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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, November 05, 2004
  • New York City marathon

    Marathon Madness

    Amby Burfoot and David Willey of Runner’s World magazine talk about this Sunday’s New York City Marathon. Mr. Burfoot can even share what it’s like to win one--he’s a former champion of the Boston Marathon. Next, we’ll talk to Dr. Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College about the recent social and political upheaval in Lebanon. Since September, Lebanon has seen the resignation of its Prime Minister and four of its cabinet members. We’ll take a look at the issues surrounding the resignations, and examine the implications for the stability of the region. Then, Jean Nathan uncovers the strange history of Dare Wright—a model/actress who in 1957 created the children’s book The Lonely Doll. In her new biography, The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll, Jean Nathan reveals some disturbing parallels between Wright’s life and that of her famous doll. And Nation columnist Patricia J. Williams reflects on her life, and the social history of her times, in Open House: Of Family, Friends, Food, Piano Lessons, and the Search for a Room of My Own. Finally, we’ll ask Dr. Scott Keeter, Associate Director of the PEW Center for People and the Press in Washington D.C., and Professor Brian Balogh of the University of Virginia’s History Department, how we became so divided as a country. They join us as part of our new Please Explain feature, where we attempt to get to the bottom of complicated issues.

Amby Burfoot and David Willey

Amby Burfoot, a former champion of the Boston Marathon, and David Willey of Runner’s World magazine talk about this Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

» More on Runner’s World

Music: Edit of "Poor Leno" by Royksopp

Dr. Fawaz Gerges

Dr. Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College updates us on the recent social and political upheaval in Lebanon.

» More on Dr. Gerges

Music: "Meta, Beta, Tarabeta" by Pangeia Instrumentos

Jean Nathan

Jean Nathan on the mysterious life of the model/actress turned author/photographer: Dare Wright, creator of The Lonely Doll.

» More on the book

Music: Soundtrack to Intersection, music by James Newton Howard: "Letter to Olivia" / "First Date"

Patricia J. Williams

Columnist Patricia J. Williams ruminates on the complexities of identity in her memoir Open House.

» More on the book

Events: Patricia Williams will be appearing on:
Tuesday, November 9th at 6pm
Columbia University Bookstore
2920 Broadway (between 114th St. and 115th St.)

Music: Soundtrack to Iris, music by James Horner: "Part 7" and "Part 5"

Please Explain: A Divided Country

In our new Please Explain feature, we attempt to make complicated questions simple. This week, we ask Dr. Scott Keeter of the PEW Center for People and the Press, and Professor Brian Balogh of the University of Virginia, how we became so divided as a country.

Music: "Resolution" by Thievery Corporation

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?