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Write to Remember

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This is an OPEN, perma-free book written to honor the memory of precious loved ones. Writing a tribute is an act of gratitude and a priceless gift to future generations. If you have ever wanted to write something to celebrate the life of a favorite relative or in honor of a personal hero, now is the time to do it. Submit your 4,000-10,000 word tribute/memoir; if it's good I'll add it as a Chapter and re-publish at no cost. Find me on social media (Phil McQuillan or @mcquillan_phil).

The first story in this collection covers almost forty years of the colorful home life of my father Philip — his favorite hobbies, the foibles and mini-obsessions that made him such a memorable character. Philip’s little recipes, his night job as a radio announcer, his board game "crimes" and his love for horse racing, golf and gardening all combine to paint the richly detailed portrait of a man we cannot help but grow to love. The stories/tributes that follow by Jane Franklin and Liza D Wolfe are equally entertaining, very personal glimpses into the life and times of their beloved parents.

66 pages, ebook

First published November 9, 2013

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About the author

Philip J. McQuillan

1 book9 followers
Philip J McQuillan was born in 1954 in Michigan. He spent his early school years in Philadelphia, PA and Vineland, NJ. After a brief career in commercial shipping, he moved to Costa Rica and spent 20 years there raising a family, teaching English and Spanish in his free time. In 2001, he returned to the US with his second family, eventually moving back to NJ to be closer to his father in his waning years.

A first-time author, Philip draws inspiration from his late father Philip Louis McQuillan.

He encourages everyone to write about someone they knew and loved. Having passed away, their stories are sacred memories. Please do not let them be forgotten. Whether you decide to author a book of your own, or choose to add a story to the tribute and memoir collection "Write to Remember", your gain is the same- you will enrich your life and the lives of your children.

He would love to hear your story and help you to gain an audience for it! You can reach him at mcquillanphil@gmail.com or on Facebook at Phil McQuillan.

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Beem Weeks.
Author 14 books147 followers
February 11, 2014
Have you ever wondered about those ancestors that came before you? I’m talking about your grandfather’s uncle. Do you know anything about that sort of relative? If you’re like most people, you know next to nothing. It’s just the way of life. A person can be virtually forgotten within two generations.

Philip J. McQuillan understands this fact of life all too well. So he set about ensuring his own father wouldn’t be lost to future generations of McQuillans. His book, entitled Grandfather’s Uncle, is not about his granfather’s uncle. Instead, it tells the story of the author’s father, painting a wonderful picture of the man, his times, and the things in life that brought him joy. Most importantly, this book captures the personality of a man no longer residing in this realm.

Big Philip, as the father was known, lived to the ripe old age of ninety-eight. Philip, the son, documents Big Philip’s love of card games, cooking, golf, tennis, classical music, and great literature. But the author takes it even further, sharing the many favorite words and phrases spoken and savored by Big Philip, going so far as to present these in bold type throughout this memoir to his father.

Big Philip spent his life as a high school English Literature teacher. He also worked evenings as a radio announcer at a local radio station. You could say the man was a people person of the first order.

Now, before you decide this book isn’t for you—who cares about another person’s memories, right? Wrong! This is an important contribution to history. It brings back to life an everyday-American worthy of being remembered. These memories stirred up my own recollections of long-gone grandparents, great-uncles and aunts, and the close family friends no longer on planet Earth. We all know about Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Harry Houdini. These were famous people, men made immortal through the dozens of books, movies, and documentaries depicting their lives. But what about those, like Big Phil, who weren’t considered famous? Are they any less worthy of being remembered? Thankfully Philip McQuillan thought to capture this amazing man and his life on the pages of a book.

This is a short read, running at about thirty pages. But it is no less entertaining than a three-hundred page biography. This is something we should all consider. I lost my father just two years ago. I now have grandchildren who will never know that man. To write my remembrances of him would be a gift to my grandchildren, sure, but it would also honor the one I called Dad.

I enjoyed reading this memoir. I am certain that many others will take great joy in it as well
Profile Image for Benedict Stuart.
Author 7 books71 followers
August 19, 2018
Sweet Memories!

Nice and sweet way of remembering our loved ones and family, our history, artifacts, culture etc. Great idea of an open-ended story, which could be extended with numerous contributions.
Profile Image for Grady.
Author 49 books1,783 followers
June 12, 2014
‘Inimitable’

A bit about the author of this brief but memorable little book: Philip Jude McQuillan was born in 1954 in Michigan. He spent his early school years in Philadelphia, PA and Vineland, NJ. After a brief career in commercial shipping, he moved to Costa Rica and spent 20 years there raising a family, teaching English and Spanish in his free time. In 2001, he returned to the US with his second family, and eventually moved back to his hometown to spend time with his father Phillip Louis McQuillan in his autumnal years.

One aspect that form this information makes us respect and perhaps love the author is the fact that he is setting an example of what he urges us all to do – write a memoir for those in our midst who have passed and must always be remembered, a trait that he declares will make our own lives the richer for having honored our past. Fathers Day is this weekend: this is a perfect gift to spread among family members for memory’s sake.

‘Philip Louis McQuillan was born into a large family in Philadelphia, PA on August 23, 1913. He died on November 18, 2011 in Bridgeton, NJ at the ripe old age of 98.’ So begins Philip Jude McQillan’s memoir of his father, a man he describes as having a gentle understated humor, a flair for vocabulary, a passion for reading Shakespeare, Aristotle, St Thomas Aquinas, Robert Frost and more – his treasure chest for holding favorite phrases and words he incorporated for his own use in his role as a teacher of high school literature (and a radio announcer). Some of his favorite and much used words: time-honored, inimitable, insipid, connoisseur, and comme ci comme ça he ad libbed at will. We are reminded that Philip (father) grew up in the Great Depression, surviving without the fine things in life but substituting instead his joy in reading and words and family (his older brothers and sisters had all been encouraged into a joining a convent or the priesthood leaving Philip to be the only family man with his only-child wife, Jean.) It is that marriage and family life that is recreated so beautifully here.

The author closes his brief but touching memoir with the following: ‘Looking back, Philip’s life was a study in selflessness. A marvelous sense of humor and a never-ending willingness to help, remain his two most memorable characteristics. That and the image of him tossing a kitchen towel over his left shoulder as he went about the business of cooking and serving three meals a day… and serve he did for more than half a century as a husband and a father and a good friend. If ever there were a man, happy and willing to serve others, that man was Big Philip.’ We all need more books such as this, and as the author
suggests, we also need to write them! Highly recommended – for many reasons!
Profile Image for Donna McBroom-Theriot.
Author 1 book64 followers
June 25, 2014
Grandfather's Uncle is a wonderful book written in a Reader's Digest style. We all love hearing the stories of the generations before us and Phil McQuillan has taken the stories that have filled his life and compiled them into a book that is a heart-warming read and offers the reader an opportunity to see who McQuillan's father was and how entertaining he could be. His father loved Shakespeare and words and this was truly a part of the story that I loved. I love words and I was entertained by the numerous quotes and words. His father was a man who not only loved the English language, but used it to its fullest. I also liked how the author used a bold font to set these apart from the other words.

McQuillan has worked hard to ensure that the memories of those who knew his father and those who loved him most are not forgotten. It is a wonderful read and such a treasure to leave behind for the generations who will only know the man through the stories handed down by each generation.
I am giving GRANDFATHER'S UNCLE five stars.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Susan Joyce.
Author 14 books144 followers
March 18, 2015
Phil McQuillan believes that stories are sacred memories and invites readers and writers to pay tribute to a family member, or someone special, by writing their story down. Phil wrote the first story in this 'work in process' book to honor his beloved father; his hero! His heart-warming account of his father's gentle ways is touching indeed and assures his father's story will live on for future generations.

To date, there are three short stories in this open book. Phil is joined by authors Jane Franklin and Liza D Wolfe as they fondly and honestly remember the life and times of their parents; the good and the bad. The unique writing styles add to the charm of this project as all three authors bring their heroes to life.

Memorable memories!
Profile Image for Gisela Hausmann.
Author 42 books363 followers
February 28, 2015
Philip McQuillan’s short book is not only wonderfully sweet, loving and deeply touching, it also raises a very important question:
“Who among us can remember, much less write even a scrap about the life of our grandfather’s uncle?”

As it so happens my family is struck with longevity; almost everybody, who did not die during the war, lived past their 90th birthday. That means that I personally knew one of my great-grandfathers and one of my great-grandmothers. However, since every able man had to serve during WWII I knew neither one of my grandfathers; both of them died at the Eastern Front, in Russia.
Which makes Philip McQuillan’s point – I know nothing about them! While I have heard some stories, I have no idea how they walked and talked, how they laughed and loved.

McQuillan decided to hinder that his father would become part of such a void; he is keeping his father alive – with a book. A wonderful writer Mc Quillan created a portrait, which lets “Big Philip” (his dad) become a part of every reader’s life:
“…He was a man of simple pleasures who loved reading, cooking and getting in a few rounds of golf or tennis. A swim in the ocean, a game of cards, classical music and great literature—these were a few of his favorite things. It always seemed that whatever he was doing, that was also his favorite thing. I have yet to meet anyone with so few dislikes, so few complaints and such a wonderful acceptance of life just as it is…”

It turns out that Big Philip also loved poetry and quoting famous authors (‘the masters’), he also read and reread them. Big Philip liked to prepare chicken (no dinner was complete without a bird), loved the lighthearted competition of a card game, and most certainly his vegetable garden. (The book includes a picture of Big Philip working the garden.)

As I am listing only these very few facts I am proving the author’s point: I know more about his dad than about my own grandfather.
I like this author’s dad. In particular I like the fact that “Big Philip” used special words to give his life and his perception of the world his flavor:
“… his own inimitable brand of understated humor. That, as you can see, was one of his favorite words. Inimitable—a wonderful word that describes him completely; truly he was one of a kind!...”

Big Philip also liked the word ‘connoisseur’ and to me it is clear that he was a connoisseur of life itself. It must have been the teaching of these special qualities, which made his son, “little Philip”, reach beyond just telling the story. ‘Little Philip’, now author Philip McQuillan, is encouraging his readers to participate and share stories about important people in their lives. I think it a wonderful idea. Grandfathers are supposed to be story tellers. Once their stories are written down they can stay story tellers forever. Seriously hoping that McQuillan can take such a project off the ground. In theory I could even see it as a sort of project for cultural understanding. Who knows what we could learn from grandfathers from different countries. Getting carried away I could even see this as a world-wide project for father’s day.

An awesome idea, Philip, keep on going! You are onto something!

Your book is highly recommended.

Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger
Profile Image for Debbe May.
Author 2 books6 followers
January 30, 2015
Write to Remember
What a lovely idea! As I read the poignant stories told of the loved ones featured in the book, all kinds of thoughts sprang into my mind. I was thinking of stories I need to pen in honor of my dad, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even dear friends. I also think we should start this with our loved ones who are still with us. Then my mind began taking other leaps considering the possibilities with this. Scrap-booking is so popular, so why not make a memory book of a loved one or loved ones and give them as gifts. In fact, this is being done frequently to keep the mind that has started down the harsh road of Alzheimer’s Disease. These books could be given to other family members for Christmas and birthday gifts or to honor a remembered anniversary or whatever.
If I have any criticisms at all about the book, it is the length which was a little daunting for me, but it wouldn't be for the person who was reading about his or her loved one. I also saw a couple of grammatical and spelling errors, but that is hard to avoid and happens sometimes even when you hire an objective editor. It happens all the time. When the book is really good and compelling reading, I can accept a couple of errors as long as they don’t distract from the overall nuance of the book.
This was a clever, worthwhile project. The three contributors have differing writing styles and approaches. All of them write honestly, remembering the good and the bad about their loved ones. I can sense that all three loved their subjects. While in some cases, there were people with unpleasant issues, they were still loved and they were loved for their strengths. All three authors brought their loved ones to life and that was the point of the book. You felt like you knew them, too.
I hope I take the inspiration I got from reading this wonderful book and use it for positively to memorialize some of the special people in my life. Passing down the genealogy of our family tree is important, but special memories of our loved ones are more important. It gives is a sense of belonging and understanding why we are the way we are
Profile Image for Kathleen Pooler.
Author 3 books34 followers
October 19, 2014
Memoir author Philip McQuillan has a fascinating idea. Write a story to keep his beloved father's memory alive and in the process, invite other readers to add their own family stories to the narrative. Grandfather's Uncle is a stand-alone story that is a work-in-progress memoir. Book 1 contains three stories from three separate authors, Phil, Jane L. Franklin and Liza D. Wolfe.The book remains free to download on Amazon so writers can readily access the story and participate in the author's project by sending in their own stories for consideration.

McQuillan sets the template by writing an engaging, heartwarming story about his father. Affectionately dubbed "Big Phil" by his family, his father comes alive on the page through Philip's vivid descriptions and dialogue as does the love between father and son. He uses the effective technique of putting his father's characteristic words in bold font. The reader can almost hear "Big Phil's" voice through scenes of day-to-day life in the McQuillan household. It is delightful in its simplicity and colorful presentation of a man who was admired and loved by his family and now can be enjoyed by many others. His writing style is reminiscent of a story from Reader's Digest or Country Living magazine- everyday stories of everyday people. Following suit with vivid descriptions of every day lives, Jane Franklin invites us to meet her parents Eddie and Marge and Liza Wolfe, her mother , Rose. These are all loving and believable tributes of family memories. After only sixty-six pages, I felt like I had met "Big Phil, Eddie and Marge and Rose. I commend the authors for these enjoyable, witty stories about beloved family members. I also commend Philip for his innovative mission of helping others keep their loved one's memories alive for generations to come. In my opinion, this is a noble mission and storytelling at its best -preserving family memories through the recollection of the details of the personalities and unique mannerisms of the loved one's whose memories we want to preserve.
Profile Image for Bryan.
Author 9 books18 followers
March 5, 2014
It feels inordinately petty to nitpick a son’s loving biography of his father, but the nits in question are pervasive and significantly hindered my enjoyment of what is otherwise a moving recollection.

I was touched by the author’s desire to immortalize these memories of his father, in no small part because I lost my own father four months ago. As a memorial, as a way to keep Big Phillip’s memory alive and share it with others, ‘Grandfather’s Uncle’ succeeds. The anecdotes presented are poignant and often humorous, thankfully without candy coating or whitewashing Big Phillip’s occasional rough edges. This aspect of the book is excellent, and I would gladly recommend it for that.

My biggest issue is with the author’s decision to mark words and phrases Big Phillip was fond of by putting them in bold letters. Having these pop out at random, sometimes several to a page, made reading difficult. Try as I might, I couldn’t make myself ignore or read past them. The distraction these bolded words caused was significant, and that’s the only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five.
Profile Image for Dustin Stevens.
Author 81 books262 followers
February 14, 2014
At first glance, the title Grandfather’s Uncle seems a bit out of place. As the author is quick to point out though, it comes from the axiom that nobody ever really knows a thing about their grandfather’s uncle. Fearful that his own father may one day fall into such a state, he set out to put down his fondest memories of the man.

This is a memoir of a man looking back on the fond memories he has of his father. What makes it even more poignant is the author is writing from the position of knowing that as a child he put his father on a pedestal, but as an adult came to see he was right to do so.

An easy, enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Sean Torres.
Author 7 books2 followers
February 13, 2014
I was touched by the words that I read from 'Grandfather's Uncle'. It reminds me something that an older family member once told me before he passed away. Pretty short, but the message to what the author was trying to tell you go through.

The only issue I have is that it should be formatted correctly; proper spacing between paragraphs.

Other than that, I enjoyed this short read.
Profile Image for Sharron Riddle.
Author 11 books55 followers
March 4, 2014
The title is deceptive. This book was a short, nostalgic memoir based on the author's father, a school teacher and his family life growing up. The book was told in narrative. Some things were explained in great detail, others I would have liked to know more about. I liked that the author bolded his father's favorite words and expressions. Overall, this was an easy read.
Profile Image for Stan Morris.
Author 17 books63 followers
February 11, 2014
A rather odd choice for a title, for it has very little relation to this short story's subject, which is the author's father. It's a nice memoir, though by the end you get the feeling that he is remembering his father through rose colored glasses. A good read with no grammatical errors.
Profile Image for Ann.
225 reviews
June 28, 2014
This is the kind of book we all talk about wishing our family had for one of its members. Very touching.
Profile Image for Philip J McQuillan.
Author 1 book9 followers
Read
January 5, 2015
Editorial Review

Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

Lovingly crafted memoirs, when offered with honesty and true devotion, have a particular warmth and charm seldom found in any other kind of writing. Write To Remember [old title: Grandfather's Uncle] by Philip McQuillan is no exception. There is such a naturally conversational singularity of purpose in McQuillan's writing that the act of reading this paean to his father becomes a privilege - a rare opportunity to know a true character through the eyes of those who loved him most. McQuillan's objective is to ensure that his colorful, witty, and wryly entertaining father (who passed away recently at 98 years of age) will not be forgotten. In this respect, Write to Remember succeeds brilliantly.

McQuillan's father was a devotee of Shakespeare and a great lover of words; hence, the text of Write to Remember is peppered with many seldom-seen words and phrases, all of which appear in bold font to make the reader feel closer to the subject. It would be easy for some to say that Write to Remember is too personal to appeal to a wide range of readers, but such a cursory assessment would do it a great disservice. In truth, it is its simple purpose and straightforward approach which render it refreshing and, ultimately, beguiling. In the Afterword, McQuillan offers readers an e-mail address to use in giving feedback on Write to Remember and encourages them to craft personal memoirs of their own loved ones 'hic et nunc' - here and now - while they are still fresh in memory. Such a noble intention is not easily diminished or discounted. Write to Remember offers many valuable lessons as it brings to light the wit and wisdom of a man worthy of being remembered for generations to come. ~ Readers' Favorite [new title: Write To Remember]
Profile Image for Book.
305 reviews14 followers
December 27, 2016
"‘Grandfather's Uncle"’ written by Philip Jude McQuillan is a very touching tribute to the author's father, and it seems that a reader can almost imagine this person given the width and depth of which he was beautifully described by the author.

His father was one of those unique fathers that one could only desire, full of charm and sense of humor, and as McQuillan so nicely describes him on the pages of his book storing him into eternity, a reader can only envy him if he/she did not have the luck to have such a father.

Philip Jude McQuillan lived in different places, experienced a lot of interesting things and wisdom speaks through the pages of his work. And although his work is short, he manages to tell a lot more than some on the few times longer books - his writing is concise, without redundant overwritten phrases and therefore his book can be enjoyed entirely.

He beautifully said: "“These pages are about my father, not about my grandfather'’s uncle. I know absolutely nothing about my grandfatherÂ’s uncle. I can say with almost total certainty that no one alive today knows anything about him either. Is that such a terrible thing? Maybe, maybe not. I do know that it would be a great personal tragedy of my fatherÂ’s memory was to pass into nothingness of total anonymity just like my grandfather'’s uncle(s). If I can help it, I am not going to let that happen to my father".”

I hope that these words will inspire you as they inspired me not to let history of my closest ones to remain unrecorded, to disappear. And for this reason I can certainly recommend this little book given its scope but extensive due to the strength of message it carries.
Author 14 books18 followers
May 11, 2016
Grandfather's Uncle is a delightful story, and Phil McQuillan can be happy that he has accomplished his purpose, i.e. making sure his dad is remembered for the guy he was. We're asked to recall our own family members, and I had a moment of resonance when I read that Big Phil's mom wrangled a family of twelve. My own mother was the oldest and the only girl of twelve in Ireland. Every time her mother had a baby she was pulled out of school to take care of the family. It's no wonder I learned to take a punch from her - a little too often. It was nice to meet Big Phil and the rest of the McQuillan family. Nice work.
Profile Image for J. A.  Lewis.
430 reviews3 followers
February 4, 2016
A tribute to one man's memories of his father, particularly to the words and phrases he used during his lifetime. While I certainly find it admirable to keep our ancestors' life and memories alive by getting it in writing, I would have enjoyed this one more if there had been more to the story. It's only about 30 pages long.
Profile Image for Eileen Carter.
1,628 reviews7 followers
October 27, 2015
The short stories in this book are enjoyable but write mainly for the author to preserve the memory of their family members. I did find it amusing about the scrapple, as I am a fan of it myself.
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