Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional
- Downloads：2315
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-19 00:20:14
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Isaac Fitzgerald
- ISBN：1635573971
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A TIME Best Book of the Summer
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Memoir of the Season
A BookPage Most Anticipated Book of 2022
A Chicago Tribune Summer Pick
A Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Books of Summer
A Buzzfeed Summer Book You Won't Be Able to Put Down
A BookRiot Best Summer Read of 2022
“Any fool can confess。 It's the rare writer who reveals， and Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a heart on the sleeve， demons in check， eyes unblinking， unbearably sad， laugh-out-loud funny revelation。”-MARLON JAMES， author of Moon Witch， Spider King
Isaac Fitzgerald has lived many lives。 He's been an altar boy， a bartender， a fat kid， a smuggler， a biker， a prince of New England。 But before all that， he was a bomb that exploded his parents' lives-or so he was told。 In Dirtbag， Massachusetts， Fitzgerald， with warmth and humor， recounts his ongoing search for forgiveness， a more far-reaching vision of masculinity， and a more expansive definition of family and self。
Fitzgerald's memoir-in-essays begins with a childhood that moves at breakneck speed from safety to violence， recounting an extraordinary pilgrimage through trauma to self-understanding and， ultimately， acceptance。 From growing up in a Boston homeless shelter to bartending in San Francisco， from smuggling medical supplies into Burma to his lifelong struggle to make peace with his body， Fitzgerald strives to take control of his own story: one that aims to put aside anger， isolation， and entitlement to embrace the idea that one can be generous to oneself by being generous to others。
Gritty and clear-eyed， loud-hearted and beautiful， Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a rollicking book that might also be a lifeline。
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Memoir of the Season
A BookPage Most Anticipated Book of 2022
A Chicago Tribune Summer Pick
A Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Books of Summer
A Buzzfeed Summer Book You Won't Be Able to Put Down
A BookRiot Best Summer Read of 2022
“Any fool can confess。 It's the rare writer who reveals， and Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a heart on the sleeve， demons in check， eyes unblinking， unbearably sad， laugh-out-loud funny revelation。”-MARLON JAMES， author of Moon Witch， Spider King
Isaac Fitzgerald has lived many lives。 He's been an altar boy， a bartender， a fat kid， a smuggler， a biker， a prince of New England。 But before all that， he was a bomb that exploded his parents' lives-or so he was told。 In Dirtbag， Massachusetts， Fitzgerald， with warmth and humor， recounts his ongoing search for forgiveness， a more far-reaching vision of masculinity， and a more expansive definition of family and self。
Fitzgerald's memoir-in-essays begins with a childhood that moves at breakneck speed from safety to violence， recounting an extraordinary pilgrimage through trauma to self-understanding and， ultimately， acceptance。 From growing up in a Boston homeless shelter to bartending in San Francisco， from smuggling medical supplies into Burma to his lifelong struggle to make peace with his body， Fitzgerald strives to take control of his own story: one that aims to put aside anger， isolation， and entitlement to embrace the idea that one can be generous to oneself by being generous to others。
Gritty and clear-eyed， loud-hearted and beautiful， Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a rollicking book that might also be a lifeline。
Reviews
Teresa
，
Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Dirtbag， Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald。This is a memoir about a man growing up in New England and grappling with his traumas and demons as he comes to terms with his own body， life， and masculinity。I was really hoping to be all into this one， but I just couldn't connect。 My only criticism is that it did feel all over the place， I could never get a could purchase on the story。 Otherwise， I chalk this miss as just a personal difference。 From the re Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Dirtbag， Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald。This is a memoir about a man growing up in New England and grappling with his traumas and demons as he comes to terms with his own body， life， and masculinity。I was really hoping to be all into this one， but I just couldn't connect。 My only criticism is that it did feel all over the place， I could never get a could purchase on the story。 Otherwise， I chalk this miss as just a personal difference。 From the reviews it looks as though many have enjoyed it。 Just not for me。 。。。more
Nora
，
3。5
Cindy H。
，
Roundup to 3。5 starsThank you to NetGalley and HighBrige Audio for gifting me with an ALC of Issac Fitzgerald’s moving memoir Dirtbag， Massachusetts。 In exchange I offer my unbiased review。 It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time listening to this “confessional”， I did…it was riveting， arousing， entertaining and compelling but…it was also chaotic and overwhelming。 Issac Fitzgerald has lived a life difficult to imagine; some parts were hilarious others heartbreaking。 I appreciated the author’s willi Roundup to 3。5 starsThank you to NetGalley and HighBrige Audio for gifting me with an ALC of Issac Fitzgerald’s moving memoir Dirtbag， Massachusetts。 In exchange I offer my unbiased review。 It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time listening to this “confessional”， I did…it was riveting， arousing， entertaining and compelling but…it was also chaotic and overwhelming。 Issac Fitzgerald has lived a life difficult to imagine; some parts were hilarious others heartbreaking。 I appreciated the author’s willingness to openly share his journey in hopes that others can benefit from his experiences。 Listening to Isaac tell his tales definitely added more to my reading and I believe the audio enhanced my emotional connection to the pages。 If you enjoyed Patricia Lockwood’s memoir Priestdaddy then make sure to pick up a copy of Fitzgerald’s Dirtbag。 Available July 19， 2022！！！！ 。。。more
Libriar
，
An eye-opening memoir that starts with Fitzgerald's troubled childhood。 As he gets older his childhood shapes the choices that he makes。 Filled with wild adventure stories and lots of poor choices， this memoir is reminiscent of Jack Gantos' "A Hole in My Life" but where Gantos' book is appropriate for mature high school students， this memoir is solidly adult。 ARC courtesy of NetGalley。 An eye-opening memoir that starts with Fitzgerald's troubled childhood。 As he gets older his childhood shapes the choices that he makes。 Filled with wild adventure stories and lots of poor choices， this memoir is reminiscent of Jack Gantos' "A Hole in My Life" but where Gantos' book is appropriate for mature high school students， this memoir is solidly adult。 ARC courtesy of NetGalley。 。。。more
Melki
，
There was nothing to do in these old mill towns but fuck， get fucked up， or fuck somebody else up。 We spent our days doing drugs， driving around in trucks， drinking beer， and listening to music， Some of us had more money than others， but nobody had much of it。 We were poor kids in a poor area of a rich state。Fitzgerald examines his past in this series of essays that form a memoir。 He's not had an easy life， but it's one worth reading about 。 。 。 if you've got the stomach for it。 Though there are There was nothing to do in these old mill towns but fuck， get fucked up， or fuck somebody else up。 We spent our days doing drugs， driving around in trucks， drinking beer， and listening to music， Some of us had more money than others， but nobody had much of it。 We were poor kids in a poor area of a rich state。Fitzgerald examines his past in this series of essays that form a memoir。 He's not had an easy life， but it's one worth reading about 。 。 。 if you've got the stomach for it。 Though there are laugh-out-loud moments， the tales can be rough， and difficult to read。 The author has had a hard-living， hard-drinking existence。 He likes bars， tattoos， and porn。 Here's our author at age fourteen:I sat， and a big bald man with a Viking goatee cried out， "Get the kid a Three Wise Men！" Plunked down in front of me was a single huge shot glass， which had three regular-sized shots poured into it: Jack， Jim， and Johnnie。 I drank it like the kid I still sort of was， not knowing yet how to slam the liquor into the back of my throat。 Instead， I tasted every drop as it rolled over my tongue， doing everything in my power to keep myself from wincing as the booze hit each new taste bud。 The men cheered。 There it was， the burn of a shot improperly taken mixing with the instant camaraderie of drinking。Much of this is about self-determination， and rising above the circumstances of one's birth。 That Fitzgerald can write about his past with such grace， and occasional humor is commendable。 I can't wait to see what he comes up with next。 。。。more
Kristy
，
Thank you， NetGalley， for this book！I have known Isaac Fitzgerald for over a decade。 I was a founding member of The Rumpus Book Club for several years。 Isaac was the co-owner， managing editor， and moderator of our club’s message boards。 He was like the fun uncle who had to get on to us every now and then to remind us to move our very off-topic conversations to our community threads rather than the book discussion threads。 Through that book club， I made some excellent friends （hi， guys） who have Thank you， NetGalley， for this book！I have known Isaac Fitzgerald for over a decade。 I was a founding member of The Rumpus Book Club for several years。 Isaac was the co-owner， managing editor， and moderator of our club’s message boards。 He was like the fun uncle who had to get on to us every now and then to remind us to move our very off-topic conversations to our community threads rather than the book discussion threads。 Through that book club， I made some excellent friends （hi， guys） who have kept in touch， and we read some books every now and then that are meaningful to our group: works by Adam Levin， Camille Bordas， and some upcoming ones by Elissa Bassist and Yuri Zalkow。Although I got this book from NetGalley ages ago， I waited to read it until my friends could read， also。 But， my mistake， I thought it was coming out this week， so I’m a week ahead。 No matter。 We will all get caught up soon enough。 To read something by someone I’ve known for quite some time， although don’t really know at all， was a really interesting experience。 I’ve heard Isaac’s voice a dozen times from his Today Show book suggestion segments。 Side note: he always recommends excellent books。 So， I could hear him coming through my kindle。There are two types of memoirs。 First: My life is so hard （it’s not） and I really need people to understand me （feel sorry for me） and my life of privilege really doesn’t matter （it does）。 Second: My life was hard （it was）， but I take responsibility for my actions and admit， in the grand scheme of things， that I still had it pretty good compared to a lot of other people （because I am white）。 This book falls into the second category。Isaac is an excellent writer， but he’s also very honest。 This book pulls back the curtain on a lot of dark events of his life。 Between having a trauma-filled childhood， never feeling comfortable in his skin， constantly searching for meaning and purpose， and wanting to do well in the world， Isaac lets the reader see what troubles him most。 I loved this book。 That’s odd to say because Isaac’s life was difficult， so I don’t want it to seem like I’m glad of that because it made for a good story。 But I found Issac’s honesty and subsequent healing from all his trauma hopeful for his future。 He seems to be in a much better place， which is what we all want for ourselves， no matter what our pasts reveal。 。。。more
Sacha
，
5 stars Here， Fitzgerald creates a memoir through essays。 While Fitzgerald's identities do not reflect those of authors （or characters） I typically read， I could not wait to get my hands on this very buzzy effort， and I am so glad I did。 Readers who have access to the audio version should absolutely grab it。 Listening to Fitzgerald narrate his own experiences heightens the impact of what are （under any circumstances） profound and memorable moments and lessons。 The throughline here is powerful， a 5 stars Here， Fitzgerald creates a memoir through essays。 While Fitzgerald's identities do not reflect those of authors （or characters） I typically read， I could not wait to get my hands on this very buzzy effort， and I am so glad I did。 Readers who have access to the audio version should absolutely grab it。 Listening to Fitzgerald narrate his own experiences heightens the impact of what are （under any circumstances） profound and memorable moments and lessons。 The throughline here is powerful， and Fitgerald bookends his work with his specific point of origin。 Readers will have no questions about how far Fitzgerald has traveled - and yet how close he has stayed to his roots - upon completion。 I came into this book （despite LOVING， of all things， _How to Be a Pirate_） with some degree of skepticism about how relatable and impacting I'd find this narrative， but the storytelling is exceptional throughout。 Fans of memoir will find this a fast， palatable， and surprisingly meaningful engagement。 *Special thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge for this audio arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
AnnieM
，
Isaac Fitzgerald's essays are brutally honest and compelling。 I applaud him for his honesty and candor。 This book was just not my "cup of tea" and was drawn to it based on the accolades from others -- some described it as "rollicking and sad" but I did not find humor in it， only incredible sadness。 Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Isaac Fitzgerald's essays are brutally honest and compelling。 I applaud him for his honesty and candor。 This book was just not my "cup of tea" and was drawn to it based on the accolades from others -- some described it as "rollicking and sad" but I did not find humor in it， only incredible sadness。 Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
1
Katherine D。 Morgan
，
CW: review reveals content warnings！ I already know that this is going to be one of my top books of 2022。 It was the kind of book that I needed to pick up at this point in my life to think about how I want to frame the book that I’m currently working on （okay， only sort of working on）。 It’s a beautiful and upsetting memoir about a child who needed to his parents to show him that things were going to be okay。 There’s a lot of drinking; a lot of drug use; frequent mentions of abuse。 But there’s al CW: review reveals content warnings！ I already know that this is going to be one of my top books of 2022。 It was the kind of book that I needed to pick up at this point in my life to think about how I want to frame the book that I’m currently working on （okay， only sort of working on）。 It’s a beautiful and upsetting memoir about a child who needed to his parents to show him that things were going to be okay。 There’s a lot of drinking; a lot of drug use; frequent mentions of abuse。 But there’s also humor， constant moments of reflections， and bits of joy sprinkled in as well。 Ugh， it was so so good。 This book may have healed my soul a little bit。 Little Katherine is grateful to have read it。 。。。more
Alex
，
ARC
Natalie
，
In one of the later essays in this memoir-in-essays， Isaac Fitzgerald describes the layers that exist between him and others: how he might entertain you with a cheeky， catchy opening salvo about his life story; how as he gets to know you--or conversely， if he knows he'll never see you again--he might let you glimpse some of the darker aspects of his childhood; how as a member of one of his chosen communities， he might sob while sharing the darkest memories。 I'm not sure where the intended audien In one of the later essays in this memoir-in-essays， Isaac Fitzgerald describes the layers that exist between him and others: how he might entertain you with a cheeky， catchy opening salvo about his life story; how as he gets to know you--or conversely， if he knows he'll never see you again--he might let you glimpse some of the darker aspects of his childhood; how as a member of one of his chosen communities， he might sob while sharing the darkest memories。 I'm not sure where the intended audience fits in to this formula--perhaps somewhere between his entertaining façade and honest revelations born of never seeing us again。 For sure， this is an engaging collection。 You can imagine why he fits in so well in so many constructed communities， from porn content producers， to biker bar staff and patrons， to evangelical relief workers。 Fitzgerald knows how to tell a story， and when he does （e。g。， describing how he came to smuggle medical aid across the Thai-Burmese border）， he is captivating。 And while we get glimpses of the darkness early on， he waits to share some of the more wrenching details until the final essay。 Yet this collection only goes so far in its current structure。 Fitzgerald does offer some nuanced insights about his experiences and is honest about where he is a work in progress。 In that way， the somewhat chaotic organization of this collection makes sense， because he still appears to be working out all the threads。 Sometimes， though， he does not acknowledge how content from an earlier essay intersects with stories from a later section。 For instance， how does someone who shies away from nudity or toplessness because of body dysmorphia issues become someone featured in internet porn？ I would have like to hear his reflections on how these stories complicate each other。 I spent a long time trying to piece together timelines to understand how themes from each of these essays overlapped with one another and the interesting intersections that arose when his stories connected。 And maybe it's okay that those answers aren't forthcoming here， that his essays meander before looping back on themselves or resolving in later sections--isn't that how life often is？ That said， this book is a powerful reflection on the communities we choose and the people we chose to leave， the reproductive nature of violence， and the things we embrace to alleviate pain and plug holes within ourselves。 You will enjoy spending time with Isaac Fitzgerald and only wish you had been invited further behind his walls。 3。5/5I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Sue
，
Dirtbag was an interesting account of how someone can turn their life around， with a lot of courage and tenacity。 Bad guys don't always have to live out their lives that way， if they really try to make a better person out of the one they started out as it can be done。 Dirtbag was an interesting account of how someone can turn their life around， with a lot of courage and tenacity。 Bad guys don't always have to live out their lives that way， if they really try to make a better person out of the one they started out as it can be done。 。。。more
Tina Panik
，
A bittersweet collection of essays （heavy on the bitter， lighter on the sweet） that leave me wanting to hug Fitzgerald and say: you deserved better。 This was an ARC。
Elizabeth
，
Not my usual genre but I do like essays and this memoir as told in essay form was fascinating。 Sad and a little like watching a car wreck but heartwarming too and you are certainly rooting for the author to find peace。
Summer
，
I have this annoying thing I do when I read something that I love。 I put it down before finishing it as sort of a pause to hold it over so that I can have more time with it because I don’t want it to end。 I did that here as well except this time 3/4 of the way through I started over from the beginning and read it though once again before finally reaching the conclusion。 This memoir is everything a memoir should be — incredibly honest and absolutely insightful。What I love most about Dirtbag， Mass I have this annoying thing I do when I read something that I love。 I put it down before finishing it as sort of a pause to hold it over so that I can have more time with it because I don’t want it to end。 I did that here as well except this time 3/4 of the way through I started over from the beginning and read it though once again before finally reaching the conclusion。 This memoir is everything a memoir should be — incredibly honest and absolutely insightful。What I love most about Dirtbag， Massachusetts: A Confessional is that it offers the most valuable lesson in the fervent reminder that what made us isn’t all that we’re meant to be。 We don’t forget and don’t not deal with our beginnings， and we hopefully take part in life as we allow it to further change and shape us。 We don’t get so caught up that we become stuck because truly the only way through is forward。Thanks to Isaac Fitzgerald for writing and sharing this personal collection of essays。 Further thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me a copy to read。 。。。more
ASHLEY
，
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I am really glad that I did and got a chance to read it！ Mr。 Fitzgerald opened up about many different areas of his life and childhood， I don't feel like he left any subject untouched。 As an adult who also has my own childhood traumas it was both sad and interesting to know that other children besides myself have this issue as well and even worse to know that some have the traumas from different， worse things。 Mr。 Fitzgerald also touched on his adult l I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I am really glad that I did and got a chance to read it！ Mr。 Fitzgerald opened up about many different areas of his life and childhood， I don't feel like he left any subject untouched。 As an adult who also has my own childhood traumas it was both sad and interesting to know that other children besides myself have this issue as well and even worse to know that some have the traumas from different， worse things。 Mr。 Fitzgerald also touched on his adult life and the good， the bad and the ugly parts of it all。 I will definitely be looking into reading more by Mr。 Fitzgerald！ 。。。more
Laura Dvorak
，
I can't tell you the last time I read a book by a straight white man， but this memoir was worth breaking that streak。 It's a profound meditation on identity， family， and mistakes， told with honesty and humor。 I much prefer these memoirs-in-essay compared to a purely chronological structure， and DIRTBAG， MASSACHUSETTS is one of the best。Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for this review。 I can't tell you the last time I read a book by a straight white man， but this memoir was worth breaking that streak。 It's a profound meditation on identity， family， and mistakes， told with honesty and humor。 I much prefer these memoirs-in-essay compared to a purely chronological structure， and DIRTBAG， MASSACHUSETTS is one of the best。Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for this review。 。。。more
Laura
，
I had never heard of this author before reading this book， but the title intrigued me， having myself grown up in a part of Massachusetts that was past its heyday。 This memoir is told in a series of essays discussing a variety of topics。 Usually in an essay collection， I find myself enjoying a handful of the essays with the rest being forgettable。 However， in this collection， I enjoyed almost every chapter。 The author examines subjects such as family， religion， violence， volunteerism abroad， sexu I had never heard of this author before reading this book， but the title intrigued me， having myself grown up in a part of Massachusetts that was past its heyday。 This memoir is told in a series of essays discussing a variety of topics。 Usually in an essay collection， I find myself enjoying a handful of the essays with the rest being forgettable。 However， in this collection， I enjoyed almost every chapter。 The author examines subjects such as family， religion， violence， volunteerism abroad， sexual consent， and more。 The common thread that I found throughout the book is a sense of hope。 The author is able to reflect and grow from his experiences， however difficult they may be。 The author writes in a relatable and easy to read style。 I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy memoirs。 。。。more
Paige
，
Amidst the grittiness and sharp wit， Fitzgerald’s memoir is vulnerable。 Told through twelve essays covering different topics， from the band The Hold Steady to growing up Catholic， the approach works。 Throughout the volume， Fitzgerald’s search for self and grappling with life’s pain is a common and meaningful thread。 tHe is often funny。 In his opening line， Fitzgerald quips “My parents were married when they had me， just to different people。” Some of the best humor has a dark underbelly， and her Amidst the grittiness and sharp wit， Fitzgerald’s memoir is vulnerable。 Told through twelve essays covering different topics， from the band The Hold Steady to growing up Catholic， the approach works。 Throughout the volume， Fitzgerald’s search for self and grappling with life’s pain is a common and meaningful thread。 tHe is often funny。 In his opening line， Fitzgerald quips “My parents were married when they had me， just to different people。” Some of the best humor has a dark underbelly， and here he excels。tYet， the essays are also deeply relatable because Fitzgerald highlights basic human struggles， from feeling self-conscious about appearance to expressing anger about one thing， which is often about so much more than one thing。 For example， he describes hitting a former classmate with his math book after being called “tubby。” Reflecting on the incident， he acknowledges his sensitivity about being called fat， but it was a trigger for more anger simmering under the surface， stemming from chaos and deficiencies at his home in Massachusetts。 tIndeed， underneath his outward anger – whether throwing punches in his grade school Fight Club knockoff or hurling a book - lay the hurt of growing up with a mother whose sadness poured out of her。 There was an absent， furious， and sometimes alcoholic father who continued to be unfaithful after marrying his mother。 There were stern grandparents， disapproving of their daughter’s choices， and by association， Fitzgerald。 In this emotional chaos， he tries to ground himself， but struggles to be at peace， especially with the body he was given。tWhile his road began in Massachusetts， where he was born， he seems to be in a constant search for home， which may not be Massachusetts。 He finds a sense of belonging in a bar called Zeitgeist in San Francisco， where he spent hours either working or drinking or both。 Fitzgerald hints that his love affair with drinking may be an escape valve from his pain， but does not fully delve into that landmine。 Instead， he tries out new things， new looks， new jobs。 He cycles through different haircuts。 He gets tattoos。 He works in the porn industry。 He becomes a bouncer。 He volunteers to help displaced persons in Burma。 As he sheds a job or old haircut， Fitzgerald tries to become who he truly is， which， like many of us， is often a struggle that lasts years， if not a lifetime。 tFitzgerald also demonstrates a refreshing level of introspection and humility。 Reflecting back on a book that did not age well， but he once treasured and even took hundreds of miles from the East Coast to the West Coast when younger， he admits the material is now offensive。 He wonders how he ever liked the book， but he understands that he has grown。 And he acknowledges that we must always continue to grow， or else we get stuck in an unhealthy stagnation。 tThrough openness and good writing， Fitzgerald evokes what being human feels like。 Through the fun times， the hard times， and all the times in between。 As Anne Lamott wisely stated， “Your anger and damage and grief are the way to the truth。” When you go into “those rooms and closets and woods and abysses that we were told not go into 。 。 。 just breathing and finally taking it in – then we will be able to speak in our own voice and to stay in the present moment。 And that moment is home。” tFitzgerald embraces these elements of great memoir， yet there are other rooms and closets and woods and abysses， ones that build upon the essays in this volume。 They are just waiting to be told。 tReviewed from a copy made available from NetGalley。 。。。more
Damien Stein
，
I have been on Goodreads for three years and this was the first book giveaway that I won， so I was quite excited。 Writing a review is not in my habit but since they were nice enough to advance me a copy it felt only right to speak up。 There were some minor typos that the editors should fix which I can only assume are normal for an early copy but didn’t impact the overall read。 I tend to listen to music while I read and in this case I mostly played Tom Waits and Billie Eilish which unwittingly bl I have been on Goodreads for three years and this was the first book giveaway that I won， so I was quite excited。 Writing a review is not in my habit but since they were nice enough to advance me a copy it felt only right to speak up。 There were some minor typos that the editors should fix which I can only assume are normal for an early copy but didn’t impact the overall read。 I tend to listen to music while I read and in this case I mostly played Tom Waits and Billie Eilish which unwittingly blended well will the suicide punk vibes。 The author presents a raw and thoughtful autobiographical collection of vignettes that cherish all the blessings of life。 He is villainous as a hero and heroic as a villain。 He reminds us that you tend to get more by listening than talking and the underrated significance of our barbers and bartenders。 Leaves you wanting more。 。。。more
Maria Maniscalco
，
Received this book preprint as a recipient of Goodreads Giveaway （yes I was stoked to be selected）Reading this book， I felt like I was sitting in the backyard of one of my besties homes in Massachusetts， looking at the green New England foliage and listening to a man tell stories-- beverage in hand， staring at the skyline。 I always enjoy a good storyteller and this author， kept me reading。The author was able to describe in words who I think he is （without actually writing these words）: Tough NE Received this book preprint as a recipient of Goodreads Giveaway （yes I was stoked to be selected）Reading this book， I felt like I was sitting in the backyard of one of my besties homes in Massachusetts， looking at the green New England foliage and listening to a man tell stories-- beverage in hand， staring at the skyline。 I always enjoy a good storyteller and this author， kept me reading。The author was able to describe in words who I think he is （without actually writing these words）: Tough NE punk who can't help smiling， helping out another and having a rough time being as generous to himself。 Family shapes us all and he does a fair job of being blunt yet perspective gathering。I don't want to spoil the stories so I won't share details yet I did find his candidness， raw， energizing， and worthy of the mental ride 。。。more
Beth
，
Isaac Fitzgerald is a treasure in pretty much all of the ways， but especially for his ability to draw us into his extraordinary life with these thoughtful， sometimes warm， sometimes astonishing， warts-and-all essays。 He describes himself as accommodating to a fault， but it is this accommodation and， it should be added， powerful empathy—toward the world and toward himself—that sets the hook。 The truths he tells resonated deeply with me， a middle-aged woman with not a single tattoo who would rathe Isaac Fitzgerald is a treasure in pretty much all of the ways， but especially for his ability to draw us into his extraordinary life with these thoughtful， sometimes warm， sometimes astonishing， warts-and-all essays。 He describes himself as accommodating to a fault， but it is this accommodation and， it should be added， powerful empathy—toward the world and toward himself—that sets the hook。 The truths he tells resonated deeply with me， a middle-aged woman with not a single tattoo who would rather not go to a dive bar， thank you。 The processing in these essays—of trauma， of choices， of fate—bridges all of the possible divides。 There is something here for everyone， and the degree to which he is trying to figure it all out while being gentle with himself is a lesson to us all。 。。。more
Sue
，
Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a collection of essays written by Isaac Fitzgerald about his life。 They are not quite chronological， but generally begin in his childhood and go up through his life， more or less。 Some are so full of violence and drugs and alcohol they made me cringe。 I'm pretty sure that was his intent。 The overarching theme here is how profoundly parents can fuck up their children， for lack of a better term， and Fitzgerald was profoundly fucked up。 We don't get all the details here， b Dirtbag， Massachusetts is a collection of essays written by Isaac Fitzgerald about his life。 They are not quite chronological， but generally begin in his childhood and go up through his life， more or less。 Some are so full of violence and drugs and alcohol they made me cringe。 I'm pretty sure that was his intent。 The overarching theme here is how profoundly parents can fuck up their children， for lack of a better term， and Fitzgerald was profoundly fucked up。 We don't get all the details here， but enough to know that he's blamed his parents all his life， rightly so， and that he has spent his life trying to get beyond what they did to him and is now doing the hard work of trying to forgive them。 But beyond that， each of the essays taught me things about him and also something about life， without ever being didactic。 Thank you to Goodreads for this free book。 I enjoyed it。 。。。more
Peter Knox
，
What ever happened to Maniac Magee when he grew up？We readers （or I at least） love the memoir genre of fucked-up-families。 We get the shock and awe， while knowing that the author managed to emerge from their hellscape history with enough of their shit together to write the book you're reading。This trend dates back to early breakthroughs like David Sedaris， Augusten Burroughs， Mary Karr， The Liars' Club and others we thought were TOO honest in the ear before the social internet and blogs and Twit What ever happened to Maniac Magee when he grew up？We readers （or I at least） love the memoir genre of fucked-up-families。 We get the shock and awe， while knowing that the author managed to emerge from their hellscape history with enough of their shit together to write the book you're reading。This trend dates back to early breakthroughs like David Sedaris， Augusten Burroughs， Mary Karr， The Liars' Club and others we thought were TOO honest in the ear before the social internet and blogs and Twitter。Now how does this even make sense， the confessional fucked up personal history， when we're surrounded by it on all sides all the time？ The reason anything works - because it's GOOD。 Sincere， heartfelt， emotional， strong writing is always worth stopping to read。 Thankfully， Isaac is better than good - this book is great。 He writes plainly， but with zest， and the prose feels light even when dealing with heavy subject matter。 And this trend （see Jami Attenberg I Came All This Way To Meet You + Alexander Chee） is now to do this less in chronological memoir autobiography style， but essays on a theme swirling around stories and memories that bring you to a time and a place and a feeling without being dragged down by detail and timeline。 Fitzgerald has brought decency and honor to the bar book， the fucked-up-family memoir， the bad boy does good coming-of-age and still trying to get it right book。 You get his catholic upbringing， the family tension， the alcoholism and emotional abuse， the boarding school escape that was more of the same but classier， the manifest destiny journey west to San Fran， the motorcycle invincibility， the dangerous and questionable NGO time abroad in Cambodia， and the return to NYC east coast life and a new definition and era of family。 Fitzgerald writes in tribute to his past， his family， his upbringing， his idols， his mentors behind the bar， and those that tried to save him or drag him down deeper in the process of learning to live。 It's beautiful。 You want to underline most of this book and share it with someone else who remembers seeing Fight Club and then thinking you can just fight your friends in your basement the same way。He writes without pretension， just amazement and wonder and appreciation。 And it's wonderful to read and travel the world and worry for him， but know he makes it ok - that he's still here despite ::all of this::I encourage you to read this for yourself and be changed （or not！） by experiences we should be glad to have not had， but still curious about having。 And let's hope for more books like this from Isaac。 。。。more
BookStarRaven
，
DIGITAL ARC REVIEWQuick Take: Isaac Fitzgerald looks back on memorable and defining moments of his life。Dirtbag， Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald is a memoir and reflection on his life growing up poor and catholic。 Fitzgerald was born to two parents who were married to different people at the time。 They both split with their partners and married each other before he was born。 He grew up both poor and immeshed in the catholic faith。 Here are a few noteworthy quotes on the Catholic Church。In resp DIGITAL ARC REVIEWQuick Take: Isaac Fitzgerald looks back on memorable and defining moments of his life。Dirtbag， Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald is a memoir and reflection on his life growing up poor and catholic。 Fitzgerald was born to two parents who were married to different people at the time。 They both split with their partners and married each other before he was born。 He grew up both poor and immeshed in the catholic faith。 Here are a few noteworthy quotes on the Catholic Church。In response to abuse in the Catholic Church “The kind of fault that never， ever， ever， ever should fall to a victim， wherein the Church’s denial of their reality forces the victims to fight to tell the truth that nothing was actually something。 It forces the victims to be the ones to make it real。” and “In one way， the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal could be seen as the dictum “Forgiveness above all else” being taken to an opportunistic， self-serving， evil extreme。 And anyway， that is not real forgiveness。 Real forgiveness requires taking responsibility， because real forgiveness is not complete in and of itself — it’s a first step。”Growing up， Fitzgerald learned to be different people。 He was able to get in at a local boarding school on a scholarship。 He’d talk and behave one way with his boarding school friends and completely different back home。 He also explained why alcohol and bars can be so comforting。 From the first drink alcohol was a way of feeling happy in an unhappy world。 While working at a bar， the bar became his family。 Unlike his family back home， the people he worked with took him as he was。 Unfortunately， drinking can only make you happy for so long and Fitzgerald had to find this out the hard way。 In many ways these are stories of coming of age but with the knowledge of your grown self。 What I liked: I liked the realness of it， how I felt I could relate even though his life was different than mine。 I felt like he made a lot of wise and insightful points about religion and life。 While it was the story of his life， it made me think。What I didn’t like: I wished that he had gone into more of the details of why his relationship with his parents was so strained。 He talked around it and said how bad it was， but I wish I could have “seen” why。Rating: 5/5Genre: Essays/Memoir 。。。more
Judy
，
Recommended by Roxane Gay: https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 Recommended by Roxane Gay: https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more
Cassie
，
Dirtbag Massachusetts is an unflinching memoir-in-essay that kinda rocked me， Mr。 Fitzgerald。 I’ve got more stuff to talk about in therapy this week than I was originally planning on， can I send you the bill？Fitzgerald’s writing is vulnerable， tender-hearted， and full of charm; reading it felt equal parts familiar and revelatory。 He recalls scenes from his life with the emotional clarity of the greatest storytellers， offering readers glimpses into his past， lessons learned， and the kind of persi Dirtbag Massachusetts is an unflinching memoir-in-essay that kinda rocked me， Mr。 Fitzgerald。 I’ve got more stuff to talk about in therapy this week than I was originally planning on， can I send you the bill？Fitzgerald’s writing is vulnerable， tender-hearted， and full of charm; reading it felt equal parts familiar and revelatory。 He recalls scenes from his life with the emotional clarity of the greatest storytellers， offering readers glimpses into his past， lessons learned， and the kind of persistent work it takes to become the best version of ourselves， jagged edges and all。Reading Dirtbag Massachusetts is like watching a man turn the soil of his life， digging up the cold earth in preparation of a glorious， and colorful life。 。。。more
Roxane
，
This book， this beautiful， sprawling， chaotic memoir in essays， is indeed a confessional。 It is a man peeling back the layers of himself， revealing the white of his bones， the depth of his soul， the truth of his flaws， and the power of the best parts of him， of which there are so many。 Isaac Fitzgerald will make you feel absolutely everything as he recounts a childhood no one should have to endure， and how he has tried to rebuild the parts of himself that other people broke。 He is charming and v This book， this beautiful， sprawling， chaotic memoir in essays， is indeed a confessional。 It is a man peeling back the layers of himself， revealing the white of his bones， the depth of his soul， the truth of his flaws， and the power of the best parts of him， of which there are so many。 Isaac Fitzgerald will make you feel absolutely everything as he recounts a childhood no one should have to endure， and how he has tried to rebuild the parts of himself that other people broke。 He is charming and vulnerable， curious and candid， full of dirtbag swagger。 I loved this book。 When I turned the last page， I wanted more but was so grateful to have spent this time with a man who is on the complicated but joyful journey of becoming and being himself。 。。。more
J Earl
，