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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, May 03, 2004
  • Caramba

    Taking Africa

    Africa's human beings and natural resources have been shamelessly exploited for years, and the whole continent is reeling from the aftereffects. Journalist Howard French has been reporting from Africa for more than 25 years, and he's in the studio today to talk about Africa's tragedies and why there's still hope for the future. Then political scientist and anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani differentiates between political Islam and religious Islam. Nina Marie Martinez shares her new novel, Caramba!. And we continue the Next Frontier series with Dr. Kenneth Kamler, who explains what happens to the human body when it's put into extreme environments. He was the only doctor on site during the 1996 climbing disaster on Mt. Everest.

Howard W. French

Howard W. French's new book is A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa. He’s a senior writer for the New York Times, and has taught at the University of Ivory Coast. He currently lives in Shanghai.

» Read more about the book

Music: Salsa Africa: Afro-Cuban Salsa Music
Track 1: Bantous de la Capitale/ El Coco
Track 10: Star Band No,1/Guajira Ven

Mahmood Mamdani

Mahmood Mamdani is Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and director of the Institue of African Studies at Columbia University. His new book is Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, The Cold War, and the Roots of Terror.

» More about the author

Music: Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban: Instrumental Tracks
Track #6: Betty’s Lament/Isan
Track #1: Fallout/Euphone

Nina Marie Martinez

Nina Marie Martinez’s illustrated novel, Caramba! takes place in the California town of Lava Landing, which features an active volcano and the "Miss Magma" beauty pageant.

» Read an excerpt of Caramba! in the Reading Room
» More about the author

Music: Mexico en vivo Track #3: Ramos Caracas (Song-Accordeon)

The Next Frontier: Dr. Kenneth Kamler

Surviving Extremes Dr. Kenneth Kamler is an orthopedic surgeon in New York and Vice President of The Explorers Club. He is the author of Surviving The Extremes: A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance.

» Visit "The Next Frontier" pages for bios, links and a slideshow

Music: Naqoyqats Cello Solos by Yo-Yo Ma

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

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.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?