Meet Gisella Faggi
Gisella Faggi is a writer and nonprofit consultant based in Chicago. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in such journals as So to Speak, About Place Journal, and War, Literature & the Arts, among others. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she has received awards and fellowships from 33 Officina Creativa, Columbia College Chicago, and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She provides writing and consulting services to social services, advocacy, and arts organizations, and is currently at work on a novel.

Q + A

What inspires you?
I tend to gravitate toward stories about individuals who exist between identities, cultures, places, bodies, etc. I’m bicultural, bisexual, and a Gemini; needless to say, I’ve always felt a pull across multiple identities. That fascination with the “in-between” was what first led me to volunteer as an English teacher for newly-arrived immigrants and refugees in Chicago, which ended up being the catalyst for my career in social services.
On a broader scale, I draw daily inspiration from the activists and organizers I know (many of whom are also artists). Artists and organizers complement one another: artists are working to shift cultural values, organizers to shift policies. At a certain point, those two things will hopefully align and that’s when change can happen. It’s a long game, though—one that often seems futile and can last beyond the scope of a single lifetime. You just have to push forward, sometimes in a world that is hostile to your work, and keep believing that one day you’ll reach someone. It's an extreme act of faith.

What new thing have you learned recently?
I recently learned the etymology of the word “conversation”. It stems from the Latin conversari which meant “to dwell among” or “to keep company with”. I’m really charmed by this idea of conversation as a way of keeping company with someone, whether through words or action or presence—conversation as being beyond the verbal.

What is your favorite place to travel to?
Italy! I’m half Italian and have spent a lot of time there, even living in Rome for a while. There are so many other countries that I’d like to visit, but whenever I have the time and money to travel, visiting friends and family always takes precedence. Italians like to complain (especially about Italy), and I’m very Italian in this way. Really, though, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than on an Italian beach in the summer.

Tell us about a time you surprised yourself.
I surprised myself by going freelance. I graduated college in 2009 with an art degree and a staggering amount of student loan debt. The idea that I could ever become a working artist seemed impossible.  Fast forward ten years: I had been working in a social services agency, doing really meaningful work, but, creatively, I was exhausted. I knew that I wanted to center my writing and creative practice in my day-to-day life, so I spent about ten months building a freelance practice, mostly writing grants for nonprofit organizations. When I eventually got invited to participate in a month-long artist residency, I knew that it was time to leave my job and dive headfirst into this new career. It was terrifying and thrilling all at once. It felt as though I was relinquishing all control and giving myself up to the universe. 21-year-old me could never have imagined ever taking this leap of faith; it was a sure sign of my own evolution.

What is your favorite quote?
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Anais Nin.

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