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Pitcairn islandSmall Island, Big Problems
In this week’s Underreported feature, we visit Pitcairn Island—a 2 mile long by 1 mile wide island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The island was originally put on the map by the infamous mutineers of the Bounty, who settled on Pitcairn in 1790. 200 years later, the island is being rocked by a series of rape trials which are set to send half of the island’s male population to prison: six men, including the island’s mayor, have been found guilty of sexually assaulting girls as young as twelve. Historian Herbert Ford, director of the United States-based Pitcairn Island Study Center, and Bryan Nicolson from the British High Commission of New Zealand join us to discuss the trials and the history of the island. Next, Seth Mnookin examines the scandals that have recently plagued The New York Times, and analyzes what they mean for the American media in his new book, Hard News. Then, explorer Ian Baker describes his search for a legendary waterfall located in the deepest gorge in the Himalayas—a place that inspired the myth of Shangri-la. Finally, Elaine Charnov, co-director of the American Museum of Natural History’s 2004 Margaret Mead Film Festival, discusses some of the best international documentaries of 2004 with filmmakers Joe Berlinger (Gray Matter) and Liz Mermin (Beauty Academy of Kabul).
Underreported: Pitcairn Island
Historian Herbert Ford, director of the United States-based Pitcairn Island Study Center, and Bryan Nicolson from the British High Commission of New Zealand, on the turbulent past and present of the isolated Pitcairn Island.
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More on the Pitcairn Island Study Center
» More on the British High Commission of New Zealand
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Music: Soundtrack from Master and Commander
Track 5, Smoke N’Oakum
Track 12, The Phasmid
Seth Mnookin
Seth Mnookin on professional scandals at The New York Times, and what they spell for American media: Hard News.
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More on Seth Mnookin
Music: Soundtrack from Talk Radio by Stuart Copeland
Track 1: Kent: Unpredictable
Track 4: Tick: We Feel Too Much
Ian Baker
Ian Baker describes his hunt for a waterfall deep in the Himalayas: The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place.
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More on the book
Events: Ian Baker talk, signing and slide presentation:
Tibet House
22 W. 15th Street
Friday, November 12 at 7PM
Music: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance
Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery
Track 1: Nyen-seng: The Sound of Delight
Track 9: Bokyong Lhassung Trinkol: A Call to the Spirits of Tibet
Joe Berlinger and Liz Mermin
Filmmakers Joe Berlinger ("Gray Matter") and Liz Mermin ("Beauty Academy of Kabul"), preview the American Museum of Natural History’s 2004 Margaret Mead Film Festival with the festival co-director Elaine Charnov.
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More on the Margaret Mead Film Festival
Music: Soundtrack from Talk To Her, composed by Alberto Iglesias
Track 6: La Mesita De Noche
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
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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.
- Comments [33]
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.
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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.
- Comments [9]
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.
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