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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Ballet RussesPainful Subjects
On today's show, one man’s disturbing account of how he was wrongly imprisoned in Saudi Arabia—where he was beaten and tortured for 2 ½ years. Then, we'll hear about two new documentaries. The first is a look at the intrigues of the Ballet Russes dance company. The second explores the troubled life of singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. And finally, on our regular Please Explain feature, we'll try to understand pain.
Confessions of an Innocent Man
William Sampson was recently freed from a Saudi jail. While working in Riyadh, the Canadian engineer was wrongly imprisoned for 2 ½ years. He tells his disturbing story of being beaten and tortured in a new book, Confessions of an Innocent Man: Torture and Survival In a Saudi Prison.
Ballet Russes
Filmmakers Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller tell us about their new documentary "Ballets Russes" about a dance company that some credit with changing the face of dance in the twentieth century. They're joined by Frederick Franklin, a former ballet master of the Ballets Russes.
» "Ballet Russes" film website
Music:
EMI, Tchaikovsky Symphony 5: disc 2 track 3
Sony Classical, Leonard Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic: track 5
Be Here to Love Me
Bob Dylan and Steve Earle are fans. And Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard had a number one hit with Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty." But the man that many musicians count as the best singer-songwriter of all time, never had a hit himself. A new documentary, "Be Here to Love Me," explores the life of the troubled artist.
» More on "Be Here to Love Me"
Music:
Tomato records, Townes van Zandt, Be Here to Love Me: disc 1 track 5, disc 2 track 8
Please Explain: Pain
What is pain? And why is it necessary? On today's edition of Please Explain, we'll find out what goes on in our brains and bodies when something hurts us. Joining us are Dr. Michael Salter, Director of University of Toronto Centre for Study of Pain, and Dr. Michael Weinberger, associate clinical professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University, and Director of the Pain Management Center at Columbia- Presbyterian Hospital.
» Please Explain series
Music:
Sonatine track 1 and track 6
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National Book Award Winners
The Leonard Lopate Show
A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!
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
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Please Explain: Eco-Labels
The Leonard Lopate Show
Your broccoli, shampoo, and air conditioner might bear labels declaring them to be organic, cruelty-free, or energy efficient, but what do those labels mean and are they true? Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Project Director for Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org and Consumers Union’s Senior Scientist for Policy Initiatives, and Dara O'Rourke, founder and CEO of GoodGuide.com, took a look at what eco-labels indicate, how standards are set, and what they mean for consumers and manufacturers around the world.
- Comments [14]
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.
