Susan Orlean: The Library Book
About this episode
Susan Orlean discusses her book about the 1986 fire at the LA Public Library and the mystery surrounding it.
Author Susan Orlean wrote a best-selling book years ago that you’ve probably heard of: The Orchid Thief . It was made into a movie called Adaptation. Susan has now written another book—this one about an unexpected crime that might not have been a crime at all. A fire in the LA Public Library destroyed more than 400,000 books in 1986. Did they find out what caused it? Or who? Susan tells me the story in her book, The Library Book. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my books: katewinklerdawson.com Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @wickedwordspod (Facebook) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Instagram) 2026 All Rights Reserved See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Kate Winkler Dawson
Guest: Susan Orlean
Topics covered
- true crime
- library fire
- book discussion
- author interview
- Los Angeles history
- crime investigation
Keywords
- Susan Orlean
- The Library Book
- LA Public Library
- 1986 fire
- true crime
Sponsors
unknown
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: LA Public Library
Books & works: The Library Book, The Orchid Thief, Adaptation
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