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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, March 15, 2005
  • Asra Nomani
    Asra Nomani

    Revolutionary Thinking

    In many mosques, women aren't allowed to enter through the front door and pray in the main sanctuary. When Asra Nomani did just that at her hometown mosque in West Virginia, she received death threats. Now she's fighting to establish an Islamic Bill of Rights for Women. Next, Richard Foreman. For 37 years, he’s intrigued and bewildered audiences with his avant-garde theatre pieces. Now, at the pinnacle of his career, he tells us about his latest, and perhaps last, theater installment: The Gods are Pounding my Head! (aka Lumberjack Messiah). Then, Frank Delaney considers the importance of storytelling in his new novel, Ireland. And, journalist Roy Rowan gives a firsthand account of the 1949 Chinese Revolution: Chasing the Dragon.

Standing Alone

Asra Nomani discusses her struggles to enforce women’s rights in contemporary American Islam: Standing Alone in Mecca.

» More on Asra Nomani

Events:
Asra Nomani will announce the Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Mosque, and Dr. Amina Wadud will lead Jumah/Muslim Friday Prayer on: Friday, March 18th, at 1pm
Sundaram Tagore Gallery
137 Greene Street
This event is by RSVP only.
» Click here for more information

Music: "Knuddelmaus," Ulrich Schnauss / "Pole Tricks," Japancakes

Cutting Edge Theater

Richard Foreman discusses what may be his final piece of avant-garde theater: The Gods are Pounding my Head! (aka Lumberjack Messiah).

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

Music: Soundtrack to Night On Earth, music by Tom Waits: "Baby I’m Not a Baby Anymore (Beatrice Theme)"

A Storied Past

Frank Delaney considers the relationship between history, fiction, and storytelling in his first novel, Ireland.

» Read an excerpt of Ireland in the Reading Room

Events: Frank Delaney will speaking on:
Tuesday, March 15th at 1pm
Bryant Library
2 Paper Mill Road
Roslyn, NY

Wednesday, March 16th at 7:30pm
Rockville Center Public Library
221 North Village Avenue
Rockville Center, NY

Music: The Hour Before Dawn, Solas: What’s Up with Win / Sonny Brogan’s / Cahal's Jig

China's Civil War

Roy Rowan has had a long and distinguished career as a journalist, but he earned his stripes covering Mao’s revolution in China for Life magazine. For two years, from 1947 through 1949 and the fall of Shanghai, he reported from the frontlines of China’s Civil War. He joins us today with a first-hand account of the war: Chasing the Dragon.

Music: Soundtrack to Raise the Red Lantern, music by Zhao Jiping: "Opening Credits—Prologue—Zhouyun—Lanterns"

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.