CLOSURE: Central Library will be closed Tuesday, July 21, through Saturday, July 25, while emergency repairs are made to the building’s cooling system. We expect to reopen Monday, July 27. Click for more details on holds, program schedules, and returns during the closure. 

Notice of Public Meeting: Kalamazoo Public Library Board of Trustees | July 27 | 5:30 pm | Central Library/Van Deusen Room. The packet of information for the meeting can be found on the library’s website

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Looking Back-Looking Forward

Year

2025

Language

ENGLISH

Publication Information

MainSpring Books

Summary

Writing Looking Back-Looking Forward was the way Ralph dealt with the profound grief a parent has when one of their children is murdered. It is, as the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children describes it, "A grief like no other." The poetry in the book is divided into six sections, representing the various stages of grief one experiences when they lose a child. Those stages listed are Grief and Loss, Despair and Denial, Questioning, Observations, Rage, and Acceptance and Realization. Writing, or expressing his grief through writing, along with reaching out to help others who suffer the loss of a child due to murder, was the motivating force that helped him to survive that ordeal-that, and his strong belief in God, as well as being a Christian.