Every day, hanging above our family television, stood a picture of a lone figure of a tall stoic man that I had never met. A man who traveled somehow from Italy to West Virginia. He had little, perhaps, despite having little to hold, he carried a dream. He was my father's father, my grandfather. I heard stories of his life in West Virginia, but I didn't know how he traveled to arrive there.
One day my wife and I visited the Statue of Liberty and stood spell bound as the giant torch and the lady stood in a way that made you stand still. It was though she was holding a torch so I could see something I didn't plan on viewing.
We marveled at not only the people who were there, but couldn't help but think of the thousands who had passed by the harbor. We wondered about the little children lost in new surroundings. Family that were separated by people who guided them in wrong directions.
I was connected to the story of the lady who welcomes all who travel to see her. Little did I know how connected I am to this story. Upon traveling to Ellis Island, we could not help to avoid the stark slates that have thousands of
names on them.
They represented some of the people who passed by the harbor.
Behold, it was then that I noticed my grandfather's name. I took a picture. I was able to send the picture to my father who was sick in bed. A story was added to the picture.
The story of Domenick Cordi.
I imagined the trevails he endured from Italy to our shores. I wonder, how did he get by not knowing any English? What did he carry with him? At what point, did he meet my grandmother. There was something about knowing this piece of the story that made me closer to him and my father.
I returned to this time when I read Bound to Dream. The author too traced a story of a relative. Charles Ghigna was able to find more of his story. It is detailed in this inviting picture book.
The brilliant illustrations by the talented Anna Forlati only accentuate the story. Each page takes you to a different time, but also takes you on the journey of the main character, Carlo's discoveries.
I was able to talk with the author who shared more of the story. He shared more of the story behind the work.
The story tells how Carlo sailed on a steamship from Italy to New York City, in concise and picturesque language we begin to understand it is not an easy journey, is there anything more to the story that you would have liked to share but were not able to due to a 32-page limit?
Oh yes, so much more! In my research of the story, my family and I traveled to Greenwich Village in New York to visit the homeplace of my great grandfather. Across the street on the corner was a wonderful old pub that had been there since the 1800s. We imagined my great grandfather stopping in there in the evenings on his way home from his bookbinding shop. My family and I visited that pub and raised a toast to Carlo, thanking him for sharing his love of books with the world.
Another wonderful backstory is that the talented young Italian artist, Anna Forlati, lives in Northern Italy not far from where my great grandfather lived when he was a boy.
This is a true testament to the art of book binding, how much research did you do in the art of book binding?
It was fun researching this book, not only from the family history point of view, but also delving deep into the art of bookbinding back when books were made by hand with real leather bindings.
What advice would you have for the person who wants to share, in print or telling, a family story but has trouble finding it?
Like most of my writings, I began by allowing the story to come to me. Rather than start with research, I began by imagining how young Carlo felt during those lonely early years coming to America with no money, not able to speak the language, only a sack of clothes and dream. It was those early imaginings I had of him and his adventures, hardships, and challenges that started me writing.
How is the poet a storyteller?
Great question! I believe all poets are storytellers — and all storytellers are poets!
...Whether you are a poet or a storyteller or an artist in waiting, we encourage you to find out the story of travel and share it. Tell us about it. What was it like for your grandparents to come to America or some other place. Many stories await because we have not asked the questions or made the time for the questions to be asked. We invite you to share the tale, write the poem, find the unknown and believe in the discovery.
What a journey. Charles's continues to be shared. I invite you to check out his upcoming book. Southern Bred: A Memoir of Gothic Poems
Please check out all his work, his website can be found at
Southern Bred is a haunting, powerful collection of gothic poems that captivate and transport the reader into the heart and soul of the Deep South. Each poem offers a glimpse into its mystery and enchantment, drawing you in with a blend of beauty and darkness. In the style of a memoir in verse, it showcases Ghigna's southern soul and his tender, yet piercing language, and affirms his place as one of the finest poets of our time.
We invite you to the blog. I hope to see you there. If you have a book or want me to profile your work with story, contact me. (See contact pages.)
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