On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show
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Protective Measures
Nathaniel Fick gives us an insider portrait of an elite group of Marines: the First Recon Battalion. Then, filmmaker Paul Schrader tells us why he’s such a fan of the French director Robert Bresson. Jessica Hendra confronts her troubled relationship with her father Tony in her memoir How to Cook Your Daughter. And in our latest edition of Please Explain, we’ll learn about viruses and vaccines.
One Bullet Away
Recon Marines are an elite group—only one out of every hundred Marines qualifies. Nathaniel Fick, a former captain in the First Recon Battalion, tells us about his demanding, top-level training. And he describes what happened when the time came to put it into practice in Afghanistan and Iraq, in One Bullet Away.
» Read an excerpt of One Bullet Away in the Reading Room
Events:
Nathaniel Fick will be appearing on:
Friday, October 7th at 7:30pm
Barnes & Noble
2289 Broadway (at 82nd Street)
Music:
Soundtrack to JFK
#8, 9

Pickpocket
Paul Schrader, who wrote “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” tells us what he admires about the films of the French director Robert Bresson. He says, in particular, that Bresson’s “Pickpocket” had a direct influence on his screenplays for “Taxi Driver” and “American Gigolo.” Two of Bresson’s films, “Pickpocket” and “Mouchette,” will screen at Film Forum in the coming weeks.
» More on “Pickpocket” at Film Forum
Music:
Soundtrack of Little Thief
# 5, 6
How To Cook Your Daughter
Comedian Tony Hendra helped John Belushi and Chevy Chase get their start, starred in “This Is Spinal Tap,” and wrote for and edited The National Lampoon. Last year, he published a best-selling memoir in which he revealed how a monk helped him with his struggles, including years of substance abuse. But in her new memoir, his daughter Jessica Hendra writes that he failed to address an important part of his past. According to Jessica, he sexually abused her. Jessica joins us to tell her side of the story, as recounted in How to Cook Your Daughter.
Please Explain: Viruses and Vaccines
In this edition of our weekly Please Explain feature, we’ll tackle the subject of viruses and vaccines. With avian bird flu an important issue in the news, we decided to find out how viruses work, and how vaccines combat them. We’ll also look at how vaccines are manufactured and distributed. We’ll hear from Paul Offit from the Department of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Ian Lipkin, a neurologist and microbiologist from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia.
» Please Explain series
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
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- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [4]