A body has been found in the sand trap of an Oro Valley golf course.
At least, that is what happens in Northwest resident Donald Kilbourn’s book, “Murder on the 17th Green.”
Kilbourn, 92, who has lived in Oro Valley since 1991, absorbed his surroundings to put together a fiction book that explores hate crimes.
His book draws on something he witnessed on an ocean liner while serving in the Army during World War II as an artillery intelligence officer.
“I was overseas on the Queen Elizabeth,” Kilbourn recalled. “They had two drinking fountains in each location. One was white and another was black.”
Seeing a trend of racial discrimination during that time period, Kilbourn started to research hate groups in his own country. He found there were 400 hate groups during the Ronald Reagan era, the period in which the book takes place, and there are now 800 identified hate groups in the United States.
He decided to use his book as a catalyst for better relationships among people. The book centers on a Holocaust-related hate crime.
“I hope that it would make a little difference in terms of how people react to other cultures and other people,” Kilbourn said.
Kilbourn feels passionate about his subject matter, but that doesn’t mean his story came easily. It took a little time.
“I only wrote it only as the spirit moved me,” Kilbourn said. “Once I really got into it, I knew where the story was going.”
Kilbourn found out it wasn’t easy starting to write a book in his late 80s, despite all his education.
In his last years as a professor of psychology at Central Michigan University, he lead seminars for people who were about to retire. One of the main questions people had was “What will I do with all my newfound free time?”
Kilbourn told them to write their life stories, and then he took his own advice.
While recording his own history, Kilbourn became comfortable with writing. After that, he was able to start putting his ideas for a book on paper.
Among his other accomplishments, Kilbourn lists three degrees that he received at Michigan State University, including a doctorate in education. Also, on May 22, he and his wife, Helen, will celebrate their 66th anniversary.
Kilbourn’s book is available for purchase at Wheatmark.com and Amazon.com, and from other book retailers.
| Buying the book
Kilbourn’s book is available for purchase at Wheatmark.com and Amazon.com, and from other book retailers. |
