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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Afar, Ethiopia (Elizabeth Bake)Under the Surface
Director Stephen Frears talks about “The Queen,” his behind-the-scenes dramatization of the Royal Family’s struggle with the death of Princess Diana. Then, jazz singer Stacey Kent tells us about her new collaboration with her husband. Plus, Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball, shares his new book about football. Later on, we’ll listen to a recently discovered interview with Tennessee Williams on Past Present. And we’ll ask what caused a new 40-mile-long crack in the Earth’s surface in Ethiopia.

The Queen
When Princess Diana died, the Royal Family was torn between its desire for privacy, and the public’s demand for ceremony. Director Stephen Frears and writer Peter Morgan dramatize this behind-the-scenes struggle in the new film “The Queen.”
Past Present: Tennessee Williams
On today's Past Present, hear an interview with Tennessee Williams. The playwright shares his thoughts on the role of poetry in modern theater, and why the US needs a national theater program. New York theater historian and critic George Freedley conducted the interview with Tennessee on October 3rd, 1945 as part of WNYC's program Theatre Time.
A Jazzy Relationship
Jazz singer Stacey Kent tells us about her new collaboration with her husband, tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson: The Lyric.
The Lyric is available for purchase at amazon.com
Events: Stacey Kent will be performing
Tuesday, October 3 through Sunday, October 14
Feinstein's at the Regency
540 Park Avenue at 61st Street
For tickets, visit the Feinstein's website
The Blind Side of Football
Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball, shares his new book about some of football’s unsung athletes: The Blind Side.
The Blind Side is available for purchase at amazon.com
Events: Michael Lewis will be speaking with Malcolm Gladwell
Tuesday, October 3 at 7 pm
Union Square Barnes & Noble
A Crack in the Earth
Roger Buck, a physicist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, explains why a 40-mile-long magmatic crack recently opened in Ethiopia.
Slideshow: Afar, Ethiopia
Event:
Roger Buck will be giving a lecture called From Satellites to Camels: The Biggest Magmatic Rift Event tonight, Oct. 2nd, from 6:30pm-8:45pm at the Explorers Club at 46 East 70th Street. The event is open to the public and tickets are sold at the door on a first come, first served basis, beginning at 6pm. More information at explorers.org
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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
Recent Videos:
- Robert Stone on Nixon and Earth Day
- Moby on Music Business
- Nicholas Bakalar on The Medicine Cabinet of Curiosities
- Robert Feldman on The Liar in Your Life
- Matt Taibbi on Goldman Sachs
- Arianna Huffington on Pigs at the Trough
- Joel Grey on Images from My Phone
- Lawrence McDonald on The Fall of Lehman Brothers
- 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.
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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?