On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show
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(Jewish Museum)Illuminating Subjects
We'll start the show off with a bus driver's perspective on a possible end to the transit strike. Electronic surveillance can save lives...and destroy them. On today's show, we'll find out how one inventor’s work on bugs and wiretaps changed the art of eavesdropping…and then came back to bite him. Also on the show: a discussion of the symbolism of oil lamps and light in the Jewish tradition, and a new quarterly dealing with Jewish culture. Plus, humorist Andy Borowitz reviews the year’s biggest news stories, and we'll end the show with a reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
Working It Out
John Farrington, a bus driver and the Recording Secretary for his local bus drivers union, gives us an update on the resumed transit negiotiations, and a possible end to the strike.
A Humorous Context
Humorist Andy Borowitz brings his unique brand of satirical wit to the show with a year-end review of the news.
» Visit the guest picks page to find out what moves Andy Borowitz
Music:
“Jump Start and Jazz: Two Ballets by Wynton Marsalis”
Tracks 8, 7, and 14
Guilt and Pleasure
Guilt & Pleasure is new quarterly dealing with Jewish culture. Editor-in-chief Mireille Silcoff and contributor Gary Shteyngart tell us about the magazine's mission, and preview the contents of the first issue (from "cowboys and farmers named Horovitz" to "Hasids vs. Brooklyn hipsters").
Music: “Wandering Jew” – Yale Strom & Klazzj
Tracks 9 and 8
Let There Be Light
Small clay oil lamps were once the only means of lighting homes and temples. While they were usually very simple and functional, they were also often decorated and cherished objects. Ena Heller, the executive director of the Museum of Biblical Art, and Susan Braunstein, the head of the Judaica Department at The Jewish Museum and the author of Luminous Art: Hanukkah Menorahs of The Jewish Museum, explain the symbolism of oil lamps and light in the Jewish tradition.
» A collection of clay oil lamps is on display in the current exhibit Let There Be Light: Oil Lamps from the Holy Land at the Museum of Biblical Art
Music:
Wandering Jew
Tracks 1 and 4
Tapping Resources
Electronic surveillance is a powerful tool. It can take down governments, prevent terrorist attacks—or expose a politician’s private life. In An Odyssey of an Eavesdropper, Martin Kaiser describes some of the bugs and wiretaps he created for the FBI, CIA, and other intelligence organizations.
Music: Collateral soundtrack
Tracks 8, 13, 6
Twas the Night Before Christmas
We end today's show with a very special reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Fran Capo, the world's fastest talking woman.
» Fran Capo's website
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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]
