Kevin Quirk: Memoirs for Life

I began writing people's stories about 30 years ago. As a newspaper reporter and magazine freelancer, I enjoyed the challenge of interviewing some interesting person for a day, or even an hour, and providing an engaging profile. One subject told me, "It was like you knew me as well as my closest friends."

After I left journalism in 1987, I found an even more challenging subject: me. I used journals to explore my dreams, recapture childhood memories, and make sense of a turning-30 life passage. As I sifted through my own story, I also studied psychology and spirituality. I began to see the true benefits of writing about our lives.

Author, Ghostwriter & Teacher
Flash forward to 1998. My book NOT NOW, HONEY, I'M WATCHING THE GAME (Simon & Schuster) was featured on 20/20, CBS This Morning, National Public Radio, Sports Illustrated, Redbook, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. This self-help guide for the spouses of "sportsaholics" included parts of my story, and the exposure led me to others who wanted help with their own books.

I became the ghostwriter of CAUGHT IN THE NET by Kimberly S. Young (Wiley & Sons), a groundbreaking book on how people get hooked on the Internet that has been translated into four languages and featured in Time, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Through my service A Writer's Eye (www.awriterseye.com), I have helped many authors with books designed to bring positive changes in our lives and in our world.

I teach writing classes at the University of Virginia School of Continuing Education and Professional Studies and the OLLI. Through my writing service and my classes, I found more and more people contacting me because they felt strongly drawn to write their memoirs. That's when I decided to launch Memoirs for Life and join the Association of Personal Historians.

The Power of Memoirs
Almost every day, I am reminded how there is nothing more powerful than telling our story. This has been dramatically true in my work on BRACE FOR IMPACT with the survivors of the Miracle on the Hudson, for whom the experience has been a shake-up and a wake-up to a life with more love, gratitude, faith and meaning. I have witnessed the major life change of Pearl Collis Kochan as I helped her write TO JOHNIE WITH LOVE, a tribute to her late husband. So when I work with you on your memoir, I aim to do more than record history. I want to help you shape a beautiful story. As one client told me, "You are like the weaver of a lovely quilt." In offering fresh eyes and ears on your story, I will become an ally who encourages you to really "go for it."

In addition to a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in Writing, I also have a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology and for eight years ran a part-time counseling practice, specializing in life transitions, career renewal, and relationships. So I bring to Memoirs for Life an added appreciation for the full dimension of our life's journey.

What's New in '10
Much is happening in 2010. I’ve been spreading the word about BRACE FOR IMPACT, which launched in January with book signings in midtown Manhattan and the Jersey shore of the Hudson. This inspirational book chronicles the life changes of 25 survivors of Flight 1549, with messages for all of us in living with more meaning and purpose. It has been featured by dozens of national, regional and local media forums (http://braceforimpact.hcibooks.com). March events include a two-day talk and workshop “Brace for Impact: Life Lessons from Survivors of the Miracle on the Hudson” through the Spirit Path at Unity Village program March 19-20 near Kansas City (www.unity.org/Events/Spiritpath/Retreats/braceForImpact.html), and the Virginia Festival of the Book on March 21 (www.vabook.org). Also, I continue to work on my guidebook for writing your own life story: Your Life Is a Book – And It’s Time to Write It! This book shares everything I have learned through assisting clients and teaching life-writing classes for 13 years.

Recent books released by my clients include The Empowered Patient by Julia Hallisy; A Sacred Walk: Dispelling the Fear of Death and Caring for the Dying by Donna M. Authers; and Luisa’s Nature by Mark J. Stevens. I continue to teach life-writing classes for the University of Virginia School of Continuing & Professional Studies and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. In June, I presented at the first Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium. Stay tuned for further updates!