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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, May 24, 2006
  • Baruch Spinoza
    Baruch Spinoza

    Speaking Out

    On today’s show, Iraq War veteran Paul Rieckhoff describes the frustration that led him to speak out against the war, and explains why he doesn’t trust the Republicans or the Democrats to fix things. Then, a look at the outspoken 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. And a scholar explains why she thinks Shakespeare may have been a woman. Plus, we’ll hear part of a documentary about Greenwich Village in the early 1960s on Past Present.

Paul Rieckhoff: The Voice of a Veteran

Two years ago, Paul Rieckhoff became one of the first Iraq War veterans to publicly criticize the war. In Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier’s Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington, he describes the frustration that led him to speak out, and explains why he sees it as his mission to voice the concerns of the veterans and soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Betraying Spinoza

Rebecca Goldstein reconsiders the life of Baruch Spinoza--the 17th century philosopher who was excommunicated by Amsterdam's Jewish community, and whose work is now seen as a forebear of modern scientific theories...from physics to neurology. Ms. Goldstein's new biography is Betraying Spinoza.

Events: Rebecca Goldstein will be speaking with Jonathan Rosen
Wednesday, May 24 at 7 pm
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
For tickets, call 917-606-8200 or visit ticketweb.com

Was Shakespeare a Woman?

In Sweet Swan of Avon Robin Williams presents her case for why Mary Sidney Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke, may have written the works attributed to Shakespeare.

Events: Robin P. Williams will be reading and signing books
Wednesday, May 24 at 7 pm
Barnes & Noble on Broadway at 82nd Street

Past Present: Footloose in Greenwich Village - A Counter Culture Conversation

On today's Past Present, we'll hear excerpts from a 1960 radio documentary called "Footloose in Greenwich Village." It originally aired on WNYC. Also, Theodore Roszak comments on the counterculture that emerged in the Village and throughout the U.S. in the 1960s. Roszak is a professor emeritus at California State University East Bay, and the author of many books, including The Making of a Counter Culture.

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.