WANA Live with Christina Fisanick & Damian Dressick

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfzLDsLcqYo&t=5s 

Reading at Cider & Plants Greenhouse

 

My short story, Most Wanted, in The Literary Underground

https://theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/10/26/most-wanted-by-jason-irwin/ 

If I Don't Consider the Burning: my review of Scott Silsbe's Cosmic American Music in Pittsburgh Review of Books

https://pghrev.com/if-i-dont-consider-the-burning/?fbclid=IwY2xjawVHmgRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7W8YN86e5J9rTyc-pCHRBJGbf_e83li3WcYr1dwM8dbDAoyt5c9nW914ODcg_aem_cajqI__YjQi9hV_Y2AP4

Froghair: Heavy Pickle

Thirty-one years ago, when I was an undergrad at SUNY Fredonia and believed I'd one day become a guitar god, I played in a folky band called Froghair with Christine Ghezzo Weiss (vocals, guitar, poetry) Melissa Mioni (viola & recorder), Chris Gear (conga, triangle, vibes) & Scott Jardin (bass). 

The music scene in Fredonia in the early & mid-90s was really something special with other bands like Another Dead Sharon, Onion Sniper, Cheese Log and many others. 

In 1995 we recorded a cassette in the radio productions studios at SUNY Fredonia. It featured the voices of Damian Sebouhian, Doree Grossman-Lipson, Eric Zwieg, A. Liquid Neiman, and the late-great Todd Dopler! Listening to it now, brings back a lot of great memories. 

Some of the albums that influenced me and the songs I was attempting to write included John & Mary's The Weedkiller's Daughter, Unledded by Page & Plant, Loreena McKennitt's Mask & Mirror, Taproot by Michael Hedges, Way to Blue by Nick Drake, The Who's Tommy, and Eric Zwieg's Durkheim's Rule.

Side one:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SPkkdrlOw0oNbofcK2gboCE-JUH0xj2C/view?fbclid=IwAR1ZKYj18hM2DixCl8-8TqjxiJENkQQclVkQQaOJbRNpOnhLPJ32372TtC4&pli=1

Side two:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jA16BnjrAlbpTkG6eydQWlNC8__dziFq/view?fbclid=IwAR3qnSefs0yFQxsy-U0BmKEnP9Yj-yFcnyUgRfbPJl6ZdbKNdIyi2psm7Oo

Looking forward to reading at the 2026 WANA Lit Fest

 https://writersassociationofnorthernappalachia.org/?page_id=630

Jen Ashburn's essay on Annie Dillard: Pittsburgh Review of Books

https://pghrev.com/annie-dillards-tranquility-and-trembling/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUdEh9wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5DU77MlK0yM82xk2-D7BVjDIxa4-zpXw71gf21azo8Lpt_r_noCW1tyVZ38g_aem_cDDRCulhyt2Mp7-PL5V8vA 

Life Through Poetry, an interview on Mary Elizabeth Jackson's Cover to Cover

https://pod.co/cover-to-cover/jason-irwin-life-through-poetry 

The 20th Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival, Frostburg, MD

Looking forward to being a part of the 20th Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival!

https://www.frostburg.edu/center-for-literary-arts/Festivals/indie-lit-festival.php

A review of These Fragments I Have Shored by Emily Webber in The Cleaver

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/these-fragments-i-have-shored-by-jason-irwin-reviewed-by-emily-webber/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT8VqtwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6RM2gJjssI6eupFwLezfsrTeOWShHsLnjz0Kl9U9jN0RwULRo-njsezHPDvw_aem_uX5pl18pEixm1o1SRc6dOw 

Interview with Bill O'Driscoll on WESA 90.5

https://www.wesanews.org/arts-culture/2026-08-18/poet-jason-irwin-memoir-disability-caregiving?fbclid=IwY2xjawTxnBlwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6XzspoaKn7Fh0y-U9YKEadtoFL_AjE9Y26aoqyaewJO5x5WIbTCOwEizsLMg_aem_zdmrjsM7qWQ5dLoa1VJHtQ 

Authors' Hour at Chautauqua

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTwr-q7mYM 

Jen Ashburn: A Long Unraveling, Vox Populi

https://voxpopulisphere.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/jen-ashburn-a-long-unraveling/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTVdzZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEew4jBVuEKey_x21HFDexxRYzpKDhPIC2TEMN9e41_q-at7xoRFLvusV8LtxA_aem_78ccMgTR_ZVVuB49K1LM1A 

Like a Church Organ Played Through an Ambulance, Reading the Poetry of Gerry Crinnin, in The Pittsburgh Review of Books

https://pghrev.com/like-a-church-organ-played-through-an-ambulance/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTUqNNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeX3kd6lldlRQQUjeajEdDJe_OXPlHVWDIUQX5UEKEQAsUro41-jP1twoMNas_aem_F76F8D6Gx8eu1u298aBFAw 

Two photos in Volume 17 of Trailer Park Quarterly

https://trailerparkquarterly.com/volume-17/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTE6KZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeb913QzKXLjapwdUwa1E-BBx0e8zMb2j7cxRB-8mqmz2Jc7fQ7TsYxPcOVWk_aem_EA-scJnHn-dADECNtkQlBQ 

Angele Ellis' review of my memoir in Volume 19, issue 2 of Wordgathering

https://voxpopulisphere.wordpress.com/2026/05/24/angele-ellis-these-fragments-i-have-shored-a-memoir-by-jason-irwin/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSByjxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEekMhaFXCgyM-zGF5Bej7mk8EtsZEKXQvsvg-JD9GlgyR2nvypZfNb9CS-Org_aem_EfYIDFirr_sTxjHD8AGLpw

Reading with Jen Ashburn at The Writers' Roundtable, Newton, NJ

Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at The Writers' Roundtable: featured poets Jen Ashburn and Jason Irwin make a return visit to Sussex County all the way from Pittsburgh to read for us again!

We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Unitarian Fellowship, 1 West Nelson Street, Newton, New Jersey, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. An open reading for poets (and short prose) follows the featured reader(s). Everyone is welcome.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT-JUNE 2026: Amy's Bookshelf Reviews & Podcast

https://amysbookshelfreviews.com/#ba0fd4f8-8cee-4538-9bdf-d03323bf56ab 

Wonderful review of These Fragments I Have Shored by Angele Ellis

https://voxpopulisphere.wordpress.com/2026/05/24/angele-ellis-these-fragments-i-have-shored-a-memoir-by-jason-irwin/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSByjxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEekMhaFXCgyM-zGF5Bej7mk8EtsZEKXQvsvg-JD9GlgyR2nvypZfNb9CS-Org_aem_EfYIDFirr_sTxjHD8AGLpw 

Interview with Eliot Parker on Now, Appalachia

https://soundcloud.com/authorsontheair/author-jason-irwin-on-now?si=67d4e82a60ac4aef8975b23bedf69bc9&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

Five-star review from Amy's Bookshelf Reviews & Podcast

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AGYNTKTWDHZSMWDREXVCUADTW2NQ?ccs_id=e5f7037d-d30c-448b-abd6-30d4b94eb31e 

These Fragments I Have Shored is a masterful and heartfelt memoir that brings the emotions to the forefront. It's a grand story that is so personal, you can feel it. Each word paints a picture of love, loss, and family. The writing is remarkable, and Irwin brings to life his story and his mother's story. From one who is cared for becoming one who now takes care, is not always an easy transition, but unfortunately, this happens more often then not. Irwin shares memories, stories of family and generations, and the reality of life, illness, and caring for someone who needs that helping hand. It is never an easy transition, and I know from experience, and each transition is hard, especially when your caregiver also needs care. We all need that support and care, no matter our age. With life, there is hardship, no matter who you are, and when that hardship is illness, there is a sense of vulnerability, frustration, and the fact that death may not be too far away. What I really enjoyed about this memoir, was that it reminded me of my own family and personal connections, and I loved that where the author reflected on traditions, family history, there was that lingering hint of poetic beauty that gave the story that extra something special. I know that none of my successes could have been possible without my mother’s constant love and encouragement. She was the only person who saw me as the person I dreamed of being. Jason Irwin thank you for sharing your story and your mother with us. This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and pulls you in. Simply masterful. This is definitely a five plus star story, and it will be one that I will go back and read again. These Fragments I have shored is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.

The Past and the Present Are Together as One: an interview with Scott Silsbe in the Pittsburgh Review of Books

https://pghrev.com/the-past-and-the-present-are-together-as-one/ 

Donovan's Bookshelf: Review of These Fragments I Have Shored

http://donovansliteraryservices.com/may-2026-issue.html#hea1 

My mother was dying and all I cared about was getting enough sleep.

These Fragments I Have Shored opens with a descriptive bang that succinctly illustrates the terrible trials of caregiving, following a son’s progression through his mother’s death from cancer.

Six months after the initial diagnosis, Jason Irwin finds his hands full in ways he never could have predicted as events surrounding his mother’s final month of life dovetail with Irwin’s chronic own health struggles.

More so than most stories about death, caregivers, or mother/son relationships, These Fragments I Have Shored carries and delivers a brutal, eye-opening reconsideration of family ties and relationships tested by health challenges.

Irwin reviews his distant father, his protective mother, and his own growth in this family unit with an especially astute eye to explaining how these childhood influences both built or fractured adult responses and relationships:

Our conversations were brief and sometimes painful, populated by long silences. I learned to predict his responses. If I had some news, or something important to tell him, he’d nod his head, say, “Oh yeah?” then change the subject. Then we’d turn to the television to relieve us of the burden of talking. Television became our mediator, as I’m sure it did in households across the country.

The concurrent progression of a memoir that moves through childhood into adulthood with a story of ongoing health issues and their impact creates a powerful chronicle of the legacy of family guilt, shame, and adaptation.

These Fragments I Have Shored will thus reach an especially wide audience, from caregivers who may be surprised and engrossed by Irwin’s personal and family journey, which impacts all kinds of care given and displayed throughout his life, to readers who choose the memoir for its vivid family interactions and insights, and those attracted to its account of living in the world with disability and illness:

Living with roommates made it even more difficult to hide my disabilities. Getting drunk and acting like a clown were still my go-to strategies to hide my ostomies, though everyone in the house already knew. The only person I was fooling was myself.

The result is a pleasure to highly recommend to libraries seeking a wider-ranging memoir than most, and to readers who would absorb a life influenced by struggle, love, adaptation, determination, and family connections.

Book launch at White Whale Bookstore!

https://whitewhalebookstore.com/events

https://whitewhalebookstore.com/item/XphlcnFKaGa95iL9oYOrfg

Book Launch for These Fragments I Have Shored at Brillobox!

My memoir comes out on May 5, and on Sunday, May 17, will be the first of 2 Pittsburgh book launches. Come out to Brillobox to celebrate with readings by Jen Ashburn, Scott Silsbe & Bob Pajich. Kris Collins will MC. Big thanks to Luther Cosmo Ickes!
 

Trailer for These Fragments I Have Shored

https://vimeo.com/1176380499 

Reading with Jen Ashburn at Pitt Greensburg's Festival to Celebrate The Power of Storytelling

https://insiderupg.com/2026/04/02/thats-how-the-light-gets-in-pitt-greensburg-festival-to-celebrate-the-power-of-storytelling/ 

Thanks to Emily Harris & Rebecca Moon Ruark, for the first review of my forthcoming memoir, These Fragments I Have Shored.

https://rustbeltgirl.com/2026/03/18/these-fragments-i-have-shored-no-saints-no-martyrs-a-review/ 

Stay Gold Reading with Chandra Alderman, Taylor Grieshober & Scott Silsbe

 

These Fragments I Have Shored, forthcoming May 5, 2026 from Apprentice House Press

 

"The Legend of My Grandfather's Beating" in Lenticular, issue #4

https://lenticularlit.com/2026/01/19/legend-of-my-grandfathers-beating/