On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show Archive
July 2005
A Question of Identity
Friday, July 29, 2005
Animal scientist Temple Grandin explains how her autism gives her special insights into understanding animal communication. Next, Daniel Clowes, the creator of the graphic novel Ghost World, shares his latest work: Ice Haven. Then, two-time Booker Prize-winner Peter Carey tries his hand at non-fiction with an account of discovering the world of anime with his son. And Kwame Anthony Appiah explores the boundaries and meanings of different markers of identity--such as race, nationality, sexuality, and religion--in The Ethics of Identity.
Rare Strains
Thursday, July 28, 2005
One in ten Americans has a rare disease, and we’ve hardly heard of any of them. In today’s Underreported feature, we’ll discuss rare diseases, including a rare lung disease called LAM that mostly affects women of childbearing age. Then, Fiona Shaw and Blair Brown, two members of the all-female cast of the musical My Life As a Fairy Tale, tell us about looking at Hans Christian Anderson’s writings from a new perspective. Next, we’re joined by sleight-of-hand expert and con-man Simon Lovell. Finally, we’ll talk to two scholars about the current political issues surrounding the Supreme Court.
Overcoming Adversity
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Bryan Mealer, a former AP correspondent who has just returned from a year in Kinshasa, brings us up to date with the latest news from the Democratic Republic of Congo--including what we might see in the upcoming elections. Then, we’ll learn about the strong African cultural influences in Peru from the musical group Peru Negro. Sam Stagg, author of When Blanche Met Brando, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at A Streetcar Named Desire. And John Kelly profiles the Black Death in his new book: The Great Mortality.
Feast Your Eyes
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Junk food is often much cheaper than health food. Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington explains why he thinks that obesity in America may have as much to do with economics as genetics. Next, we’ll hear from Fran Capo, the world’s fastest-talking woman. Then, Robert Krulwich tells us about some of the recent scientific breakthroughs he explores in a new tv series on PBS: NOVA scienceNOW. Finally, in our regular Please Explain feature, we look at how eyes work. How does the eye take in information? And how is light translated into images?
Come On Back
Monday, July 25, 2005
The New York Times recently began reorganizing the way it covers pop culture. Michael Massing, contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review, argues that the coverage has become too superficial. Then, in the latest installment of our Summer Reading Series, Phillip Lopate looks back on the writings of Mikhail Zoshchenko--one of the most widely-read authors in Russia during the 1920s and 1930s. We’ll hear from Jimmie Dale Gilmore about his new album, Come On Back. And Richard Ellis looks at how traditional Chinese medicine contributes to species endangerment in Asia.
A Galvanizing Effect
Friday, July 22, 2005
William Finnegan goes behind the scenes of the NYPD’s Counter-terrorism unit in a new report for The New Yorker. Next, we’ll talk to photographer Lee Friedlander and his son, jazz cellist Erik Friedlander, about artistic expression and communicating through different media. Then, we'll talk to Dr. Martin A. Uman, one of the world's leading experts on lightning, and John Jensenius, a Meteorologist with National Weather Service, in our regular Please Explain feature.
Growing Pains
Thursday, July 21, 2005
William Hartung and Debbie Hillier discuss the role the arms trade plays in global poverty in our weekly Underreported feature. Alexei Ratmansky, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, tells us about the company's current run in New York. Then, Lauren Mechling, Laura Moser, and Wesley Adams join us for a panel discussion on writing for teenagers. And James McWilliams looks at how colonial attitudes shaped American cuisine in A Revolution in Eating.
Behind the Seams
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Word maven Patricia T. (You Send Me) O'Conner pays homage to the oddness of the English language. Next, Rob Trucks explains why the catcher is the most important player on the baseball field. Then, we hear from former bat boy Matthew McGough about his experiences working with the NY Yankees. And Alan Burdick examines how species are migrating across the globe in unexpected ways in Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion.
Picking up the Pieces
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Former Deputy Inspector Vito Spano and author Stacy Horn describe what it’s like to be a homicide detective in the NYPD's cold-case squad. Then, Kathryn Crosby, Bing Crosby’s widow, and historian Martin McQuade tell us about a retrospective of the legendary crooner’s films at Lincoln Center. Finally, Elizabeth Royte explains what happens to our trash when we throw it out in Garbage Land.
Overcoming Troubles
Monday, July 18, 2005
Child psychiatrist Lynne Jones tells us why she believes some children who lived through the Bosnian war in the 1990s do not show signs of lasting trauma from the conflict. Next, we’ll talk to John Banville about the writer J.G. Farrell as part of our Summer Reading Series on underappreciated literature. Then, Pam Rogers and Leon McCuthcheon tell us about some extraordinary art being made by people with developmental disabilities. And Stephen Yafa traces the threads of cotton's political and economic influences on world history in Big Cotton: The Biography of a Revolutionary Fiber.
Origins
Friday, July 15, 2005
Rock legend Bo Diddley looks back on 50 years of influencing the sound of rock and roll and R&B. Then, British director Asif Kapadia tells us about his first feature film, “The Warrior,” which has just been released on DVD. Boston Globe columnist Thomas Oliphant describes how his love of the Dodgers impacted his life. And in our regular Please Explain feature we’ll take a look at the origins and basic tenents of Scientology.
Around the World
Thursday, July 14, 2005
In this week’s Underreported feature, we look at the dangers of avian flu, and find out why some scientists worry that it could turn into a human pandemic. Next, Gary Pomerantz revisits Wilt Chamberlain’s historic 100-point game in Wilt, 1962. Pierre Dulaine, founder of the American Ballroom Theater Company, explains how he’s celebrating Bastille Day at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing series. And Nicholas Ostler explains the history of the world’s languages in Empires of the Word.
Confronting the Past
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Alvin and Larry Ubell, the self-appointed “Gurus of How-To,” explore the intricacies of home repair. Then, Sir Antony Sher tells us about the challenges of bringing Primo Levi’s holocaust memoirs to life in a new one-man stage adaptation. We’ll hear about Martha Cooley’s new novel, Thirty-Three Swoons. And journalist Dennis King sheds some light on Fred Newman and Lenore Fulani’s controversial Independence Party.
A History of Conflict
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Kent Lebsock, executive director of the American Law Alliance, and Charles Wilkinson, Native American law expert, outline some of the current legal battles between modern Indian nations and the US government. S. Epatha Merkerson describes her role in the off-Broadway play Birdie Blue. Then, CBGB owner Hilly Kristal and Talking Heads members Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth look back on 30 years of underground rock history at one of the city’s most famous music venues. And Howard Bryant investigates baseball’s steroid scandal in Juicing the Game.
At Risk
Monday, July 11, 2005
Jeffrey Sachs details his plan to end extreme poverty throughout the world in 20 years. Then, as part of our Summer Reading Series, translator Gregory Rabassa (who translated Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude) looks at the work of the 19th Century Brazilian writer Machado de Assis. Next, Stella Rimington, the former head of Britain’s MI5 Security Service, tells us about writing her first novel, the spy thriller At Risk. Finally, Simon Singh explores the origin of the universe in his latest work: Big Bang.
Skill Sets
Friday, July 08, 2005
The director of “Fantastic Four” and the President and CEO of Marvel Studios talk about their new film. Then, Nick Nolte discusses his latest role in director Hans Petter Moland’s “The Beautiful Country.” And we’ll talk to the filmmakers and one of the subjects of a new documentary on the world of quadriplegic rugby: “Murderball.” Finally, we’ll dissect the rules and ritual of cricket in this week’s Please Explain feature.
Dangerous Biddings
Thursday, July 07, 2005
National security historian Timothy Naftali speaks to us about today’s bombings in London. Then, we'll hear from Stephen Dolginoff, who wrote and stars in Thrill Me, the new musical rendition of the 1924 Leopold and Loeb thrill kill case. Next, writer James Frey talks about life after rehab. And on today's Underreported feature, we look into whether events like Bob Geldof's Live 8 really help alleviate global poverty and third world debt.
Pueblo Stories
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Today, the remarkable story of the people who inhabited Chaco Canyon in the Southwest. The canyon is a harsh, unpredictable environment, but the Anasazi who lived there managed to build spectacular dwellings and a very sophisticated society -- before they mysteriously disappeared 800 years ago. Also, Judge Robert L. Carter, formerly of the NAACP, gives the insider's perspective on the fight against segregation in the US. Adrienne Miller shares her debut novel, The Coast of Akron. We'll also find out how to cook delicious, healthy meals using just three ingredients.
Cautionary Tales
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Michael Jacobson argues that we need to rethink our current prison system in Downsizing Prisons. Next, Rosie Flores and Wanda Jackson tell us about bringing rockabilly to Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing series. Then, Mo Willems tells us about his new award-winning children’s book: Knuffle Bunny. And David Sedaris describes his latest book, a collection of short stories from authors who have inspired his writing. He’s joined by one of his favorite writers, Lorrie Moore.
In Flux
Monday, July 04, 2005
Governor Christine Todd Whitman shares her thoughts on the battle for the heart of the GOP, and tells us why she's still a loyal Republican. Then, Edwin Frank of the New York Review of Books and Michael Redhill of Brick magazine, kick off our Summer Reading Series with a discussion of why books go in and out of fashion…and print. Next, Tom Reiss studies the remarkable life of Lev Nussimbaum--a Jewish man born in the Caucasus during the Russian Revolution who posed as a Muslim Prince. And James B. Stewart investigates the recent turmoil at Disney in a new book: DisneyWar.
Trying Times
Friday, July 01, 2005
Alephonsion Deng and writer Judy Bernstein tell us about Alephonsion’s experience as a refugee from Sudan. Next, Jack El-Hai looks at the history of lobotomies in America. Then, Ed Hotaling revisits the world of horse racing at the turn of the century, when black jockeys dominated the sport. Finally, Patrick Radden Keefe uncovers the secretive world of global intelligence-gathering technology systems.
- About This Program »
- Staff Bios »
- Contact Us »
- Guest Hosts »
- Guest Picks »
- Latest Show »
- Tapes & Transcripts »
- Show Archive »
Features & Series
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Shop at Amazon!
Leonard Lopate Show picks
Start your Amazon shopping on WNYC.org and a portion of your total purchase goes to WNYC.
More
