Fire Capt. Don Stukey probes damage after devastating fire in the L.A. Central Library. Published May 1, 1986. (Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times)
On April 28, 1986, the biggest library fire in the history of the U.S. destroyed and damaged hundreds of thousands of books at the Los Angeles Central Library. Author Susan Orlean, living and working in New York at the time, didn’t learn about the event until years later. When she did, she knew it would become the topic of her next book.
Called simply “The Library Book” Orlean explores not just the fire and the mystery behind how it occurred — but her own attachment to libraries and why they occupy such an important space in our society today.
Rethinking leadership in the U.S. African AmericanStudies professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. says Americans have looked to the political class to create a just democracy for too long – and it hasn't worked. In a new book he argues that we are the leaders we have been looking for and explains what that means for the 2024 election.
Menopause. Once a taboo topic, the "m" word is having a moment – among celebrities, in the media, and in Washington, where President Biden recently signed an order that supports research into women's health. Dr. Sharon Malone says it's about time, and explains why understanding "the change" is critical for a woman's ability to get – and stay -- healthy.
Donald Trump regularly ends his rallies with prayer. He has repeatedly compared himself to Jesus. And last week he started selling a version of the Bible. Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute weighs in on Trump’s growing embrace of Christianity.
Donald Trump has made cognitive ability a central issue of the presidential race. But he rarely talks about his own family's experience with dementia. The Washington Post's Michael Kranish on Fred Trump Senior's Alzheimer's disease and what voters deserve to know about a candidate's mental fitness.