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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, March 14, 2005
  • Either/Orchestra

    Leaving a Legacy

    We'll talk to Ethiopian music legend Mulatu Astatke, and Russ Gershon, the director of the Either/Orchestra, about Ethiopia's fascinating musical tradition. In the 1960s and 1970s, the music scene in Addis Ababa was one of the richest in the world. But in the 1980s, political forces banned vinyl recordings and pushed musicians underground. Next, Marilynne Robinson tells us about her long-waited new novel, Gilead. Her first work of fiction since Housekeeping, which won a PEN/Hemingway Award in 1982, Gilead takes the form of a letter from an ailing 76-year-old preacher to his young son in Iowa in 1956. Then, Bret Wood and Richard Koszarski look back at the earliest days of film with a new four-DVD collection of Edison’s movies, "Edison: The Invention of the Movies." Finally, writer Adrian Wojnarowski and coach Bob Hurley look at back at the struggles, and unlikely successes, of the 2003-2004 season of a troubled high school basketball team: The Miracle of St. Anthony.

Ethio-jazz

In the 1960s and 1970s, Ethiopia’s music scene was one of the richest in the world. But that all ended in the 1980s. Mulatu Astatke and Russ Gershon of the Either/Orchestra explain why.

Events: Mulatu Astatke & the Either/Orchestra with guest DJ Timaj Sukker will perform on:
Monday, March 14th at 9:30pm & 11:30pm
Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St

» More on the Either/Orchestra

Music: Ethiopiques: Ethio Jazz and Musique Instrumentale 1969-1974: "Yèkèrmo sèw" / "Tezeta"
"Alchalkum" by the Either/Orchestra
Ethiopiques: Ethio Jazz and Musicque Instrumentale 1969-1974: "Yèkatit"

A Man of Letters

Marilynne Robinson channels the spirit of a dying, 76-year-old preacher as he tries to leave a written legacy to his young son in her new novel: Gilead.

» Read an excerpt of Gilead in the Reading Room

Events:
Marilynne Robinson will be appearing on:
Monday, March 14th at 8pm
92nd Street Y
Unterberg Poetry Center
1395 Lexington Ave.

Music: Soundtrack to The Cider House Rules, music by Rachel Portman: "Homer Returns to the Orphanage"

Birth of a Medium

Bret Wood and Richard Koszarski have collected Edison’s films for a four-DVD look at the early days of cinema: "Edison: The Invention of the Movies."

» More on "Edison: The Invention of the Movies"

Music: Lonesome, The Alloy Orchestra: "Weekend"

Full Court Pressure

Writer Adrian Wojnarowski and coach Bob Hurley look back at the struggles and unlikely successes of a team of troubled high school basketball players: The Miracle of St. Anthony.

Music: M2, Marcus Miller: "Cousin John"

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?