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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, June 21, 2004
  • Jeff Benedict
    Jeff Benedict

    Foul Shot

    Underneath its glamour and athleticism, the NBA may foster a culture of violence, especially towards women. Jeff Benedict, an expert on crimes by athletes, has done a lot of research into the criminal histories of 177 NBA players from the 2001–2002 season. Then, a former embedded journalist and two ex-Marines on the characteristics of the newest generation of American soldiers, now fighting in Iraq. Dancer/choreographer Frederic Franklin celebrates his 90th birthday with the American Ballet Theatre. And David Bezmozgis on his new short story collection, Natasha.

Jeff Benedict

Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime is Jeff Benedict’s look into whether life in the NBA may encourage criminal behavior. Benedict is a lawyer and journalist; he’s published three books on athletes and crime.

» More about the book and author

Music: Marcus Miller, "M2" -- #7 and 9 (3 Deuces Records)

Evan Wright, Nathan Fick, and Josh Person

Nathan Fick and Josh Person were members of the First Reconnaissance Battalion Marine, the Marine Corps' special operations unit whose motto is "Swift, Silent, Deadly." Evan Wright is a journalist who was embedded with their battalion in Iraq. He’s written a book about the experience – it’s called Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War.

Music: soundtrack of "Tears of the Sun," by Hans Zimmer -- #5 and 3 (Varese Sarabande)

Frederic Franklin

Frederic Franklin, former star of the Ballet Russe, has worked with Balanchine and Agnes de Mille. To celebrate his 90th birthday on June 21, he’ll be staging eight performances of Coppelia from June 21 through June 26 with the American Ballet Theater.

» More about Frederic Franklin
» Visit the ABT’s website

Music: music for "Coppelia" by Leo Delibes

David Bezmozgis

Natasha follows the experiences of a family of Latvian Jews as they acclimate to life in Toronto. David Bezmozgis’s own family emigrated to Canada from Latvia in 1980, when he was 6.

» Read an excerpt Natasha in the Reading Room

Events: David Bezmozgis will be reading at the National Arts Club on Tuesday, June 22, at 7 pm. The NAC is at 15 Gramercy Park South.

Music: soundtrack for "Molly's Pilgrim" #5

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.