Tuesday, March 19, at 6pm, a reading and discussion with Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book, which examines the unsolved mystery of the Los Angeles Public Library Fire.
The Los Angeles Public Library Fire in April 1986 was a catastrophic event – it was, and still is, the biggest library fire in American history. It burned for seven hours, reaching temperatures of over 2000 degrees, and destroyed or damaged over one million books. Investigators quickly decided the case was arson, but what kind of person would want to burn down a library? And why?
With her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, Susan Orlean investigates the legendary Los Angeles Public Library fire as only she can, and showcases the crucial role libraries play in our lives. In Orlean’s hands, the story of the Los Angeles library fire blossoms into a rich cultural history and a simmering mystery.
Weaving her life-long love of books and reading with the fascinating history of libraries and the sometimes-eccentric characters who run them, Orlean presents a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling story as only she can.
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation.
Endorsements and reviews of The Library Book:
“[A] kaleidoscopic and riveting mix of true crime, history, biography, and immersion journalism. While her forensic account of the conflagration is eerily mesmerizing, Orlean is equally enthralling in her awestruck detailing of the spectrum of activities that fill a typical Central Library day, and in her profiles of current staff and former head librarians…Probing, prismatic, witty, dramatic, and deeply appreciative, Orlean’s chronicle celebrates libraries as sanctuaries, community centers, and open universities run by people of commitment, compassion, creativity, and resilience.”—Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review)
“This is a book only Susan Orlean could have written. Somehow she manages to transform the story of a library fire into the story of literacy, civil service, municipal infighting and vision, public spaces in an era of increasingly privatization and social isolation, the transformation of Los Angeles from small provincial hamlet to innovative collosus and model of civic engagement—and the central role libraries have always and will always play in the life and health of a bustling democracy. Beyond all that, like any good library, it’s bursting with incredible tales and characters. There could be no better book for the bookish.” —Dave Eggers, author of The Circle
“Of course, I will always read anything that Susan Orlean writes—and I would encourage you to do the same, regardless of the topic, because she’s always brilliant. But The Library Book is a particularly beautiful and soul-expanding book—even by Orleanean standards. You’re going to hear a lot about how important this story is, for shining a spotlight on libraries and the heroic people who run them. That’s all true, but there’s an even better reason to read it—because it will keep you spellbound from first page to last.
Don’t miss out on this one, people!”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love and Big Magic