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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, October 19, 2005
  • Ushpizin (Picturehouse)
    Ushpizin (Picturehouse)

    Production Values

    Word maven Patricia T. O’Connor takes listener calls on the vagaries of the English language. Then, Israeli director Gidi Dar describes his new comedy about the festive holiday of Succoth. Next, silent film pianist David Sosin tells us about his craft. And Steven Watts joins us with his new biography of one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century: Henry Ford.

Words Fail Me

Word maven Patricia (You Send Me) T. O’Conner takes listener calls on some figures of speech that have lost their original meanings. Call 212-433-9692.

» Patricia T. O’Connor's website

Ushpizin

Gidi Dar tells us about his latest film—a look at the daily lives of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel. The new comedy, “Ushpizin,” is set during the holiday of Succoth.

» “Ushpizin” website

Music: Ushpizin Soundtrack

The Sounds of Silent Film

Pianist and composer Donald Sosin describes how he scores music for silent films like “Nosferatu” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” He’ll also tell us about the upcoming Pordenone Silent Film Festival at BAM.

» Pordenone Silent Film Festival at BAM

Music: Donald Sosin “The Peach Girl”
“Looney Lens Pas de Deux”

Henry Ford (Library of Congress)

The People's Tycoon

Henry Ford changed the way America did business when he began using assembly lines to produce affordable automobiles. In The People’s Tycoon, Steven Watts looks at how Ford’s entrepreneurial ideas and ethics also helped shape the American way of life.

Music: Seabiscuit Soundtrack Tracks 2, 9, and 1

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.