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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, January 04, 2005
  • George W. Bush and Alberto Gonzales
    George W. Bush and Alberto Gonzales (White House)

    Record Review

    This Thursday, White House counsel Alberto Gonzales will begin his confirmation hearings for the position of Attorney General. Journalist Mark Danner, a staff writer for The New Yorker, joins us for a look at Mr. Gonzales's record, and discusses why Mr. Gonzales is expected to have to face some tough questions. Then, Robert Neuwirth shares his investigation of the new legal and social frontiers of the world’s squatter communities: Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World. Historian Bryan Mark Rigg reveals how one of Hitler’s soldiers helped rescue the Lubavitcher Rebbe from Warsaw in 1940 in Rescued from the Reich. And Dave King shares his debut novel about an injured Vietnam veteran’s struggle to find stability and happiness: The Ha-Ha.

Confirmation Hearings

Journalist Mark Danner previews some of the issues likely to come up as Alberto Gonzales begins his confirmation hearings for the position of Attorney General this Thursday.

» Visit Mark Danner's website

Events: Mark Danner discusses his book Torture and Truth on Wed., Jan. 12, at 6pm at Coliseum Books (11 W. 42nd St., between 5th and 6th Aves - across from Bryant Park).

Music: "Salpica" by Mambotur
"Royksopp's Night Out" by Royksopp

Squatter's Rights

Investigative journalist Robert Neuwirth uncovers the complex social and economic structures being creating in the world's squatter communities: Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World.

Music: Lonesome, Alloy Orchestra: "City Awakes" / "Factory"

Rescuing the Rebbe

Bryan Mark Rigg on the true story of how one of Hitler's soldiers helped rescue the Lubavitcher Rebbe from Warsaw in 1940: Rescued from the Reich.

Events: Bryan Mark Rigg gives talks at the Leo Baeck Institute on Jnuary 11 and the Yale Club on January 12 at 7PM.

Music: Soundtrack to Charlotte Gray, music by Stephen Warbeck: "The Train" / "Charlotte Gray"

The Sound of Silence

Dave King shares his debut novel about a Vietnam veteran who lost the ability to speak as a result of a head injury he suffered during the war: The Ha-Ha.

» Read an excerpt of The Ha-Ha in the Reading Room

Events:
Dave King will be appearing on:
Thursday, January 13th at 6pm
Corner Bookstore
Madison Ave (Between 93rd and 94th Streets)

Wednesday, January 19th at 7pm
Book Court
163 Court St., Brooklyn

Wednesday, January 26th at 7pm
Barnes & Noble, Astor Place

Music: Soundtrack to The Ice Storm, music by Mychael Danna: "Shoplift"

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?