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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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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.”
- Comments [2]
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.
Video Pick: The J.D. Allen Trio
The Leonard Lopate Show
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- Joel Grey on Images from My Phone
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- Comments [4]
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]
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?
