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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, August 24, 2005
  • Care Packages

    New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell examines the consequences of what he describes as “America’s health-care mess” with guest host Kenji Jasper. Then, musician Adrienne Young shares her latest recording, The Art of Virtue. Next, Charles Ross tells us about his one-man stage reenactment of the “Star Wars Trilogy.” And on our weekly Please Explain feature, we go behind the scenes at the post office to try to find out how mail gets sorted and delivered.

The Cost of Care

More than 45 million Americans have no health insurance, and more than half of the country’s personal bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker looks at why the US has no universal health care system.

» Read Malcolm Gladwell's article "A Sick System"

Music:
“Shock to the System” tracks, 1, 2, 5

The Art of Virtue

Adrienne Young tells us how Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtures helped inspire her new pop-influenced bluegrass album: The Art of Virtue.

» More on Adrienne Young

Adrienne Young & Little Sadie
Thurs, September 15th
Statalla World Music Club
37 West 26TH Street
For more information: 212-576-1155

Music:
“The Art of Virtue” tracks 1,4, 5

One Man Star Wars Trilogy

Actor Charles Ross tells us about his one man take on the “Star Wars Trilogy.” In one hour, he reenacts each film—he plays all the parts, sings the music, and simulates all the flights and battles. His One Man Star Wars Trilogy is playing through October 31st at the Lamb Theater on 44th Street.

» More on One Man Star Wars Trilogy

Music:
“Star Wars” tracks, 1,3

Please Explain: The Post Office

Ever wonder how a birthday card gets from a drop box in New York to an apartment in California? We’ll look into the ever-expanding technology that the postal service develops to sort and deliver mail. We’ll look into the past innovations and struggles, and look ahead at future challenges like email and rising fuel costs, as part of our regular Please Explain feature.
» More on the United States Postal Service
» More on postal history at the National Postal Museum

Music:
Soundtrack for Sonatine tracks 6, 1

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?