Early American colonists brought with them traditional European names for the full moons, of which most years have 12. There they met original Americans, especially the Algonquins, who had their own…
In almost any documentary, TV show, or feature film about the “peace & love” Sixties you will likely hear the familiar chime of a 12-string electric guitar arpeggiating its way through “Turn, Turn…
Poetry can be expressed in many ways. Although traditional poetry fills library shelves, so do novels written in verse. This unique style of storytelling encourages intentionality with every written…
Pip Williams was born in London, grew up in Sydney, and now lives in Australia’s Adelaide Hills. She is the author of One Italian Summer, a memoir of her family's travels in search of the good life…
Maru García is a Mexican artist who is now based in Los Angeles. Her work merges the fields of art, science, and technology. She often uses organic, living material in her artworks to explore…
Alice Wynne is a Los Angeles based zinester and writer. Alice loves coffee, community, learning stories, and researching. With advice from zine librarians and educators far and wide, Alice started the…
Narratives attached to events in LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) history like the Stonewall riots and other uprisings often de-emphasize the work of transgender…
Munish K. Batra’s cosmetic practice is one of the busiest in the nation, and Dr. Batra has been featured in People, The Los Angeles Times, and many other national media outlets. He is active in…
There’s hardly any greenery in Koreatown. The parks in Koreatown are sparse and run down. There aren’t many places where the community can really come together and bond, which is why a community…
This month marks the 180th anniversary of the publication of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Widely recognized as the first modern detective story and the progenitor of the…
I stand in awe of a large Ash Tree, growing in my backyard for thirty-seven years. This tree not only provides wonderful shade during summer, but also is a place of rest for birds and squirrels. I can…
Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Gods in Alabama and The Almost Sisters. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. A former actor…
Alexandre Dorriz’s research-based work informs the viewer of a data-driven concept accompanied with a visual format that presents data as entities tied to economic systems with or without links to…
On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson performed one of the most significant concerts in American history. Though Anderson was originally scheduled to perform in Washington D.C.'s…
W. S. Winslow was born and raised in Maine but spent her working life in Boston, New York, and San Francisco. A ninth-generation Mainer, she now lives in a small town Downeast most of the year. She…
Curtis Mayfield was a musical giant. He started his own independent record label in the late 1960s, wrote more than one hundred original time-tested songs, and carried with him one of the most…
Did you know April is National Humor Month? Laughter is necessary to keep spirits lifted and hold onto a positive attitude. Reading a funny story, poem, or collection of jokes will bring a smile to…
Willy Vlautin is the author of five novels: The Motel Life, which was made into a film starring Dakota Fanning, Emile Hersh, and Stephen Dorff; Northline, Lean on Pete, which won two Oregon Book…
In the folktale Stone Soup, a traveler is turned away from an inhospitable community until he claims he can make soup from a stone. As he boils a stone in a pot of water, people are drawn out of their…
If you look up, "What is a crayon?", you will get a dictionary definition like this: A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels…
The idea of adapting classic stories into a graphic novel format is intriguing. Moreover, classic books are listed on required reading book lists and are a staple of libraries. Therefore, it’s not…
You may know Monica Shannon as the author of the 1935 Newbery Award-winning book Dobry, but have you read her fairy tales set in California? They are remarkably descriptive and among the strangest…
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are highlighting the women who have served as councilmembers of the Los Angeles City Council. Make sure you check out our previous three posts to learn…
After admiring her maps for several decades I began to ponder why the great Ruth Taylor White does not have a place in Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers or even a Wikipedia page. After all, she must be…
