Kirjahaku

Timothy Gager is a genius of the quotidian, keenly observing the details of our lives and rendering them so that we can hear the deep pulse of our identities, of our pure being, within them. The Shutting Door is a ravishing, wonderful, enlightening book. - Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Author of 18 books.

"I met Gager about twenty years ago. Back then he was a different man, a different poet, and a different writer. My small press, Ibbetson Street, published his first book of poetry, The Same Corner of the Bar. Now, twenty years later Gager is not in the same corner. On the front cover of his seminal book, one can see a hungover Gager―with a bottle of booze on his bed, and, beside him, a comely blonde in the midst of her drunken slumber. The older Gager I know now would be more likely looking through some nocturnal window―into the deep recesses of his own soul. During those earlier years, Gager was a well-oiled alcoholic (which he makes no bones about revealing), was not in touch with himself, and was distracted from his surroundings. His poetry had a raw, Bukowski-style punch― with slivers of light around the edges. Gager, at that time was still fairly young―in his mid-30s―and was beginning his long road to recovery. The years have left an impact on his writing." from the Introduction by Doug Holder, Ibbetson Street Press

Joe the Salamander tells the story of Joe Gamut, a brilliant boy whose infatuation with Superman helps him through his struggles in the neurotypical world. Timothy Gager creates charmingly wise and foolish support characters, captures quirky 1990s nostalgia, and tells a poignant story about life with or on the spectrum.The book is divided into seven parts, each detailing a section of the Gamuts' life. In a prologue, Joe's father, Adrian, describes his own uncomfortable youth in foster care, and his finding solace and stability in young Millie Englander, now Millie Gamut. In part one Millie gives birth to Joe while Adrian, overwhelmed, hands out candy cigarettes to pedestrians on the street. Like his father, Joe rides a different rainbow. As a newborn, he tries to please those around him by refusing to cry; when he realizes they want him to cry, he complies, nonstop, for days. He's preternaturally sensitive, but balance is hard. As toddler and pre-schooler, he finds comfort in all things Superman-tv, cape and t-shirt-and in his cure-all word: "Yes." When Joe begins school, he excels in writing but speaks only his "Yes." As teachers try to implement flawed Individual Learning plans, Millie practices patience and incremental repetition, balancing Adrian's hyper-focus and fears. An engaging young nurse, Laura Wellin, befriends the family, giving readers yet another lens through which to appreciate Joe's world-and her own. Shades Creek, a pet store owner whose energy creates a city-wide Salamander Festival-he understands Joe instinctively. It's the "normalcy" of grandparents and psychiatrists who wish to control one another that gets ironic treatment from our author. By part six, after a popular kid has saved him from high school bullying, Joe finds himself accepted by his peers. Then, just as things are looking up, his life is upended, leaving him more unsupported than he's ever been. After a long gap of time, Joe's struggles in the neurotypical world end surprisingly, and, we think, well. Timothy Gager's Joe the Salamander draws good-humored yet serious attention to the importance of accepting diversity, reminding readers that no matter our differences, our abilities, our disabilities, or our circumstances, we are never fully alone.

Shadows of the Seen is a darkly riveting tapestry of lives caught at the intersection of politics, violence, and personal demons-a story wrapped in a subtle, entrancing whodunit. Through four interlocking storylines-centered on the ambitious politician Candace, the tormented Peter, the luck-driven but troubled Lucky, and the opportunistic Bobby-Joe-Gager delves into the heart of contemporary American struggles, from gun control and mental health to personal responsibility and redemption. Told through a nonlinear narrative brimming with raw emotion and incisive dark humor, The Shadows of the Seen is a provocative exploration of how we navigate power, personal trauma, and the murky line between right and wrong. Gripping, unsettling, and unflinchingly honest, Gager's novel challenges readers to confront what lurks beneath the surface-and within ourselves.