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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, March 11, 2005
  • Tom Brokaw
    Tom Brokaw

    Role Reversal

    For the past 20 years, Leonard's been asking tough, insightful questions on his show. But today, he turns the reins over to veteran broadcaster Tom Brokaw, and takes a turn answering questions for a change. Next, translator Gregory Rabassa pays tribute to the literary contributions Clarisse Lispector made to Brazilian writing. Then, director Chris Wedge joins us for a look at his latest animated flick, "Robots." Finally, on our regular Friday feature, Please Explain, we'll start preparing for spring by finding out the best ways to get things really clean.

Leonard Looks Back

In celebration of Leonard’s 20th Anniversary, Tom Brokaw turns the tables and interviews Leonard!

» More on Leonard Lopate’s 20th Anniversary

Music: Track #9 ("Misterioso") by Thelonious Monk from The Best of Thelonious Monk (Blue Note)

Soulstorm

Translator Gregory Rabassa revisits the work of Brazilian writer Clarisse Lispector: Soulstorm.

Events:
Gregory Rabassa reads from the work of Clarice Lispector and offers literary commentary on:
Sunday, March 13th at 5pm
The Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

Music: Track #3 ("Patu"), composed by Papito, from Visom: Contemporary Instrumental Music from Brazil (Windham Hill)

Robots

Click for a slidesho Director Chris Wedge tells us about creating a new animated world of "Robots."

» View a slideshow of "Robots"

Music: Track #12 ("Robot City"), by John Powell featuring the Blue Man Group from the soundtrack to Robots (Virgin Records)

On a Soap Box

In our regular Please Explain feature, Cheryl Mendelson, the author of Home Comforts, and Kim Kostka, Chair of the Chemistry department at the University of Wisconsin, help us figure out how to get things really clean.

» More on our regular Please Explain feature
» Read an article on the history of soap from the Journal of Chemical Education (PDF)

Music: Kim Kostka & Cheryl Mendelson interview: Sonatine – track #6.

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.