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| Tim Gager (Left) Doug Holder ( Right) |
Timothy Gager talks about writing and
the swan song of the famed Dire Literary Series.
By Doug Holder
As you know my usual home away from
home is in the Bloc 11 Cafe in Union Square, Somerville. But on this day I
was to meet with an old friend Timothy Gager, at the Diesel Cafe in
Davis Square. The Diesel, although a sister store of the Bloc, has a
decidedly different vibe. The space is larger and the crowd seems
more eclectic. The baristas seem to dress more radically, and there
is almost a friendly but militant sensibility to them –pardon the
oxymoron.
On this morning in June, Gager (Who I
founded The Somerville News Writers Festival with back in the day),
joined me at my well-appointed booth. His arm was in a sling from an
athletic injury, and he had a fashionable stubble on his chin—with
touches of gray. Gager looks like a man who always seems to be on
the cusp of a joke—but make no mistake—Gager is a serious dude.
For 18 years he has directed the Dire
Literary Series—which started at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge,and
then at the Out of the Blue Gallery, when the gallery was located in
several spots in Cambridge. It is currently held at the Middle East
Restaurant in Cambridge; its last readings will be in the Arts Armory
on Highland Ave. in Somerville. The swan song, the final act, the
reading where the fat lady finally sings, will be Oct 12, 7PM. I am
honored to be one of the readers—the others will be announced in
the coming weeks.
The Dire Literary Series is on the tip
of many writers and poets tongues in the region and even across the
country. Gager has curated a wide-range of novelists, essayists,
fiction writers and poets over the last 18 years. The list is
impressive including, Steve Almond ( Who now has a column in the New
York Times), Tom Perrotta, Jennifer Haigh, Sue Miller, Alex Beam (
Boston Globe Columnist), DeWitt Henry ( Founder of Ploughshares
Magazine), and the list goes on.
But the times are changing, and it's
wind has swept into the protective cove of Gager's series. There are
higher costs and the transient nature of the venues, as well as other factors
that made Gager think that it is time to call it quits.
I asked Gager about any memorable
moments he had at the Dire. He reflected and smiled to himself,
“There was this writer George Kadet, who wrote an S&M novel. He
use a long whip as a prop. When he cracked it, Tom Perrotta almost
jumped from his seat.”
Gager, who was the publisher and editor
of the Heat City Literary Review, and the Wilderness House Literary
Review, revealed the pleasure he feels when an emerging writer who
started out in his open mic—then published a book of his or her
own, comes back as a featured reader. He stated, “ It is really
gratifying to see people grow in their writing.”
I asked Gager about changes in the
writer's scene. He reflected, “ People don't seem to have the
attention for longer fiction—it is more flash fiction these days.
He continued, “Also—I see the inequality for women writers has
lessened. Years back it was much more male - dominated. Men read men's
novels and publish each other's work. Now that these inequalities are
being pointed out—adjustment are being made."
Gager told me that his first two
readers were writer Alex De Suze and Nick Zanio. He revealed that he
has hosted 200 reading and hundreds of writers during his tenure at
the series.
Gager told me he will not go gently
into the night. He will actively concentrate on his own work. He
wants to secure an agent. I asked him about the latest novel he is
working on. He said, “It concerns a guy who has Asperger's, a bunch
of strong women, and a host of insensitive men.”
Gager, a man with a busy schedule had to take leave from the
Diesel. So we parted ways, shaking hands—silently noting our
history of literary citizenship.
To see the upcoming readings go
The Dire Literary Series
timothy gager’S last three
DIRE LIT Series
Saturday August 4,
2018,7 PM
The Center for the Arts at the Armory Cafe
191 Highland
Ave. Somerville, Ma
