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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, September 25, 2006
  • chess

    Insider Accounts

    Reverend Mel White broke with the Christian Right in the 1990s, to come out as a gay man. On today’s show, he says fundamentalist Christians are waging a holy war against sexual minorities, and undermining American democracy. Then, we explore the 1500-year staying power of chess. And we talk to a man who’s been living with HIV for 20 years—since he was infected by tainted blood at age 11. Plus: an inside perspective on life in Iraq’s Green Zone.

Breaking with the Christian Right

Mel White once worked as a ghostwriter for Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson. But twelve years ago, he came out as a gay man and broke with the Christian Right. In Religion Gone Bad, he outlines what he believes are the hidden dangers of fundamentalism.

Available for purchase at amazon.com

The Immortal Game

David Shenk explores the 1500-year evolution of chess in The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain.

Available for purchase at amazon.com

Rebel Without a Cure

At age 11, hemophiliac Shawn Decker contracted HIV from tainted blood. In My Pet Virus, he talks about living with the virus for 20 years—from fighting to attend public school, to promoting safe sex with his HIV-negative wife.

Available for purchase at amazon.com

Event: Shawn Decker will be reading and signing books
Monday, September 25 at 7:30 pm
Greenwich Village Barnes & Noble
Sixth Avenue, at 8th Street

Inside the Green Zone

In Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the former Baghdad Bureau Chief for The Washington Post, shares his firsthand account, and critical perspective, on life inside the Green Zone.

Available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Rajiv Chandrasekaran will be speaking on
Monday, September 25th
6:30 pm reception
7:00 pm book reading and signing
Malika Restaurant
210 E 43rd St (between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
Tickets $7 SAJA members, $10 non-members
212-681-6775

Rajiv Chandrasekaran will be participating in a panel on war reporting
Tuesday, October 5th at 6:30 pm
CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue (between 34th and 35th Streets)

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.”

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.

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.

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?