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Conflict and Context
Today we begin a three-part series on the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of our weekly Underreported feature. Recent fighting between Rwandan and Congolese forces in Eastern Congo has raised concern that tensions could flare up into a full-fledged regional war. In the first part of our series, we'll examine the extent to which Congo’s troubled past may be responsible for the region’s current instability. Next, Jodi Kantor, editor of the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times, joins us for a discussion on covering culture. Then, New York Times columnist Teresa Riordan studies the history of fashion’s scientific innovations in her new book, Inventing Beauty. Finally, Leslie Klinger pays tribute to the literary legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle with a definitive new edition of the 56 original Sherlock Holmes stories: The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes.
Underreported: A Legacy of Conflict
A timeline of Congo's history reveals a past riddled with conflict and bloodshed. It was once among the main sources of the Atlantic slave trade. In the 19th century it was the site of the Belgian-controlled rubber and ivory trades that claimed the lives of up to 10 million people in the region. And in the 1990s, ethnic warfare in Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi spilled across its porous borders. To what extent has Congo's troubled history led to its current situation? Suliman Baldo, Africa Program Director for International Crisis Group, phones in from Kinshasa. He’s joined by Howard French, former West Africa bureau chief and current Shanghai bureau chief for The New York Times, and author of A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa.
» More on the Underreported series
» More on International Crisis Group
Music:
Pieces of Africa, Kronos Quartet: "White Man Sleeps"
Cultural Content
Jodi Kantor, editor of the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times, on covering culture.
Music:
Jump Start, Wynton Marsalis: "Boogie Woogie Stomp," "Slow Drag"
The Science of Style
Teresa Riordan with a history of the innovations that have made us beautiful: Inventing Beauty.
» Click here to view some illustations from the book
» Read an excerpt of Inventing Beauty in the Reading Room
Music:
Soundtrack to The Beautician and the Beast, music by Cliff Eidelman: "The J Waltz," "Pochenko Meets the Peasants"
Education never ends, Watson
Leslie Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, shares some of his probing insights into Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle.
Events: Leslie Klinger will be signing books on:
Saturday, January 9th at 9:30am
Algonquin Hotel
59 W. 44th Street, 2nd floor
Music:
Soundtrack to A Shock to the System, music by Gary Chang: "Graham's Tango"
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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.”
- Comments [2]
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.
Video Pick: The J.D. Allen Trio
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Robert Stone on Nixon and Earth Day
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- Joel Grey on Images from My Phone
- Lawrence McDonald on The Fall of Lehman Brothers
- Comments [4]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [4]
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?
