Charles Ghigna
Known as Father Goose, he has sprinkled over 5,000 poems into the world, making poetry playful and accessible for children and adults alike.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American poet and author·Birthday: August 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Charles Ghigna, or Father Goose, has spent a lifetime proving that poetry is not a rarefied art but a daily joy. From his early days as a creative writing teacher to a long residency at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Ghigna's mission has been demystification. He writes with a deceptive simplicity, crafting short, rhythmic verses that stick in the mind and roll off the tongue. His work, spanning more than 100 books, fills a crucial niche: it serves as a gateway for young readers to discover the music of language, while his adult poetry often reflects with gentle wit on nature and human experience. Ghigna's true achievement is building a vast, welcoming body of work that treats poetry as a fundamental form of communication, not an academic exercise.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Charles was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored more than 100 books and an estimated 5,000 poems for children and adults.
- Served as the poet-in-residence for 30 years at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
- His poetry has been featured on episodes of the popular children's television show 'Between the Lions'.
- Received the Christopher Award and several IRA/CBC Children's Choices awards for his books.
Did You Know?
He adopted the pen name 'Father Goose' early in his career to create a memorable identity for his children's poetry.
He wrote a weekly poetry feature for 'Highlights for Children' magazine for over 20 years.
One of his most famous poems is 'Tickle Day', which became the title of a popular children's book.
He is a former instructor of creative writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
““Poetry is the shortest distance between two hearts.””
