On This Day: May 25

In the mood for a good movie? Some toe-tapping music? A thrilling book? ON THIS DAY will lead you to new possibilities every day, tied to interesting moments from history and popular culture. Whether it’s streamable and downloadable music and film, e-books and e-audio, or physical books and DVDs, we hope you’ll find something to enjoy as you pick up a few bits of history each day.

	On this day in 1803, Edward Bulwer-Lytton was born. For nearly fifty years, beginning in the late 1820s, Bulwer-Lytton was one of England's most popular novelists and playwrights. These days, he's best remembered for coining a few enduring phrases -- "the pen is mightier than the sword," "the pursuit of the almighty dollar," and the opening line of his 1830 novel Paul Clifford, "It was a dark and stormy night." His novel Rienzi is perhaps the most frequently encountered of his works, even if only indirectly, in the form of Richard Wagner's opera. Wagner's Rienzi is available for streaming at Hoopla.
	On this day in 1908, Theodore Roethke was born. Roethke was one of the most acclaimed American poets of his generation, recipient of the Pultizer Prize and (twice) of the National Book Award. He was also an acclaimed teacher of poetry and poetry writing. Roethke's father was a gardener who owned a large greenhouse, and Roethke said that the time he spent there greatly influenced his writing, which is filled with images of nature. The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke is available as an e-book from OverDrive, or in print.
	And on this day in 1921, Kitty Kallen was born. Kallen began her career singing with some of the most popular big bands of the 1940s, and sang on several hit records with Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James. She went solo in the 1950s, and recorded her signature song, "Little Things Mean a Lot." At the height of her career, Kallen was so popular that there were three other singers touring the country, billing themselves as Kitty Kallen. The Kitty Kallen Collection covers her full career; it's available for streaming or download at Freegal.

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The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest most diverse population of any library in the United States.

Through its Central Library and 72 branches, the Los Angeles Public Library provides free and easy access to information, ideas, books and technology that enrich, educate and empower every individual in our city's diverse communities.

With more people than ever before using the library—a record 17 million last year alone—your support helps the Library provide people with the resources they need to succeed and thrive.

How to support the Library

You can support the Los Angeles Public Library in several ways:

Join a “Friends” group. There is a “Friends of the Library” group for most branch libraries and departments of the Central Library. Friends groups raise money for improvements to their library through memberships, used book sales and other activities. For more information click here or talk to your local librarian.

Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. The Library Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds for Library enhancement programs such as adult and early literacy, children and teen reading clubs, technology, and cultural programs. Foundation members receive a variety of benefits with their membership. For more information, see http://www.lfla.org.

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