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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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FDA to Regulate Tobacco?
The Leonard Lopate Show
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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.
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Guest Picks
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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?