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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, February 25, 2005
  • sleep

    To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

    Neurologists Charles Pollak, Director of the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine in Manhattan, and Ronald Chervin, Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Michigan, tell us how to get a good night’s sleep. We’ll look at the science of sleep, from sleep stages to sleep disorders, and find out what sleep really does for us. Then, when Helen Hunt, Hilary Swank, and Michael Clarke Duncan won Academy Awards, they each thanked acting coach Larry Moss for his guidance. He joins us to share some of his insights on teaching, and tells us about his new book, The Intent to Live. Next, Rabbi Mark Borovitz re-examines his years of criminal activity and his time in prison, before the spiritual awakening that urged him to change his life and become a rabbi at age 50. And, each Friday in February we’re re-airing an archival interview to celebrate Leonard's 20th anniversary at WNYC. Today, we’ll hear an archival interview with Canadian writer Alice Munro from 2002. She tells Leonard about her prolific career and her 10th collection of short stories, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.

Sweet Dreams

In this week’s Please Explain feature, neurologists Charles Pollak and Ronald Chervin tell us about sleep patterns and sleep disorders, and share some strategies for getting a good night’s sleep.

» More on the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine
» More on the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center
» More on the Please Explain series

Acting Out

Acting coach Larry Moss on the advice he gave to Hillary Swank and Helen Hunt for some of their recent performances: The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor.

Music: Soundtrack to Mumford, music by James Newton Howard: "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"

The Holy Thief

Rabbi Mark Borovitz describes how he came to be a rabbi at age 50, after years of criminal activity and time in prison, in his memoir The Holy Thief.

» Read an excerpt of The Holy Thief in the Reading Room

Music: Wandering Jew, Yale Strom & Klazzj: "Dybbuk"

Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You

Each Friday this February, we've been airing one of our favorite shows from the archives in celebration of Leonard's 20th anniversary at WNYC. Today, we'll revisit an interview with writer Alice Munro from 2002.

» More on the Leonard Lopate 20th Anniversary

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.