Portland observer., March 22, 2023, Page 7, Image 7

March 22, 2023
Page 7
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
New Book Asks
“Can you Guess?”
Los Angeles author and poet Michael E. Hudson Sr. has roots in
Oregon where he earned a degree in communications from Pacific
University.
Black Trivia and
other Great Tales
By Michael Leighton
“Trivia from the Three Trails,”
an encyclopedic collection of
short stories by Black author and
poet Michael E. Hudson Sr., won-
derfully puts your mind to work
by asking, “Can you Guess?”
You’ll love the brain twist-
ers and the diversity of topics to
explore. The author’s interests
in social justice, race, religion,
popular music and other topics
shine brightly in this February
2023 publication available for
purchase on Amazon.com.
Inspired by the concept of peo-
ple coming together on paths of
life where gossip and informa-
tion is shared and traded, Hudson
engages in a guessing game for
thought-provoking stories which
reflect on a variety of entertaining
subjects and people, both current-
ly famous and historic.
The Harlem Globetrotters are
known for breaking racial bar-
riers, for example, but in “The
Team That Always Loses,”Hud-
son brings out some fascinating
facts behind the team’s loyal op-
ponents.In another piece, “Cas-
sius Marcellus Clay,” the story
is based on the greatest, Muham-
mad Ali, and his ancestor who
was named after an abolitionist
and politician who served under
President Lincoln.
In another chapter, “Baby-
face and Stephen” the trivia is
about miracles and “When you
believe”as Mariah Carey and
Whitney Houston join one of
America’s most famous R&B
composers to produce a number
one hit song.
In “Rachel,” Hudson exposes
some facts behindMeaghan Mar-
kle’s name and other royal ties
to California, such as theBritish
House of Windsor and Windsor
Hills, a neighborhood in Los An-
geles where Markle’s mother re-
sides.The author’s “The Poem’’
explores the origins of the song,
Lift Every Voice and Sing, the
Black National Anthem. And in
“Daniel,” you discover how Lou-
is Armstrong took Jewish music
and jazz to form his own style
and reach the top of the entertain-
ment world.
Other highlights from the
book include “The Paratroop-
er,” a story about Jimi Hendrix,
the greatest guitarist of all time,
who as an honorable Black vet-
eran, played his own version of
the National Anthem to capture
American glory.
“Trivia from the Three Trails”
is a good read that captures the
author’s spirit of sharing.
Michael E. HudsonSr. has
roots in Oregon where he earned
a degree in communications from
Pacific University and currently
serves on the university’s Board
of Trustees. A native of Los An-
geles where he currently resides,
“Trivia from the Three Trails”
is his fourth book, following “A
Night on the Bus,” “Three Sec-
onds of Black” and “Les Chan-
sons pour Jennifer.”
March is National Reading Month!
Reading is
fundamental
In honor of Dr. Seuss' birth-
day, March is designated as
National Reading Month. A
month to motivate Americans
of all ages to read every day.
Reading is fun and has many
benefits, regardless of your
age. It's a key component of ed-
ucation and professional devel-
opment. It also has immediate
and long-lasting health bene-
fits such as increased cognitive
function, memory, vocabulary,
empathy and decreased levels
of stress. Studies show Just like
going for a jog exercises your
cardiovascular system, reading
regularly improves memory
function by giving your brain a
good workout. Reading books
about different people, places
and experiences is critical to
healthy child development and
should be a priority, particular-
ly in early literacy.
A parent’s understanding of
each element at play in their
Parents reading with their children greatly support their literacy
growth. Photo courtesy of the National PTA
child’s school reading life will
support their personal growth,
and their advocacy can serve
the greater student communi-
ty. Literacy is an essential life
skill. Of all the gifts we give
our children, knowing how to
read is the one that provides
the foundation for the rest of
their lives.