Memorial Day: Don’t Forget the Fallen

 As you prepare for what I hope is a long, wonderful weekend, take time to remember those who have served and bravely made the ultimate sacrifice. In their honor, here are a few Memorial Day observances...

Great Book Alert! Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

My entire life I was convinced that books were my passion until I realized that they were the porthole to my real passion—history. (What gave it away, I wonder…the documentary collection, the repeated readings of Shelby Foote’s Civil War trilogy, the college major?).

On the book front, I’ve been on a roll lately. Somehow—and I honestly don't know how this happened—I missed Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin when it was released last year. And shame on me. Needless to say I’ve made up for lost time and devoured the non-fiction thriller in three days. 

Author Hampton Sides (Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder, Americana) is a truly proficient storyteller and at top of his game with the hold-your-breath Hellhound—a lightning-quick account of the months leading up to and the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. All three of book’s principal characters—a human King; his assassin, the enigmatic James Earl Ray, and J. Edgar Hoover, a riddle who for years waged his own campaign to bring down the Civil Rights leader, but instead would be tasked with hunting down his killer. A riveting three-parter, Hellhound does the impossible—it humanizes King, while giving us a glimpse into the troubled Ray, who not only engineered an ingenious escape from prison (he was on the lam when he shot King), but very nearly evaded justice for one of the most notorious slayings in history. 

Sides is at his best when describing the moments following King’s killing (a brutal, sometimes beautiful rendering by the author), the night after his now prophetic Mountaintop Speech, when he said “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!” 

My one quibble (maybe) is that Hellhound is a little thin on Ray’s motives for killing King beyond racist comments and a connection to George Wallace’s presidential campaign—a shortcoming Sides compensates for with a compelling story and meticulous reporting. 


I encourage you to read all about it in the book! And please leave a comment to recommend what I should be reading…

O, No! Please Don't Go!

T-minus four episodes before the Oprah Show takes a final bow, and this armchair historian has been glued to the tube every day at 4 o’clock to see what’s coming down the pike (Oprah pays the mortgages of every member in the audience, then takes care of the national debt?).

OK, so the ramp-up to Oprah’s big farewell has been a little much, even for me (a total sap).  Which marketing genius did Harpo get to create those curtain call promos, anyway—the “remember-when” montages featuring O audiences shrieking like jungle monkeys, crying like babies, and rocking out to whoever their Leader has managed to coax on stage after a 30-year absence, six months in rehab, a stint in prison, and other drama that only Oprah has access to. (Watch out, Nike, you’ve got competition of the advertising gold variety.)

This season has been a non-stop promo for OWN, a parade of celebs worshiping at the altar of Oprah, and more “A ha” moments than I ever thought I’d see in my lifetime. Oprah pulled out all the stops to outdo herself (the only person who could—and did, revealing to the world a long lost sister!). She even managed to make amends with James Frey for heaven’s sake, by offering up an apology—and a not-so subtle treatise on the evils of leading from your Ego—years after publicly stoning the man. 

While the idolatry for Oprah borders on unhealthy, her influence on popular culture and her place in social history is unequaled. Detractors might say, “Well, she’s only one person. She hasn’t cured cancer or anything.” True, but here’s the point: a whole lot of people have faith that she—Oprah, not the president (who many believe is occupying the Oval Office thanks to O’s endorsement)—has this kind of power. We’re talking real sway, people. And, like her or not, she uses it—for good.  In my world, this forgives all other talk show trespasses. (Remember when Oprah shared the same demo as Maury?) Like it or not, the world has witnessed Oprah make history (many times over).

Here, a few of The Oprah Show’s greatest hits:

•    Oprah’s Book Club launches (“Night” finally sees the light of a new day...and people dig it!)
•    The Rwandan family reunion
•    The Great Audience Car Giveaway of 1994
•    This season’s “Ultimate Favorite Things” two-parter (I wonder if the one guy in the audience commanding the attention of Camera B ever recovered?)
•    Oprah’s bra intervention (thanks to this episode, I am actually wearing a bra that fits, and you probably are too)
•    Oprah drops a bombshell (back the truck up Oprah, you have a half-sister you never knew about?)
•    Oprah reveals she was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, starting a national discussion
•    World, meet Dr. Phil

 What’s your favorite O(MG!) moment? Please post a comment and share with us!

HerStory: History is NOT Boring

In middle school—way back when history teachers moonlighted as gym teachers and history curricula consisted of dates with no relevance to 7th graders and definitions that only resurface on final Jeopardy! (a fave, by the way)—the logic that brainwashed people into believing that “history is boring” had legs. (I never drank the kool-aid, personally, but I understand how this rumor got floated.)

The launch of Herstorical Perspectives marks an enlightening separation of fact (history rocks!) from fiction (“history is boring”). As a porthole through which to examine history as it relates to all aspects of modern culture and lifestyle through a uniquely feminine lens (in short, no look backs at the Teapot Dome scandal or analysis of General Patton’s battle plans), Herstorical Perspectives will emphasize that which is most fascinating—the narratives of people, places, and turning points; the human element of the past that informs the present.

Those who recently read Stacy Schiff’s insightful Cleopatra: A Life or Laura Hillenbrand’s page-turner Unbroken know how compelling narrative history is. If you forgot (or simply never realized), Herstorical Perspectives aims to change your mind.