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The Brian Lehrer Show

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
  • I heart New York
    (Lush.i.ous/flickr)

    They ♥ New York

    With the economy in a downturn, tourism may be the most recession-proof industry left. Now the Empire State Coalition is looking to reclaim its most famous slogan: I ♥ New York. Plus, a new poetry festival comes to Jackson Heights, and we solicit listener poetry about their “Dream from Queens.”

♥s and Minds

When the economy is shaky, tourism may be a necessary evil to kick start growth. Milton Glaser explains why he felt designing the "I ♥ NY" logo was his civic duty in similar tough times. Also, Thomas Ranese of Empire State Development explains why tourism makes dollars and sense for New York.

New York Needs to Get Some Game

Tara Colton, deputy director of Center for an Urban Future, authored a report that says New York City should do more for its video game industry. Wade Tinney, founding partner of Large Animal Games, talks about what it's like to be a gamer in the Big Apple.

Read "Getting In The Game" (pdf)

Word of Wisdom

With a new crop of college graduates stepping out into the real world, we ask Brian Lehrer Show listeners to offer their one-word advice.

One.
Word.

Comment below!

Laws of Sodomy

William Eskridge, the John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale and author of Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws In America, talks about his new book.

Relief for China

With a death toll teetering around 12,000 from the recent earthquake, China needs all the help it can get. Queens New York City Councilman John Liu discusses some ways New Yorkers can help.

Queens Poetry

This weekend brings the first Jackson Heights Poetry Festival. We get a preview from Sarah Heinemann, director of the festival and Ishle Park, former Poet Laureate of Queens.

Also: Send us your Queens-inspired poems. Email your poem to brianlehrershow@wnyc.org, and start each poem with the words “My Dream from Queens." Be sure to include your full name and a number where we can reach you; we'll have some listener-poets read their works on the air!

Jackson Heights Poetry Festival
Ishle Park's Website

Uncommon Indicators

The Brian Lehrer Show

The Brian Lehrer Show wants to hear how the economy is affecting the little things in your daily life. Share your stories and photos of the downturn.

Cast your vote for our video contest semi-finalists.

The Rocky Road Ahead

The Brian Lehrer Show

Ray Young, the chief financial officer of General Motors, talks about GM’s bankruptcy.

Then, Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, and Greg Williams, former owner of the recently closed Huntington Chevrolet in Huntington Station, NY., discusses the effect GM’s bankruptcy has had on dealerships and their employees.

Tweet If You Use Twitter

The Brian Lehrer Show

Farhad Manjoo, Slate's technology columnist and the author of True Enough: Learning To Live in a Post-Fact Society talks about what Twitter means and how different groups use it.

What's your take on Twitter? How do you use it? Comment below!

Don't Say That, Literally

The Brian Lehrer Show

John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island")

What would be on your list of banned words or phrases? Comment below!

From Denmark with Love

The Brian Lehrer Show

Jesper Grunwald, senior managing editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, talks about the Danish economy, biking to work, and why the Danes are allegedly the happiest people in the world.

Squatting, Then and Now

The Brian Lehrer Show

As former squats in the East Village make the transition to coops, making homes from abandoned housing is again an issue. Andrew Reicher executive director of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, Frank Morales an Episcopal priest involved in East Village/Lower East Side squatting and homelessness activism since the late '70s, and Rob Robinson, a leader of the Housing Campaign of Picture the Homeless, discuss the return of squatting.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

Check out some recent video clips of interviews with guests and Brian Lehrer's weekly Web video picks.