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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, February 05, 2004
  • Black Interior
    Black Interior

    Coach Class

    Dean Smith coached the University of North Carolina basketball team for almost forty years, turning out stars like Michael Jordan, Kenny Smith, and George Karl. He’s here to explain his coaching philosophy: play hard, play smart, and play together. Then Andrew Schneider talks about asbestos poisoning in Libby, Montana. Elizabeth Alexander on what she calls “the black interior” - African-American creativity. And a discussion with Guy Cheli about Sing Sing prison.

Dean Smith

Coach Dean Smith Michael Jordan says of legendary UNC basketball coach Dean Smith: "Coach taught me the game...He's like a second father to me." Smith’s new book is The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching.

Events:Dean Smith will be speaking February 5 at 7 pm at Seton Hall University, and on February 6 from 1-2 pm, book signing at the Borders at 100 Broadway

Andrew Schneider

Andrew Schneider is co-author with David McCumber of An Air That Kills: How the Asbestos Poisoning of Libby, Montana Uncovered a National Scandal. The book is the result of their research on the General Mining Act and the decades-long poisoning of a small town.

Music: A Civil Action Soundtrack composer Danny Elfman

Guy Cheli

Guy Cheli’s history and photo collection of The Big House is Sing Sing Prison.

Music: Bessie Smith “Sing Sing Prison Blues”

Elizabeth Alexander

Elizabeth Alexander writes about modern black artists, writers and actors in her essay collection, The Black Interior.

» Read more about the author

Events: Elizabeth Alexander will be reading tonight at 7 pm at the Studio Museum in Harlem

Music: He Got Game Soundtrack composer Leonard Bernstein

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.