Meia Geddes Interviews me for Poetose Journal

     In their Creators on Creating Series, my friend Meia Geddes, who I ran into at AWP in Baltimore, a great place to run into people who live 30 minutes from you, talked about interviewing me and it's an honor to be interviewed for her journal. When I get questions e-mailed to me, I like to answer off the top of my head....read the question and then, basically free write. 

GO TO THEIR SITE AND READ IT! 

As we know, sometimes sites go down, so I'm pasting the interview below, here in my News, so it'll never disappear. 

Also, the side scroll below will be of great help. 

Creators on Creating: Timothy Gager   Poetry feels like one of the few places where people are authentic these days.  Do you feel that way? I do. Besides, words, meaning, craft is important and authentic as well. Sometimes  it can be faux-authentic depending on how it plays on the page.  As poets we are good actors, the challenge is the projection of the work representing  thoughts and feelings. I try not to dwell on the mundane, unless I’m being playful  with the day-to-day.  ​ You write: “Can you hear me at this distance / saying, I don’t need people /  I can stay in my room. / But I don’t have to be that person anymore.”  So much of writing is solitary and language can keep oneself company so well.   How has the process of letting the world in more unfolded for you? I think that it is more of a metaphor for isolation, and the wondering if you are important  or just a tree in the forest, so to speak. My isolation now is more to re-energize than  anything else, not because I’m depressed. I appreciate my alone time, certainly stay  busy, but this alone time is also for my spirituality and to stay “in tune.” I so appreciate the vulnerability in your poems. How do you decide how vulnerable  to be? Or is anything a go? No decision to go or not go into vulnerability, but emotional vulnerable is one thing for my  writing that is an open book. I may not wish to share innermost secrets but rather innermost  thoughts. We are all vulnerable, whether we like it or not, but how that plays out, and how  much you want to show is the key. As they say, “you MUST go there.” I think I must be  vulnerable to be honest and take that leap because otherwise the extreme opposite can just  be objects sitting on a shelf, which of course there is an art in that too. How do you decide whether something belongs in a prose piece or poem? Most likely, I decide before I even start what genre I’d like to produce, but maybe after the  first two lines or sentences I can go the other way immediately if I see something in there.  If it’s not that immediate then it’s going to be where it is at that moment, poetry or fiction,  or recycle bin. You write in the Introduction to Best of Timothy Gager about having an ego for many  years and then learning some humility. Could you talk a bit about this phenomenon  of writers and ego? Well, we are all pretty much self-centered sons of bitches, aren’t we? It’s just a matter of  reeling it in. Self-centeredness, mind you, is just thinking about yourself, which our mind  tends to do whether we like it to or not. I learned humility in my recovery, and I feel the  best when after fifteen years, when someone else in the rooms tells me, “I didn’t know  you wrote.” There is a time and place for everything to be done or said. Relatedly, and conversely, do you think art reduces ego? That is one of the reasons  I think that art is of tangible value to the world, because the act of creating seems  to reduce individual ego. Today less so than ever. Social media is just ego, and one must promote, to some extent there.  Who is the person always having a good time or succeeding is all you see there.  We, as humans, seek and yearn for endorphins much more than acts of philanthropy. You’ve been sober for 15 years. How have your writing and life changed in this time? I mean I hope I would have naturally gotten better in fifteen years organically, I know my  focus is better, and how I move through narratives or how themes change and stay aligned. How has having children changed you and your writing? Other than having time to write when they were younger?  It gives me more to write about, but also, they are now grown adults, so I feel that it is  their story to write. Are you always looking at the world through a poet’s lens? Or do you have multiple  brain states? I know you work full time as a social worker which requires a different  set of skills. I have lenses to look through that’s for sure, and also wear many hats. Social work,  podcasting, host of a literary series, performing solo as singer-songwriting artist,  full-time meetings of recovery…so for writing. It’s like I’m driving and a red car rolls  by, and I think, “Look, there’s a red car.” For me, something strikes me and I can say,  “Look, there’s a poem, or a flash, or a novel.” I don’t go looking for it, but it will always find me. Could you talk about the Dire Literary Series and your more recent adventure  into podcasting? Eighteen years live, and now six as a virtual series, which someone got me to start up  again in 2020. I try to be of service to other writers, but I get so much out of it. It’s amazing  talking to writers, sort of geek-tacular in many ways. Now the podcast I started with a college friend because we were talking about dating and disasters which happen, so I do that too,  every week. Disasters in dating are hilarious, and as my therapist says, “now you have an   outlet for your type of sense of humor.” Writer Jackie Dawes is now my co-host and the  podcast is called Dean and Dawes: Dating, Dread and Disasters. It might be self-explanatory, but could you elaborate on what you mean by “live 24/7,”  which you write in your book’s Introduction and when signing books? ​ One Day At a Time. 24 hours a day for 7 days a week, then, for me life is better.  I try to do that. Live for life to be better. It already is about a million times over.

Meia Geddes is a writer, artist, and librarian. She has written a collection of lyrical missives addressed to the world, LOVE LETTERS TO THE WORLD, and a novella, THE LITTLE QUEEN. Meia was born in Hefei, China, raised in Sacramento, California, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and master's degree from Simmons University's School of Library and Information Science, and has been the recipient of a Fulbright grant to South Africa. 

 

Meat For Tea: The Valley Review, publishes two of my flash essay/memoir

         I'm grateful to have been accepted by Meat for Tea, The Valley Review. The journal, Meat For Tea,  produced in  central/western, Massachusetts is a labor of love, put out by Elizabeth McDuffie. I've had a flash fiction in a previous issue, but this issue the topic was "High." I few years ago I started a memoir, with short chapter length pieces. I may finish it at some point, but the pieces I submitted and were published seemed appropriate for this topic. Also for my own theme for that snapshot in time, they deal with addiction and beginnings of. 

Purchase a copy HERE:   and read, "Bible Study Reject" and "Well, About My Attention Deficit Disorder"

Preview reading of the soon to be released These New Orbs (poetry)

 Last week I did a reading at The First & Last Word Poetry Series with MP Carver and Lawrence Kessenich. I read exclusively from These New Orbs---which deals with spirit orbs, celestial beings, ghosts, losses, or anything round. MP and Lawrence knocked it out of the park, and I'm kind of proud of how the book came out 

To WATCH: Click the Pic

The First & Last Word Poetry Series

May 19th, 2026 Hosted by Harris Gardner and Steve Glines Readers: M.P. Carver Timothy Gager Lawrence Kessenich Bios: M.P. Carver is a poet and visual artist from Salem, MA. She is Director of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival, teaches at Salem State University, and co-founded the journal Molecule: a tiny lit mag. Her most recent chapbook is Hard Up, from Lily Poetry Books. More on her website: mpcarver.com Timothy Gager is the author of 20 books of fiction and poetry, which includes his fourth novel, Shadows of the Seen, and his most recent collection of poetry, Almost Bluing for X-Tra Whiteness. He has had over 1000 works of fiction and poetry published and his work also has been nominated for a Massachusetts Book Award, The Best of the Web, and The Best Small Fictions Anthology. Lawrence Kessenich won Strokestown International Poetry prize in Ireland in 2010 His poetry has appeared in the Sewanee Review, Atlanta Review, Poetry Ireland Review, and many other magazines. He has published five books of poetry, three novels, short stories, essays, and has had short plays performed at many drama festivals.

REPLAY CENTRAL: Our features, Jan-May 2026 plus links to ALL the rest

 

Here are all the 2026 Winter into Spring readings, and at the bottom links to ALL the videos from 2020-now. Also, subscribe to the YouTube channel.

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January 15 Sarah Lippman

January 29 Rebecca Fishow

February 12 Sandra Simonds

March 13 Lisa Borders

March 26 Anne Starr

April 9 John Compton

April 16 Millicent Borges Accardi

April 23 Jennifer Bannan

May 7 

Susan Rich with Jennifer Markell and Erin Murphy from Birdbrains Anthology

May 21 Wayne-Daniel Berard

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And all the rest, (2020-2025)

                                     Autumn 2025 (link to replay website)

Alexandra Naughton, Heather Kays, Matt Jasper, Emily Schultz, Susan Michele Coronel, Misty O'Hara, Elizabeth Searle, Ryan Vine

Summer 2025 (link to replay website)

Elizabeth Hazen, Bob Walicki, Andrew Siditsky, Michael Ansara,

Michael Martone, Hosho McCreesh 

     Winter - Spring 2025 (link to replay website)

Eileen Pollack, George S. Peterson, Ellen Kombiyil, M.K. Jackson,  Chad Parenteau, Kerry Beth Neville, Lawrence Kessenich, Linda Carney-Goodrich, Amy Alvarez, Kurt Baumeister

    Autumn 2024 (link to replay)

Jackie Corley, Dawn Tripp, Sara Letourneau, Kristin Bok, Edward Belfar, JoeAnn Hart, Margaret Young, Gabby Gilliam, Lee Varon 

Summer 2024 (link to replay website)

Susan Zalkind, Jessica Anya Blau, Gregory Wolos, Melissa Cundieff, Ben Tanzer, 

John Amen

Spring 2024 (link to replay website)

Doug Crandell, Mathew Olzmann, William Orem, Martin Ott, M.P. Carver, Phil Temples, Mag Gabbert, Robert Fleming, Danielle Legros George, Michael Keith, Mark Wish

Autumn-Winter 2023 (link to replay website)

Marianne Leone, Tiffany Davenport, Jennifer Friedman Lang, Ray Guidrox, Gary Grossman, Elizabeth McKim, Carla Panciera, Dr. Dannagal G. Young, Ellis Elliot, Enzo Silon Surin, Josh Barkan, Laura Zigman, Tom Laughlin

Spring/Summer 2023 (links to website)

Jane Roper, John Wesick, Jennifer Martelli, John Fulton, Tricia Barker Barton, Cynthia Atkins, Katie Moulton, Yael Goldstein Love, Julia Lisella

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

Dire Series Summer 2026 Schedule

 

June

4    Jessica Keener

18  Tony Gloeggler

July

9  Laurin Macios

23 Susan Buttenwieser   

August

6 Miriam Manglani  

27 Jessica Harman

Kooshioning the Blow appears in 10 X 10: Flash Fiction Stories, #38/

    Zvi Sesling's 10 X 10: Flash Fiction Stories comes out about once a month (whenever he accepts 10 stories), and I'm thrilled that my flash fiction, Kooshioning the Blow is included in Issue #38. 

   I've been published here four times previously, and this time I'm in  the issue with Huina Zheng, Eileen Tabios, David Henson, Swetha Amid, Pablo Libedinsky, Debra Myers, Robert David Garnham, Austin Alexis  and Joan Leotta. I've embedded it here for your convenience. 

    The story itself was a nice break from the serious true crime writing I've been working on of late. Back to the odd, strange and bizarre world flash fiction allows, and I often use. The main character wears a rubber koosh-ball suit. Why? Read by scrolling below it to find out!

SCROLL ON THE ISSUE!

Seven writers discuss AI usage in writing and pros/cons of

Very interesting discussion on a very talked about subject. 

 

TV Appearance: Art About with Jen Campbell talking about/reading from, Shadows of the Seen

     Bev Cam from Beverly, Massachusetts has a great show promoting art called Art About, which Jen Campbell totally rocks with!

    Here's the show and the production of the show is solid, so give it a watch. (It's only 27 minutes)

    The story behind this story is that I reveal some very personal information which influenced the book's characters.

Side note: I needed make-up to take the shine off my head. 

The "Red Hot Chili Peppers Stole My Drugs" essay, and the art of begging for votes.

     I've been telling this story since it happened, so when the March Madness brackets for essays about sad songs invited me to write one about a song from the 90's I picked Under the Bridge, and wrote about the isolation of recovery. Read it at the bottom of this link. 

   

To win your bracket it involves getting people to vote for you as your opponent is doing the same thing. It feels weird. Begging people to vote for you, by flooding their social media feeds with this request so you can win lacks integrity, and my feelings are the over-and-over begging can come across as pathetic. Usually friends, who won't even read the piece will click it because it's as easy to do as a 'like'.  These contests play like a high-school popularity contests and less about quality of he work. That's my head talking. 

    In reality, the concept itself is very cool and a blast, and I had fun writing about recovery through the lense of the the Chili Peppers song. 

    I didn't post like a maniac and beg for votes,  so I lost. More specifically, I forgot the competition was running and my game happened on March 4th, without me mentioning it at all and I lost. If I had only remembered, I would have been begging to the devil. 

 

  

I forgot because I was at AWP in Baltimore in the middle of a book tour, where hawking books somehow showed much more integrity. The elevator pitch, I repeated over 5,000 times really sold Shadows of the Seen.

        "Shadows of the Seen is a novel dealing with the gun issue written in three distinct narratives. There is a politician who is actually a liberal in beliefs who runs on right-wing gun talking points to have a career. There is a mass shooter, and finally there is someone with nothing to live for who breaks up a mass  shooting, but of the two, you don't know which is which until the end." 

    Then I weaved my way home doing a reading in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Writers Circle hosted by the wonderful Jane-Rebecca Cannarella and Alex DiFrancesco. The event was held at Ray's Happy Birthday Bar, a remarkable dive that removes the Bathroom Out of Order Sign for use, but it also has a sign in the bathroom that reads, Hand Towels Available at the Bar right next to the sink.

    The next night, I went on to Mid-Town Manhattan, to read for The Italian American Writers Association, who also hosts readings in Boston and Philadelphia. My co-feature, Tony Gloeggler was a poet I had a lot in common with professionally  Tony ran group homes before he retired, and some of his poems about his job were gut-thrashing realistic and sweet. 

    I left with 3 boxes of books, and came home with a handful. I didn't beg for your votes, but read the essay anyway. I'm so very grateful to have been on a successful book tour, where, fool that I am, secretly fell in love a bunch of times, but I won't bring that up, the same way I won't bring up voting for an essay in order to win. What I will bring up was the support, the purchases, the friends I ran into, the old friends I met with, and the folks running these events were all simply amazing. I also found 5 nice recovery meetings in all these cities, which keeps me from being under a bridge. 

Say "Hi" to me in Baltimore, Philly, and NY

 Next Three and where I'll be at AWP in Baltimore, then Philly, then NY. Old friends and Dire acquaintances, I will have time to hang out!

Three Songs from The Timothy Gager Uno (live)

 Click the orange picture to hear them! 

Recorded LIVE at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain, Ma, 2.14.26

1) Down To the Shore

2) Into the Light of Your Eyes

3) Driver's License 

Check out my Two Orb Poems, from Outspoken, WGBH, public television studios in Boston

 Amanda Shea hosts this great series at WGBH studios, Channel 2, Boston. Some great readers and people that day. My two poems:

 Heaven and Hell (The Earth is Round), 

and Orb, I. 

can be heard, beginning at 4:30

(The other time I was at WGBH can be seen HERE)

Featured Today In Boston Literary Magazine---I talk Books, writing, give Samples, and of course, Recovery

 After a hiatus Boston Literary Magazine is back, and I'm pleased to write them an essay in their second issue.  

Of course, Robin Stratton is a tour de force, and an amazing human being. My writing world became a whole lot bigger because of her and her publishing arm Big Table!

Read it and you can find out a little more about me. Thx.

These New Orbs, Second Blurb by –Mignon Ariel King

Mignon Ariel King was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts and has never left her home time zone. An alumna of Simmons University, she worked for a decade as a database assistant by day and an adjunct English instructor by night at various small colleges. King is the publisher of Tell-Tale Chapbooks and Hidden Charm Press. Her blog is Making Books Rock (dot) wordpress (dot) com.