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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Love and War in AfghanistanLove and War
Alex Klaits and Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits share some of the interviews they conducted with ordinary men and women in northern Afghanistan for a new book, Love and War in Afghanistan. Next, Kenneth Ackerman tells us about the life of William “Boss” Tweed, the man who made New York politics almost synonymous with political corruption and graft after the Civil War. Then, Thomas Dyja describes his new novel—a look at a spate of lynchings in Tennessee in 1918. And in our weekly Please Explain feature, we look into the history of games, and why we play them.
Life in Afghanistan
Alex Klaits and Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits spent their honeymoon interviewing hundreds of ordinary men and women in northern Afghanistan in the spring of 2004. They’ve compiled 14 of these oral histories for a new book on what everyday life is like in a country so ravaged by war: Love and War in Afghanistan.
Events:
Alex and Gulchin readinfg and signing books
Friday June 3 at 6:30PM
Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen Street at Rivington
Music:
“Knuddlemaus” by Ulrich Schauss
“Pole Tricks” by Japancakes
Boss Tweed
William “Boss” Tweed was never mayor of NYC. But he managed to assume almost total control of the city's politics and fortunes in the late 1800s by serving as NYC's Superintendent of Public Works, County Supervisor, State Senator, chairman of the city's Democratic Party Central Committee, supervisor of the County Court House, and head of Tammany Hall...all at the same time. In a Boss Tweed, historian Kenneth Ackerman explains that although Tweed stole millions from NYC, he earned a reputation for honesty because he always kept his word when it cane to spreading the money around to his followers.
Music:
Sweet Sixteenths, William H. Krell, William Albright, and William Bolcom: “Mississippi Rag: Two-Step” / “Gladiolus Rag”
The Moon in Our Hands
Thomas Dyja, author of Play for a Kingdom, tells us about his new novel, The Moon in Our Hands. The book is based on the real life of Walter White—a young black man who was light-skinned enough to pass as white—who went to Tennessee in 1918 to investigate lynchings for the NAACP.
Music:
Soundtrack to a Family Thing, music by Charles Gross: “Slow Train Comin’” / “First Frost”
Games People Play
Professors Patricia Seed and Tony Elam teach a course on “History Through Games” at Rice University. They’ll take us on a guided tour of games through the ages, and look at why we play them in the first place, in our weekly Please Explain feature.
» Please Explain series
Music:
Soundtrack to Sonatine, music by Joe Hisaishi
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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.”
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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?
