Charles Ghigna - Father Goose® lives in a treehouse in the middle of Alabama. He is the author of more than 100 books from Disney, Random House, Schiffer, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Time Inc. and other publishers, and more than 5000 poems, many of which appear in textbooks, anthologies, newspapers, and magazines including The New Yorker, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, as well as in Highlights, Cricket and numerous other magazines for children. He served as poet-in-residence and chair of creative writing at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, instructor of creative writing at Samford University, poetry editor of English Journal for the National Council of Teachers of English, and as a nationally syndicated poetry feature writer for Tribune Media Services. He speaks at schools, conferences, libraries, and literary events throughout the U.S. and overseas, and has read his poems at The Library of Congress, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the American Library in Paris, the American School in Paris, and the International Schools of South America. For more information, visit his website at FatherGoose.com FatherGoose.com
Age 3
Bayside, New York
1949
Age 9, 4th Grade
Tice Elementary
Fort Myers, Florida
1955
Photos
1972-2015
with daughter, Julie
Fort Myers, Florida
1972
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
1973
Birmingham, Alabama
1974
(photo by Beck Wilson)
Northeast Mississippi Jr. College
Booneville, Mississippi
1976
Huntsville, Alabama
1976
(photo by Tim Weber)
with Debra Ghigna
Homewood, Alabama
1977
Homewood, Alabama
1977
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
National Writers Conference
Denver, Colorado
1978
Alabama State Poetry Society
Arlington Home
Birmingham, Alabama
1978
with poet Robert Hayden
Library of Congress
Washington, DC
1978
with poet Robert Hayden
Montgomery, Alabama
1979
Linn Park
Birmingham, Alabama
1980
(photo by Dale Short)
Columbiana, Alabama
1981
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, Alabama
1982
Baylor School for Boys
Chattanooga, Tennessee
1982
with James Baldwin
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, Alabama
1982
(photo by John Northrop)
after grandfather's funeral
New York City
1982
City Lights Bookstore
San Francisco, California
1983
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra
Baylor School
Chattanooga, Tennessee
1983
(photo by Finn Bille)
with James Dickey
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, Alabama
1983
(photo by John Northrop)
with James Dickey
Birmingham Art Museum
Birmingham, Alabama
1983
(photo by John Northrop)
with Debra Ghigna
Seattle, Washington
This photo was taken right after my interview with NASA Space Center
for the Poet in Space Project on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
President Reagan later changed the mission to the Teacher in Space Project.
The Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight,
killing all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe,
the teacher chosen for this mission.
1984
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, Alabama
1984
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Homewood, Alabama
1987
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Creative Writing Lab
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Birmingham, Alabama
1991
with two of my creative writing students, Heather Brinson and Brad Armstrong.
Brad won 1st Place for Poetry and Heather won 1st Place for
Fiction.
This was the first time two student
winners came from the same state (Alabama),
same school (Alabama School
of Fine Arts), and the same class!
Previous student winners include Sylvia Path,
Truman Capote,
John Updike, Stephen King, and Amanda Gorman.
Waldorf Astoria
New York, New York
1991
with son, Chip Ghigna
Backyard, Homewood, Alabama
1992
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Chip and Debra
Homewood, Alabama
1992
(photo by Jerry Ayres)
Homewood Park
Homewood, Alabama
1993
School Visit
Birmingham, Alabama
1994
Booksigning
Books-A-Million / Eastwood Mall
Birmingham, Alabama
1994
with Pat Gauch, Jon Agee, and Eric Carle
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1997
Homewood, Alabama
1999
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Chip Ghigna, Julie Pierce, and Debra Ghigna
San Francisco, California
1999
(photo by Scott Pierce)
Birmingham Public Library
Booksigning with Rick Bragg and Debra Ghigna
Birmingham, Alabama
2000
with Debra Ghigna, Michel Levaton and Diana Levaton
at the Levatons' home near
Giverny, France
2002
with Honey and children
in the front yard of our home
Homewood, Alabama
2003
(photo by Beau Gustafson)
Jonathan Benton Bookstore
Mountain Brook, Alabama
2003
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna
Jefferson County Board of Education
Birmingham, Alabama
2005
with Honey in the Treehouse
Homewood, Alabama
2006
(photo by Beau Gustafson)
with Debra
Homewood, Alabama
2008
(photo by Beverly Taylor)
with wife Debra Ghigna, son Chip Ghigna, and daughter Julie Pierce
Seattle, Washington
2009
(photo by Scott Pierce)
with granddaughter, Charlotte Rose Ghigna
Toys R Us
Birmingham, Alabama
2011
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Charlotte Rose Ghigna
Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham, Alabama
2012
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Charlotte Rose Ghigna in the Treehouse
Homewood, Alabama
2012
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Homewood Public Library
Homewood, Alabama
2012
(photo by Brigid Galloway)
Texas Library Association
Dallas, Texas
2013
with Rebecca Davis, Charles Waters, Amy VanDerwater, Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Texas Library Association
Dallas, Texas
2013
with grandson, Christopher Pierce
Seattle, Washington
2013
(photo by Scott Pierce)
Reading to children on a float
Homewood Christmas Parade
Homewood, Alabama
2013
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Deborah Fout, Homewood Library Director
Christmas Parade
Homewood, Alabama
2013
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
Charlotte Rose Ghigna serenades Father Goose
Homewood, Alabama
2014
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna and Librarian, Ashley Fowlkes
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
Bowling Green, Kentucky
2017
with daughter, Julie Pierce
at the top of the Statue of Vulcan
Birmingham, Alabama
2014
(photo by Scott Pierce)
with Debra Ghigna (wife) and Chip Ghigna (son)
St Tropez, France
2015
(photo by Diana Levaton)
with Debra Ghigna, beach party
St Tropez, France
2015
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna in Montmartre
Paris, France
2015
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
St Tropez, France
2015
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Charlotte Rose Ghigna
Chip Ghigna Art Show
The Ellenburg Art Gallery - Homewood Library
Homewood, Alabama
2015
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Birmingham, Alabama
2015
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Books-A-Million
Brookwood Village
Homewood, Alabama
2015
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Alabama 5-City Book Tour
with Anna from the movie Frozen
with Anna from the movie Frozen
Huntsville, Alabama
2015
Tea Time in the Treehouse
Homewood, Alabama
2015
Booksigning
with Charlottle Rose Ghigna
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, Georgia
2016
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Sixes Elementary School
Canton, Georgia
2016
The Walker School
Marietta, Georgia
2016
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna
Honfleur, France
2016
(photo by Chip Ghigna) 
with R.L. Stein
"Father Goose meets Goosebumps"
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
Bowling Green, Kentucky
2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
Bowling Green, Kentucky
2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with granddaughter, Charlotte Rose Ghigna
Homewood, Alabama
2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna and Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Homewood, Alabama
2017
Inside the Treehouse
Homewood, Alabama
2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Out the window of the Treehouse
Homewood, AL
Dec. 8, 2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna
The Roosevelt Hotel
New York City
Dec. 13-18, 2017
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Chip Ghigna
The Roosevelt Hotel
New York City
Dec. 14, 2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with Debra Ghigna
Museum of Modern Art
New York City
Dec. 15, 2017
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Chip Ghigna
Bryant Park
New York City
Dec. 17, 2017
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
National Science Teachers Association Conference
Atlanta, GA
March 17, 2018
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
with editors
National Geographic Books for Children
American Library Association Convention
New Orleans, Louisiana
June 25, 2018
with editors
Whitman Publishing
Alabama Chapter of the American Pediatrics Meeting
Florence, Alabama
August 28, 2018
National Book Festival
Washington, DC
Sept. 1, 2018
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
School Visit
Birmingham, Alabama
2019
Alabama Literacy Association Conference
Birmingham, Alabama
Nov. 1, 2019
Homewood Public Library
Booksigning
Homewood, AL
Jan. 2, 2019
Meadow View Elementary School
School Visit
Alabaster, AL
Mar. 7, 2019
Books-A-Million
Brookwood Village
Homewood, AL
Mar. 23, 2019
Auburn University
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
Auburn, Alabama
Apr. 13, 2019
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
May 1, 2019
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
In the Treehouse
Homewood, Alabama
July 16, 2019
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
Trussville Public Library
Trussville, Alabama
Oct. 6, 2019
(photo by Chip Ghigna)
with Homewood Librarians
Mary Eller, Deborah Fout, and Laura Tucker
at the Jefferson County Public Library Association
Champions Banquet
Hoover Met Center
Hoover, AL
Dec. 3, 2019
with Librarians from the Children's Department
of the Homewood Public Library
at the Jefferson County Public Library Association
Champions Banquet
Hoover Met Center
Hoover, AL
Dec. 3, 2019
with Mayor Scott McBrayer
Homewood Public Library
Homewood, AL
Dec. 14, 2019
Chip Ghigna and Charles Ghigna
backyard of home
Homewood, AL
April 2020
(photo by Erin Nelson)
Homewood, AL
December 2020
(photo by Debra Ghigna)
Little Professor Bookshop
Homewood, AL
May 1, 2022
(photo by Elise Ferrer)
