D.J. Waldie is a historian of Los Angeles, a memoirist, and a translator. He is the author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir (1995),...
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Scott Joplin, Treemonisha and American Opera
2017 marks the hundredth anniversary of the death, at the age of 49, of Scott Joplin, one of America's first great composers, and the composer of arguably the first important American opera: Treemonisha.
What Are "Air Rights" and Why Are They Important to Central?
What are "air rights," and why are they important to Los Angeles's iconic Central Library building? The short answer is that without the funds the City received for the sale of the development rights above Central Library, we might not have the Library building we have today.
Los Angeles and the Reintegration of the NFL
In 1995, after playing in Southern California for nearly 50 years, the Los Angeles Rams left the West Coast for the Midwest, to become the St. Louis Rams. They would stay there for 21 years, winning one Super Bowl title and losing in a second, before coming back to the Southland last year.
The Resistance Lives!
Resist!
Winter Dellenbach, activist, attorney, and proud first organizer of the Los Angeles Resistance, often ends her email correspondence with that simple call. Resist!
Going for the Gold: African Americans and the 1984 Olympic Summer Games
On January 25, 2017, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to give its final approval to the city’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Against All Odds: State & Local African American Politicians in the 1960s
The 1960s were a transformative period for the country with Civil Rights at the forefront. African Americans gained traction in political positions both at the state and local level, and Los Angeles was no exception. Fortunately, Rolland Curtis was around to document many of these leaders.
Original Children's Room Holds Art and ... Secrets!
I love taking tours through the old children’s room in the Central Library because it’s the only place in the building where one can stand close enough to the ceiling to see how artist Julian Garnsey’s painting skill created the illusion of wooden beams. The secret behind the illusion?
Ese-í, sí: entrevista con Alonso Núñez
Patricia Tarango, Senior Librarian, Alma Reaves Woods - Watts Branch Library, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Si tiene un hijo al que no le gusta ir a la escuela, el libro Ene-o, no es para usted. En este libro el pequeño protagonista se imagina lo peor, pero al final se da cuenta que la escuela tiene su lado bueno.
Honoring Native American Veterans
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the cultures, histories, traditions, and achievements of Native people. We also honor veterans this month, on November 11.
Are There Hidden Masonic Symbols on the Los Angeles Central Library? Part 2
In Part 1 of our post we looked at sculpture on the library’s exterior as it reflects an overall theme, The Light of Learning.