Porch Passages

A Lifetime of Porches and Home Repair Projects Published

Interior, exterior, do-it-yourself, or watching others do the work on television – whether “Trading Spaces” or “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” or good old Bob Vila – America is immersed in home repair. Few compare to Angelo Daluisio’s personal experiences, though. Throughout his life, this humble handyman has worn many hats: building inspector, contractor, woodworker, teacher, parent... And, now, author.

Spanning several decades, the author has successfully completed hundreds of construction projects for others, and also thoroughly gutted then rehabbed two homes for his wife and two daughters. All along, he has been taking notes, writing down his experiences and memories – each of which takes place on a great American altar: the front porch. From being a boy and getting yelled-at by his father for having his feet up on the railing, later laying back on his new in-laws’ on his wedding night, then “reincarnating” the original porch that once graced his current home, to working alongside his daughter for pay, sharing his know-how... Some hilarious, others serious, the insights of Porch Passages are so personal that they are truly universal.

“Initially, I only wanted to write a diary, just something to give my daughters,” explains the author, “But the more I remembered, the more it meant to me, and it grew from there. Porches have always been an important part of my life, and it was cathartic to get all of these memories off my mind and onto paper.”

Needless to say, the wide, welcoming porch where Angelo has found such solace and inspiration was he built by himself, with the help of family, friends, and his wife, Pam. Ironically, without Pam, this porch would not even exist: Before buying their current home in Lancaster, New York, she made Angelo promise to rebuild the front porch the way she remembered while growing-up down the street. It is stories like these, snapshots of life and family, that makes Porch Passages so profound.

Now a Technology Education Teacher at Orchard Park High School, Angelo takes full advantage of his summer vacations, greeting every morning from his favorite chair on his front porch, hoisting his cup of coffee in salute as his neighbors head to work. However, having completed so many projects, Angelo is the first to admit that they have taken a toll. Will he ever buy another fixer-upper?

“No way.” he says without hesitation. “Maybe my mind could take it, but my body couldn’t. Just writing about all of these jobs made me ache... No way, no thanks.”