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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, June 07, 2004
  • Democratic Repulic of Congo

    Chaos in Congo

    Since last week, when UN rebel factions seized the eastern Congo town of Bukavu, rioting has swept the country – most of it aimed at the UN peacekeepers who were unable to prevent Bukavu's capture. Journalist Bryan Mealer and former UN worker Alinka Konrad talk about the UN’s reaction, and how current President Joseph Kabila can keep the peace process going after the country’s devastating 5-year civil war. Then actor/author Gene Hackman and his co-author, Daniel Lenihan, talk about their latest venture into novel-writing. Plus, a conversation with three young chefs who are on their way to becoming celebrity chefs. And Edna Buchanan shares her latest suspense novel, Cold Case Squad.

Bryan Mealer and Alinka Konrad

Bryan Mealer reports on the current chaos in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mealer, a journalist Mealer, a journalist who’s traveled in the eastern parts of Congo, is the author of In the Valley of the Gun: A Massacre Unfolds in Eastern Congo in the May 2004 edition of Harper’s magazine. Alinka Konrad is a former UN worker who has just been in Bukavu; she's joining us by phone from Kenya.

Music: Musique Du Monde, Music from the World, Buda Records (track 7)

Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan

Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan are co-authors of Justice For None. It’s a cross between historical fiction and murder mystery. They’re also co-authors of 1999’s Wake of the Perdido Star.

» More about the book

Events: Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan will give a talk, take questions, and sign books on Monday, June 7th at 7pm at the Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center

Music: Keyboard Wizards of the Gershwin Era Volume III, Arden and Ohman, Pavilion Records (tracks 4, 8, 5)

Cornelius Gallagher, Brian Bistrong and Wylie Dufresne

The three young chefs are: Cornelius Gallagher, executive chef of Oceana; Brian Bistrong, executive chef of Josephs on 6th Ave. and 49th St.; and Wylie Dufresne, a James Beard nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2000 and current owner and chef of WD50 on the Lower East Side.

» Ocean Restaurant website
» Josephs restaraunt website
» WD50 website

Music: Jump Start and Jazz Two Ballets by Wynton Marsalis, Sony Classical (tracks 16 and 14)

Edna Buchanan

Edna Buchanan’s latest book, Cold Case Squad, is about the Miami Police Department's Sgt. Craig Burch, who says: "I breathe new life into old, cold cases and track killers whose trails vanished long ago like footprints on a sea washed beach."

» Go to Edna Buchanan’s website

Music: Rage in Harlem, Miramax Films (track 10)

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.