Career
Ghigna earned his Bachelors Degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1967 and his Masters in 1970. He taught English and creative writing at Cypress Lake Senior High School in Ft. Myers from 1967-1973. In 1973, he left high school and began teaching creative writing at Edison College before leaving to attend post-graduate courses in English and creative writing at Florida State University. While at FSU he served as poetry editor for English Journal published by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
In 1974, Ghigna moved to Birmingham, Alabama where he was a poet-in-residence at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. He worked there until 1993. During his years in Alabama, he worked with Alabama Educational Television where he created, directed, and performed in the children’s television series, Cabbages and Kings (1976), was an instructor of creative writing at Samford University (1979), became a correspondent for the Writer’s Digest magazine (1989) and authorized a national syndicated feature “Snickers” for Tribune Media Services (1993–1998) (Charles Ghigna, 2005).
By 1993, Ghigna’s work had not only been published but also won him numerous awards and honors. He also acquired the nickname “Father Goose,” an allusion to Mother Goose, which had been given to him by teachers and librarians when he began to share his poetry at schools and libraries. The name was adopted as children found Father Goose was easier to say and remember than Ghigna (Jesus & London, 2008). A change in Ghigna's career took place as he left teaching and began writing full-time after signing a four-book contract with Hyperion Books for children in 1992, in order to “reach more children by writing books of poetry to share with them during my visits” .
Writing poetry, especially for children, became the major focus for Ghigna, but he also continued to write for adults when the ideas presented themselves. Ghigna once said “ I hope my poems offer children an opportunity to explore and celebrate the joys of childhood and nature… humorous poems tickle the funny bone of their imagination.” (Charles Ghigna, 2005). “When he writes poetry or shares poetry with young people and teachers” he remembers the feelings of joy and “new sense of discovery” that he experienced after leaving English class (Ghigna, 2003). Through his continued accomplishments and ever growing list of literary works, Ghigna continues fulfilling these hopes and dreams today. He lives in Homewood, Alabama.
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