When Spray Cans Meet Quill Pens

What Do You Get When You Introduce L.A.-Area Graffiti Artists to 400-Year-Old Books?

When Johnny Cash covered Nine Inch Nails, he revealed the beautiful dissonance of kindred spirits from two different worlds interpreting a single piece of art. “Scratch,” a new exhibition opening tomorrow at the ESMoA art laboratory in El Segundo, puts that same sensibility on display through the work of street artists inspired by rare books from the 15th to 18th centuries.

In 2012, art collector Ed Sweeney noted that the street artists he knew often carried black books filled with ideas for and drafts of their own art, plus tags by …

Our Epic 2014 Summer Reading List

Zócalo Writers and Speakers Pick Their Favorite Nonfiction Books to Savor Through September

Every day, Zócalo hosts writers and speakers from around the world in order to bring you the smartest, most thoughtful humanities journalism and events out of L.A. And we don’t …

The Mysteries of Our Connected Age

Rewire

The beginnings of the Iranian revolution in 1978 took Western intelligence forces by surprise. The CIA was watching palaces and barracks while unrest was brewing in mosques and homes that …

Ethan Zuckerman Wins Zócalo’s Fourth Annual Book Prize

‘Rewire’ Is the Year’s Best Book on Community and Human Connectedness

We’re delighted to award the fourth annual Zócalo Book Prize to Ethan Zuckerman for Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection. In the view of our distinguished panel of …

Come Together—Right Now

Announcing Our Finalists for the Fourth Annual Zócalo Public Square Book Prize

Events like the Olympics and World Cup can reliably be counted on to bring countries and people together for a few weeks around love of sport, hatred of opponents, and …

Your Library Wants You to Make Some Noise!

From Hushed Sanctuary to Lively Community Space, the Library Is Changing (and Going Online)

“Does anyone go to libraries anymore?” A mayor, the president of a major foundation, a corporate executive, and several newspaper reporters have asked me that question. I’ve been asked it, …