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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, September 03, 2004
  • Abraham Lincoln

    O Captain, My Captain

    Former New York governor Mario Cuomo names Abraham Lincoln as one of his heroes, and explains why he thinks that Lincoln’s legacy is as relevant as ever. Then Sol Stein shares his memories on the significance of his friendship with James Baldwin. His latest book is titled Native Sons: A Friendship that Created One of the Greatest Works of the 20th Century: Notes of a Native Son. And a discussion with Walter Abish, author of Double Vision. He describes revisiting Vienna as an adult. In 1938, he fled from Nazi-occupied Vienna to Italy, France, and Shanghai, before finally arriving in Israel.

Gov. Mario Cuomo

Gov. Cuomo on his new book, Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever. Cuomo also edited an anthology of Lincoln’s writing called Lincoln on Democracy.

» Read a brief biography of Abe Lincoln
» More about Gov. Cuomo’s book
» Read an excerpt of the book in our Reading Room

Music: Soundtrack to He Got Game, the music of Aaron Copland: "Lincoln Portrait" and "Grover’s Corner"

Sol Stein

Sol Stein looks back on his collaborative friendship with James Baldwin in Native Sons.

» More on the book

Music: "Go Tell It On the Mountain," Mahalia Jackson

Walter Abish

Walter Abish's new memoir is Double Vision: A Self-Portrait. Abish's previous works include How German Is It.

» More about the book

Music: Soundtrack to Iris, music by Joshua Bell

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.