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. I have been getting into memoirs and essays lately. I think because they're easy to read, the prose is often compelling, and stopping after one or two chapters feels like I've reached a natural end point to a story. There are no surprise cliffhangers (typically) in a book of essays. The other thing about me, is that I LOVE Massachusetts. I've lived here forever, and I'd read any book set in my area. I get such a kick out of recognizing landmarks and experiences pertaining to my home state. So of course when I heard about Dirtbag, Massachusetts, I had to pick up a copy. Fitzgerald absolutely delivers on the promise of grounded, heartfelt stories that convey his childhood and early adult life in an interesting and compassionate way. His varied and wild life experiences tie together to create a self-narrative that still feels cohesive, and he's clearly a gifted writer. Our experiences of the state are vastly different, due to the fact that I am both younger than him and that we grew up in wildly different regions. (Side note: yes, even this tiny state has remarkable regional differences, and we can and do make assumptions about people based on what part of MA they're from). I enjoyed reading about Fitzgerald's experience in MA, which due to his family history has both positive and negative aspects which he analyzes with a critical eye. It's good for me to continue reading other authors on the subject and develop a rounded perspective on how others view my state. I tend to take a rose-colored view, I admit. I don't know if I could name a favorite chapter specifically, but one that struck me was when he discussed serving as a volunteer with an illegal medical aid network in Burma. He understood why he volunteered and discussed aspects of traversing cultural boundaries in an attempt to help people, but acknowledged a lens in which his journey of self-discovery was also a savior narrative since he was not a trained professional in the field. The nuance and consideration FItzgerald is able to bring to his own life experiences, rather than glamorizing them for print, is remarkable. This collection of stories is a hot buy for the summer, and I agree. I will definitely be recommending this one for years to come. 5/5 stars.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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