Jonathan Pigno has just published The Island Never Burned So Bright. The book is a poetic memoir of a twenty-something Staten Islander's thoughts, observations, and struggles in a post-9/11, post-Hurricane-Sandy world. His collection of "broken hymns" aims to capture the ways in which hope and faith are discovered in the midst of skepticism and anger.
Pigno finished his degree in English at Wagner in 2011 and a masters in Adolescent and Special Education in 2014. Some of his memoir was inspired by his formative years at Wagner. He has published numerous poems, short stories, and articles in magazines such as Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Five 2 One Magazine, Asbury Pulp, and the Staten Island Advance. He was featured in an earlier English department post in 2013 for his story "Atompunk Wife" in the science fiction magazine 365 tomorrows. You can read more of Pigno's work on his website.
