Book excerpt: Michigan’s city with a strange name has an even stranger—and spirited—past. The authors of Ghosts of Grand Rapids share its chilling tales. Kalamazoo’s violent and often anguished history has given way to myriad ghostly tales surrounding some of the town’s most prominent places. From the tortured souls roaming the Asylum Lake Preserve to the infamous suicide of the amateur actress Thelma, who reputedly haunts the Civic Auditorium to this day, it is no small wonder that the town is filled with apparitions longing to make their stories and their presence known. In this startlingly spooky collection of tales, ghost hunters Bray and DuShane gather stories from legend, lore and residents alike that bring new meaning to the age-old adage “seeing is believing.” Includes photos! “Highlight[s] over 30 different haunted locations in Kalamazoo including the Asylum Lake preserve, the Civic Auditorium, an abused grave marker that is supposedly responsible for demonic activity, and the gravesite of a deceased minister that oozes.” —Morning Sun