.12

 

2023 BOSTON POETRY MARATHON LINEUP....(I'm in for Saturday Night)

 

I'm reading here on Saturday Night, August 5th, but go ANYTIME....check out the list below, underneath the Bay City Rollers. This event is always fun. 

565 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116 Second Floor

Saturday Day		Community Church of Boston, Copley Square, doors at 10:30am
1100	–	Emily Dickinson*
1107	–	Parmit Crassa
1114	–	Mattie Deed
1121	–	Thomas DeFreitas
1128	–	Willie Wideman Pleasants
1135	–	Dan Y-El
1142	–	Mary Buchinger
1200	–	Anna Ross
1207	–	Alex Aimee Kist
1214	–	KH van berkum
1221	–	Steven Karl
1228	–	Karen Henry
1235	–	Punky D
1242	–	Adam Grabowski
100	–	jojo Lazar
107	–	Dorian Kotsiopoulos
114	–	Gail Slater
121	–	Ariella Ruth
128	–	Jason Wright
135	–	Julia Story
142	–	U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo
200	–	Evan Dalton Smith
207	–	Elizabeth Guthrie
214	–	Dan Wuenschel
221	–	Tom Daley
228	–	Aaron Kiely
235	–	Gale Batchelder
242	–	Joey Gould
300	–	Chad Parenteau
307	–	Ruth Lepson
314	–	Suzanne Mercury
321	–	Trace Peterson
328	–	Heather Hughes
335	–	Carol Weston
342	–	Jenny Grassl
400	–	Elisabeth Weiss
407	–	Gloria Monaghan
414	–	David Miller
421	–	Jeff Taylor
428	–	Jennifer Markell
435	–	Simeon Berry
442	–	Ruby Poltorak
Dinner Break		venue locked at c5:15pm
Saturday Night		Doors at c6:45pm
700	–	Joe Elliot
707	–	Uche Nduka
714	–	Hannah Larrabee
721	–	Maria Damon
728	–	Michael Steffen
735	–	Cheryl Clark Vermeulen
742	–	Annie Won
800	–	Jim Dunn
807	–	Jean Dany Joachim
814	–	Mitch Highfill
821	–	Andrew K. Peterson
828	–	Christopher Hughes
835	–	David Blair
842	–	Timothy Gager
900	–	Peter F. Crowley
907	–	Sam Cha
914	–	Christina Strong
921	–	Michael Gottlieb
928	–	Jonathan Bennett Bonilla
935	–	Pedro Poitevin
942	–	Joshua Nguyen
Sunday Day		Community Church of Boston, Copley Square, doors at 12:30pm
1100	–	Clarise Annette Brooks
1107	–	Susanna Kittredge
1114	–	Pampi
1121	–	Kali Lightfoot
1128	–	Greg Lawless
1135	–	Pam Matz
1142	–	Darren Black
1200	–	Jordan Davis
1207	–	Jack Miller
1214	–	Mark Lipman
1221	–	Petaluma Vale
1228	–	Steven Riel
1235	–	Anthony Cueller
1242	–	Bridget Eileen
100	–	Sarah Pearlstein
107	–	Carla Schwartz
114	–	Philip Hasouris
121	–	Emma Malbon
128	–	Ellen Steinbaum
135	–	Jon Woodward
142	–	Meg Tyler
200	–	Keith Jones
207	–	Marcia Karp
214	–	Samanthe Sheffer
221	–	Christina Liu
228	–	Judson Evans
235	–	Colleen Michaels
242	–	Mary Elizabeth Birnbaum
300	–	January O’Neil
307	–	Jennifer Jean
314	–	Kenning JP Garcia
321	–	Lloyd Schwartz
328	–	Lucille Clifton*
335	–	Angelo D’Amato
342	–	March Penn
400	–	Clay Ventre
407	–	Kevin Carey
414	–	Hamdi Mohamed
421	–	Stevie Subrizi
428	–	Elizabeth Marie Young
435	–	J.D. Scrimgeour
442	–	Heather Treseler
		FINISH LINE

Publishers Weekly's review arm Booklife gives Joe the Salamander high marks

 

About a year late but it's a great review which will also be printed in Publishers Weekly in August.  Go to the link to check it out. If you are too lazy to click that, or if the video just doesn't hold on the review long enough, here it is below. 

Joe The Salamander

Timothy Gager, author

Book Website |

 

Details

                                      Reviews

This immersive, insightful novel from Gager surveys neurodiversity from both inside and outside, charting over the last years of the 20th century the development of a boy named Joe, who stands out from the pack at birth—the first week of his life, Joe never once cries, until a nurse is tasked with the harrowing duty of forcing him to, to be sure that he can. To please her, Joe bawls. Joe’s notably bright, an early reader obsessed with Superman, but the stimuli of the world overwhelms him, as do the rules governing basic social interactions. To make life easier, to please the people whose expectations he can’t quite understand, young Joe decides that his first word—“yes”—will mostly be his only word, as only his mother ever hears him saying anything else.

That might sound fanciful, like the start of a fabulist novel, but Gager’s thoughtful, episodic narrative is committed to life as it’s lived, in striking, persuasive, and occasionally exhaustive detail. While scenes of young Joe’s public embarrassments (a disaster at the grocery store) and surprise triumphs (his spell as a school mascot involves some inspired prop comedy) compel, the storytelling tends toward the explanatory rather than the dramatic, as Gager lays out in clear, vivid prose the family and relationship histories of Joe’s parents, the aspirations and tumultuous romantic life of that friendly nurse who once had to make Joe cry.

Gager reveals Joe’s drift of mind with acute sensitivity and a welcome lack of linguistic theatrics, dipping readers into his head (for inspired thoughts on Superman, say, or his spiraling worries that the popular couple at school who protects him from bullies might break up) while also depicting Joe’s mother’s urgent drive to help him develop independence. A sense of looming tragedy gives the coming-of-age narrative added cohesion, one that readers will feel coming but the characters don’t. The conclusion, though, is both hopeful and surprising.

Takeaway: Deftly handled novel of neurodiversity and coming of age.

Comparable Titles: Katherine May’s The Electricity of Every Living Thing, Hilary Rey’s Kids Like Us.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-