Authors found unfit for reading room honor

LOS ANGELES, March 18 (UPI) -- El Segundo, Calif., officials have rejected naming public library reading rooms after Agatha Christie and Jack London, The Los Angeles Times said Friday.

The City Council in the small town south of Los Angeles International airport rejected Christie because she was not American and London because -- in its view -- he was un-American.

"I'm a great fan of Agatha Christie," said Councilman John Gaines. "Murder mystery novels is what I read. But she's a British citizen."

Gaines also said he was a "great fan" of London -- who wrote the classic novels "The Call of the Wild" and "The Sea-Wolf."

"I read all his books as a kid," said Gaines, "But quite frankly, he was a world-renowned communist."

The council has ordered library staff and advisory board members to come back with names of other authors who might be more suitable for having reading rooms named after them.

The library recently constructed two new reading rooms with a $321,000 grant from the council.