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Author Brad Meltzer and his latest novel, The Viper
Photo of author: Donna Newman
Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, January 22, 2026

Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of...

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forks, spoons, and knives

Hey Everybody, It’s Tanka Tuesday! Here Is a Brand-new Batch of Poems About Your Favorite Food

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

As part of our celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Los Angeles Public Library staffers were challenged to write a haiku or tanka poem about their favorite food. We unveiled the first group of haikus last Friday, and now it’s tanka time!


Collage of great operas adapted from classic books

Music and the Words That Inspired It: Compare These Operas With Their Literary Sources

Robert Anderson, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Monday, May 18, 2020

Many of the world’s great operas have been adapted from or inspired by, classic and popular works of fiction, poetry, and drama. In some cases, an opera’s librettist follows the source material’s plot closely, while other adapters take considerable liberties with the story as originally written.


photo collage with ramen soup, cappuccino and baguette bread

Hang Onto Your Hashbrowns—it’s Haiku Friday! Time to Enjoy the First Batch of Haikus About Your Favorite Food

Christa Deitrick, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Friday, May 15, 2020

Last week we threw out a new poetry prompt for the month of May, asking Los Angeles Public Library staff to write a poem about their favorite food or dish.


Collage of television adaptations of books

Read it First: At Home Television Edition

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Friday, May 15, 2020

A common complaint leveled against film adaptations is that they often cut too much of the original material to fit their run time. This is where miniseries and television shows can really shine. With more time to tell the story, they can often provide a more faithful adaptation.


Florence and Dexter at home

Sharing Stories: LA COVID-19 Community Archive

Kelly Wallace, Librarian, History Department, Friday, May 15, 2020

History is more than government documents, statistical reports, and newspaper headlines. History isn’t just the chyrons running across the bottom of your television screen. It is the stories of everyday people.


Collage of empathy books

The Power of Empathy: Library Values Outside the Library

Jacob Lackner, Messenger Clerk, Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library, Thursday, May 14, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Public Library has to adapt to a different world.


Graphic of blooming cherry blossom tree

Cherry Blossoms and Our Asian American Pacific Heritage

Eileen King, Librarian, Art & Music Department, Thursday, May 14, 2020

Are you ready for a springtime of cherry blossoms? Like the countless petals carpeting the ground beneath the cherry tree, there are many ways to enjoy celebrating the return of warm sunshine, cool breezes, and the pale shades of pink of these five-petal flowers.


Collage of children's books about California

California Books for California Kids

Sara Rebman, Librarian, Children's Literature Department, Wednesday, May 13, 2020

California, the golden state, has always inspired people. Over the years movies have been made, songs have been recorded, and books written. But are there any children’s books about our fair state?


Book covers of recommended Pantone and color related books

Which Pantone Color of the Year Are You?

Rachel Kitzmann, Adult Librarian, Art, Music and Recreation Department, Tuesday, May 12, 2020

In the year 2000, Pantone, a company most known for its precision color matching system, announced its very first Color of the Year. By 2007, the December announcement of Pantone’s Color of the Year had become a much-anticipated event, forecasting graphic design, fashion, and product trends.


Book covers of recommended hydroponic gardening books

Hydroponic Gardening

Jack Stephens, Librarian, Science, Technology & Patents Department, Friday, May 8, 2020

The name hydroponics for the practice of growing plants using only water, nutrients and a growing medium—i.e., without soil—was coined in 1937 by UC Berkeley scientists Dr. William Setchell and Dr. William Gericke. The name derives from hydro, the Greek word for water, and ponos, the Greek word for labor.


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