Andrea Hairston is a novelist, essayist, playwright, and the Artistic Director of Chrysalis Theatre. She is the author of Mindscape, shortlisted for the Phillip K. Dick and Otherwise awards, and…
Julia Perry (1924-1979) was an American composer of African descent who had remarkable success in Europe and the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s. She made an international impression with her Stabat Mater…
John Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama, the third oldest son of ten children. His father was a tenant farmer, while his mother earned extra money doing housework for other families. Lewis grew up in a…
California Nouns: People, Places, and Things Big Trees One surefire way to feel small is to hang out next to California's two species of extra large trees: Redwoods and Giant Sequoias. Closely related…
February is African American History Month, but every month is a good month to celebrate African American history and culture, and what better place to do so than your local library! Your Los Angeles…
Eliza Reid is a journalist, editor, and co-founder of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up on a hobby farm near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003, five years after winning a…
In order to showcase the technology available in the Octavia Lab, celebrate the diversity of Los Angeles, and demonstrate how library resources, such as Tessa, the library's online digital archive…
For many years it was hard to find and watch many classic and influential films by African-American directors: they were not widely distributed, they were not released on home video, or they were…
California Nouns: People, Places, and Things Deserts Did you know that deserts make up about 25% of the total surface area of the state of California? Although some consider them barren wastelands, if…
We Americans owe a profound debt of gratitude to activist Judy Heumann. The chutzpah she has demonstrated through decades of direct action has solidified fundamental civil rights for people with…
Thích Nhất Hạnh, the influential Vietnamese Buddhist monk who achieved a worldwide following with his message of mindfulness, peace, and compassion, died at age 95 on Saturday, January 22, 2022…
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times—the book was better! There's nothing like debating the differences between a favorite book and its translation to the screen. But if you don't…
Eva Jurczyk is a writer and librarian living in Toronto. She has written for Jezebel, The Awl, The Rumpus, and Publishers Weekly. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is her first…
Originally published on Friday, February 1, 2019, now updated for 2022.Since we last left you here…The Rams did play in Super Bowl LIII against New England. And they lost, 13-3, in one of the weirder…
You Chung (“Y.C.”) Hong (1898–1977) was a community booster, social activist, and immigration lawyer based in Chinatown in Los Angeles and is profiled as a part of Archives Alive: Stories and Voices…
Jenna Freedman is the founder and curator of the Barnard Zine Library. She's been making zines for most of the 21th Century, most recently a series about pandemic life called Unprecedented. She writes…
One of the most enjoyable aspects of having a Los Angeles Public Library card is the wide variety of lifelong learning opportunities available. Discovering new hobbies and learning for pleasure is…
Born in Illinois, Marie Rutkoski is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Harvard University. She is a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College and a New York Times bestselling author of…
In October 2019, Alma Velasco—an adult learner at the Echo Park Branch Library—got serious about becoming a US citizen. Alma sent in her application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and…
Joseph Knox was born and raised in and around Manchester, England, where he worked in bars and bookshops before moving to London. His debut novel, Sirens, the first in the Aidan Waits trilogy, was a…
Liana Jegers is an illustrator in Los Angeles, CA. She also helps run a small publishing house with her husband called Caboose Books. How did you get interested in zines? I'm not sure when I first…
112 years ago a remarkable event took place on Dominguez Hill in what is now the City of Carson, Los Angeles County. A scant six years after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North…
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times—the book was better! There's nothing like debating the differences between a favorite book and its translation to the screen. But if you don't…
Kim Newman is a popular and respected author and movie critic, known for his acclaimed alternate-history series, Anno Dracula. He writes regularly for Empire magazine and contributes to The Guardian…
