Book Talk: Road Trip Detour by Richard Martin Miller-Murphy

A moving memoir of loss, mental health, identity, family, and resilience—showing how life’s detours can lead to purpose and hope. About the Book Road Trip Detour: Exploring Life’s Journey by Chaplain Rich Miller-Murphy shares his early and mid-life struggles with mental health after losing his partner of 10 years to AIDS, his mother to pancreatic cancer, and his grandfather to heart surgery complications in 1990-91, and subsequently learning of his own illnesses. At the time, he led a double life afraid to share his own sexuality for fear of discrimination and what effect the truth might have on his career. Family support and love coming from friends, and work colleagues helped him through two inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations over forty years ago. Life changed immeasurably in his late forties and early fifties with his same sex marriage in 2004 and the birth of double miracle twins in 2007 using a gestational carrier. Road Trip Detour shows that life’s challenges can lead to a meaningful and purposeful life by having a positive outlook and accepting help when you need it most. The book is authentic, sensitive, and sometimes shocking from beginning to end. About the Author Richard (Rich) Miller-Murphy, the oldest of six children from an Irish Catholic family experienced many emotional, mental and physical challenges, or detours, on his life journey. First earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Fairfield University, then a Masters in Business Administration, focusing on Policy and Strategy from the Pompea School of Business at the University of New Haven, finally a Masters in Chaplaincy focused on Interfaith viewpoints from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary). Rich worked in the “for-profit” medical device industry and the “nonprofit” transfusion medicine field, both in New York City. He now directs his efforts on hospital chaplaincy and helping others navigate end of life challenges. Together with his husband of more than thirty years, and twin children, he now lives in Litchfield, Connecticut.