An interview with Timothy Gager the founder of the DIRE READER READING SERIES. * appeared in the Somerville News.

Timothy Gager leads a double life. By day he works in Davis Square as a mild- mannered coordinator for the Dept. of Mental Retardation, and at night he pens short stories and runs the Dire Reader Reading Series at the OUT OF THE BLUE GALLERY in Cambridge, Ma. DIRE READER is dedicated to hosting local and national novelists and poets
in a stimulating and supportive environment. I talked with Gager on an unsettling warm December day in my home outside Union Square.

DH: What gave you the impetus to start the DIRE READER series?

TG:I started to look for an open mic to promote my work. I was looking for a venue that would encourage longer readings of short stories and novels. I started the DIRE at the CANTAB LOUNGE in Cambridge. I thought we did ok, but there wasn't enough beer drinking...and you know business is business.
So I went to the OUT OF THE BLUE GALLERY in Cambridge. This venue is growing each month. Recently we had local Somerville and Cambridge novelists, Andrew K. Stone( Disappearing Into View) and Steve Almond ( My Life In Heavy Metal)read from their work.

With DIRE READER I wanted a place where artists could dispaly their work. There are tons of venues out there, but only a few are specific to novel excerpts and short stories.

DH:You are a writer yourself, with a collection of short stories out TWENTY SIX PACK,among others. How did you become a writer, and why did you chose the medium of the short story?

TG: I used to be a musician. Naturally I wrote lyrics. I didn't think I was actually "writing" though. About this time a friend of mine hung himself. I was living a dangerous life in my twenties...sex, drugs and rock and roll-- twenty four hours. I was an addict, and after this incident I decided to give it up. I had a need to get stuff out. A lot of my stories deal with alcoholism and addiction problems. This is what I know and knew, so it's what I write about. It kind of just came out.

The short story is my chosen medium.An entire short story can pop into my mind. Short stories are snippets, novels are more like telling a lifetime. I am working on a novel, however. Short stories come easier. Maybe it's my niche right now.

DH: Somerville and the surrounding area seem to attract artists of many different stripes. What do you find attractive about the area?

TG: Somerville has always been an artists' community. Now, Somerville is on a more than equal basis with Cambridge. There are tons and tons of writers in Somerville, and I have tried to reach out to them. I like the"beat" in Somerville, the coffeehouses, etc... I go to STARBUCKS in Davis Square, because the help is friendly and they remember my name.

DH:In the material that I have read about you , you speak about being inspired by the subway, specifically the RED LINE and the working class. Can you talk about these two literary quirks?

TG:I like the crowds on the subway, especially the RED LINE. I listen to the conversations of people on the train. I wrote a story, THE LAST TRAIN HOME, that had to do with a fellow after his last day on the job. He ran into a guy at the Back Bay station in Boston, and wound up sharing a beer and his life story. So you store up these characters, you see on the train. The RED LINE as opposed to the student infested GREEN LINE, has a wider cross section of folks.The RED LINE is more working class...the commuter line is well just too comfortable.

I have hosted a few Somerville based writers like Marc Widershien and Richard Wilhelm ( Ibbetson St. Press), Steve Almond, Dave Marchant, and Patricia Wild to name a few. There seems to be some real grit in the Somerville writers' work. Their work is peopled by a lot of working class, struggling individuals you might know in Davis or Porter Square. I define the working-class as a group who struggle to survive, day to day.

DH:Is there anything special about the OUT OF THE BLUE GALLERY ( 168 Brookline St., Cambridge) that is the home to the DIRE READER.?

TG: Deb Priestly and Tom Tipton , the founders of the gallery are great folks. They pretty much have given their lives to the arts. I like reading with all those paintings on the wall. Deb and Tom are very supportive...their door is always open to artists and poets. They are just good people.

DH: What is the future for the DIRE READER?

TG: I want to continue along the same lines. My vision is always focused on two factors. I want to pair local and national writers. I want a friendly place where people can network, and enjoy themselves.

Doug Holder For more information contact Tim at ctgager37.yahoo.com http://www.direreader.com
Dire Reader meets the first Friday of every month at 7:30pm. Out of the Blue Gallery 168 Brookline St. Cambridge, Ma.