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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, April 21, 2006
  • "The Pile" in the days after September 11th
    "The Pile" in the days after September 11th (Tyger Vollrath)

    Monumental Challenges

    On today’s show, two construction workers describe the toughest job of their lives: clearing the debris after 9/11. Then, Ron Blomberg on being one of the first important Jewish players for the Yankees. Plus, a retrospective of the films of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. And this week’s Please Explain is all about kidneys!

Nine Months at Ground Zero

Construction superintendent Charlie Vitchers and crane operator Bobby Gray describe the physical danger and emotional strain of clearing the debris after 9/11 in Nine Months at Ground Zero.

Events: Charlie Vitcher and Bobby Gray will be appearing
Thursday, April 27 at 1 pm
Borders Books
100 Broadway at Wall Street

Designated Hebrew

Ron Blomberg had the first at bat as a designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He was also one of the first significant Jewish players for the Yankees. He describes his eight seasons in Designated Hebrew.

Events: Ron Blomberg will be signing books
Friday, April 21 at 7 pm
Borders Books & Music
290 Commons Way in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Ron Blomberg will be signing books
Saturday, April 22 at 11 am
Bookends
232 E. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ

Ron Blomberg will be signing books
Sunday, April 23 at 9:30 am
Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel
575 King St, Port Chester, NY

Ron Blomberg will be signing books
Sunday April 23 at 2 pm
The Yogi Berra Museum
8 Quarry Rd, Little Falls, NJ

A Tribute to Fatty Arbuckle

Ben Model describes the 54-film retrospective he co-organized for MoMA’s tribute to Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle—the slapstick silent star whose career was cut short by scandal. After he was acquitted of murder, he directed movies under a pseudonym.

Poetry Off the Shelf: Amit Majmudar

In honor of National Poetry Month, we're airing a poem by Amit Majmudar called "A Pedestrian." It's read by Alfred Molina.

This piece is part of the Poetry Off the Shelf series, produced by the »Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation is also delivering daily »poetry podcasts, produced by Curtis Fox, during the month of April.

Please Explain: Kidneys

Dr. Stanley Cortell, Chief of Nephrology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, and Dr. Alan Benvenisty, surgeon and director of the Renal Transplant Program at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, answer your questions about kidneys on this week’s Please Explain.

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.