On April 29, 1986, a fire raged through the Los Angeles Central Library. Nearly every firefighter in the city was there. It was the greatest loss to any public library in U.S. history -- more than a million books were burned or damaged. In “The Library Book,” Susan Orlean writes about the fire, but the book is also a love letter to the LA Library, and its enduring place in the city’s life.
Author Susan Orlean on the fire that nearly destroyed the LA Central Library
Susan Orlean. Photo by Rosalie Atkinson/KCRW
Credits
Guest:
Susan Orlean - author -
@susanorlean
Host:
Madeleine Brand
Producers:
Sarah Sweeney,
Michell Eloy,
Amy Ta,
Christian Bordal,
Yael Even Or,
Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir,
Adriana Cargill