LINKS TO ALL 2023 PODCASTS
Thursday, October 5, 2023
My Appearance on Eternally Amy podcast....My LIFE....plus links to 2023 podcasts.
Monday, September 4, 2023
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!
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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
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
FALL SCHEDULE, 2023 VIRTUAL THURSDAYS DIRE LITERARY SERIES (is it September already?)
September
14: Matthew Olzmann
29: Special Friday Dire: Jennifer Friedman Lang
October
19 Eliz McKim
November
16: Enzo Silon Surin
23: OFF
30: Josh Barkan
December
7: Laura Zigman
14: Tom Laughlin
20: OFF
27: OFF
Thursday, August 24, 2023
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
6.22.23 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
Thursday, August 17, 2023
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.
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
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.
Saturday, August 5, 2023
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 |
Friday, July 28, 2023
Publishers Weekly's review arm Booklife gives Joe the Salamander high marks

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-











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