Virginia Foley
memoirist and nonfiction writer

About
Thanks for stopping by. I’m Virginia Foley, a Canadian nonfiction writer and memoirist.
I've had personal essays published in literary magazines, most notably: Dorothy Parker's Ashes, Read650, Talking Writing, The South Shore Review, Dreamers Creative Writing and Canada’s History Magazine,
I am currently writing a memoir that uses a metaphor of Broadway musicals. As a child, I was raised on the tunes of Rogers and Hammerstein, Gershwin, Porter and Berlin. In my book I explore the concept of a romanticized life and how I have striven to attain the happily-ever-after. Music returns continually as a leitmotif through periods of happiness and profound sadness as this quest plays out.
For many years I was a social worker, but realized that what I really enjoyed was writing newsletters, life histories and case notes. I left that world behind shortly after marrying a British man whose job relocated us to Wisconsin, Montana, Scotland and the British Virgin Islands.
In the past eleven years, my husband and I have moved nine times, witnessed five of our six children pledge their love in matrimony and welcomed new recruits into our combined family with the birth of seven grandchildren. Seven years ago we moved back to my homeland of Canada and for the past five years have settled into a house on a pretty lake in Ontario.


Personal Essays
We smiled at one another, my eyes
not wanting to lose the memory of his
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Car Talk, Dorothy Parker's Ashes - March 2022
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Not Brian, The South Shore Review - December 2021
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Peck, Read650 - August 2021
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Leading with My Heart, Dreamers - June 2019
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"I saw you last night and got that old feeling", The Senior Paper - November 2016
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Why Writers Need Daydreams, Talking Writing - October 2013
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We moved to paradise for work, Globe and Mail - February 2012
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Eco Vacation in Trinidad, In the Know Traveler - June 2010
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Road trip, Globe and Mail - May 2010
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Finding Uncle Danny, Canada's History Magazine - May 2009
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Laughter Through the Tears, Sasee - April 2009
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Back to My Roots, Brava - February 2005
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Walking with Dad, Music for the Love of It - December 2004
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Are you my mother?, Sasee - August 2004
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Parenting long-distance Style, New York Metro Parents - October 2004