DIRTBAG, MASSACHUSETTS

by Isaac Fitzgerald

Dirtbag, Massachusetts is the most stunning memoir I have read in a long time—maybe ever.  I had never heard of the book or the author until recently when they were both praised on a podcast.  Of course the title intrigued me, being a proud resident of Massachusetts for most of my life.  But when I opened the book, it was Fitzgerald’s writing that grabbed me in the very first sentence.  (In fact, I had to read it out loud to my husband, because I thought it was such an attention grabber.) “My parents were married when they had me, just to different people.”

In a series of 12 essays, Fitzgerald looks at various aspects of his childhood and adolescence and offers his take on how they contributed to the adult that he now is.  He writes fondly of the homeless shelter he and his parents lived in for years.  After that, he and his mother moved to an unheated cabin in rural central Massachusetts—leaving his father in Cambridge to “look for work.” As an only child with a severely depressed mother, Fitzgerald became his mother’s confidante at a much too early age.   But the way Fitzgerald describes these memories is the most amazing part of his memoir.  Not only does he write without anger or blame, but he finds joy and humor in telling his stories. In fact, he consistently portrays his parents with compassion and love.  In addition, Fitzgerald devotes entire chapters (essays) to: his relationship to the Catholic church; his lifelong struggle with body dysmorphia; his addiction to alcohol and drugs; his introduction to sex workers and pornographic acting; and, his ongoing quest to show every person he encounters the respect and attention they deserve.

I highly recommend Dirtbag, Massachusetts.  Fitzgerald is honest, articulate and funny.  I can’t think of any other autobiography or memoir written by a man that provides such a soul-bearing account of the author’s feelings.  Dirtbag, Massachusetts will grab your heart and stay with you forever.  It is definitely a must read. (Liz)

A SECOND HELPING

When my mom reviewed Dirtbag, I immediately thought, ‘There’s my next audiobook!’ Memoirs are my favorite audiobook content and this one was extremely good. Narrated by the author, Fitzgerald’s stories of his teen years getting into trouble in rural Massachusetts are hilarious, disturbing and the perfect example of how reading can open you up to a worldview you could never have imagined from your own lived experience. So many of his stories have stuck with me, and I definitely recommend picking this book up when you can. (Lily)