It’s time for the iGene Awards – an opportunity for the participants in the next Carnival of Genealogy to share what they consider to be their best posts in the categories of Best Picture, Best Screen Play, Best Documentary, Best Biography, and Best Comedy.
I selected many of the winners, in part, based on reader input. And now, the envelope, please…
The Nativity is a photograph of a stained glass window I took at the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Albany, New York on 09 Jul 2007. The main reason I’ve awarded the iGene trophy to this photograph is that the St. Vincent de Paul Society (England and Wales) chose the photo for the cover of the Winter 2007 edition of their newsmagazine, Vincentian Concern.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international Christian volunteer organization serving the impoverished and disadvantaged. IÂ was pleased to help the organization by providing the cover photograph for their publication.
Best Screen Play: The Biography of Katarzyna Dańko
Although I wrote the post on the Biography of Katarzyna Danko, the biography and the English translation were provided by Kasia Tropiło. Kasia is the great great grandaughter of Katarzyna Dańko, and Kasia is probably my fourth cousin, twice removed. Kasia and I still need to obtain two marriage records to prove our relationship.
In addition to the English translation, I posted the story in Polish as Katarzyna Dańko: Biografia.
Katarzyna’s life story is both wonderful and terrible at the same time. Her story is interwoven with that of Marysia, a baby abandoned on Katarzyna’s doorstep and raised as Katarzyna’s own. At the beginning of World War II, Katarzyna and Marysia were arrested by the Soviets and exiled to the Gulag. Perhaps the saddest part of Katarzyna’s story is that the final years of Katarzyna’s life were echoed by hundreds of thousands of other Poles sent into exile by the Soviets.
I’d love to see Katherine Hepburn playing the starring role of Katarzyna and a young Elizabeth Taylor (from about the time of National Velvet) playing Marysia.
Best Documentary: Ethics in Publishing Family Histories
By far, the most widely read article I’ve ever written is “Ethics in Publishing Family Histories”. The article was originally written for the 29th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by footnoteMaven. Not only did the article generate more traffic to my blog than did any other article, but it also generated the greatest number of comments, some by genealogy luminaries. The article has also been reprinted in a number of genealogical society newsletters across the country.
The first part of this five part miniseries about my mother was published on the anniversary of her birth – October 6. The installments included:
More than any other biographies I’ve written, I felt it important to tell my mother’s life story.
On a side note, the photo of my parents, above, was taken on 15 Feb 1947 – 61 years ago tomorrow. My parents were married three months after this photo was taken.
Best Comedy: Love Song to a Fruitcake
Written for the Carnival of Advent Memories, Love Song to a Fruitcake is a sonnet in iambic pentameter, 14 lines with a rhyme scheme of AABB CCCC DDEE FF. This is the first sonnet I’ve ever written, and the first poem I’ve written since elementary school. It’s not a poem that will set the literary world on fire (the title is probably the best part of the sonnet), but I hope it brought smiles to a few faces!
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
I couldn’t agree more with your choices, Steve. Congratulations on having your photo picked for the cover of Vincentian Concern!
Yes, the title “Love Song to a Fruitcake” is a winner for sure but you’re no slouch in the poetry department Steve. There must be a bard in your ancestry somewhere!
These are wonderful, thank you so much for choosing them.
Great choices all! I very much enjoyed your Albany series and I’m happy that Vincentian Concern featured your picture!