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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, November 03, 2006
  • Brad Pitt (Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair)
    Brad Pitt, Las Vegas, 1994 (Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair)

    Important Contributions

    Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter, the founding editors of Spy magazine, join deputy editor George Kalogerakis for a look back at the satirical publication’s influence on the media. Then, Annie Leibovitz shares some photos from her personal life. And a new novel imagines the lives of mathematicians Kurt Godel and Alan Turing. Plus, we take on corporate campaign contributions on this week’s Please Explain.

Spy: The Funny Years

Before The Onion and The Daily Show, people turned to Spy Magazine for biting satire, irreverent reporting, and snarky celebrity coverage. Founding editors Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter join former deputy editor George Kalogerakis to pay tribute to the continuing influence the publication has on the media--a decade after its last issue.

Spy: The Funny Years is available for purchase at amazon.com


Events: Graydon Carter, George Kalogerakis, and Kurt Andersen will be participating in a panel moderated by David Carr
Friday, November 3 at 7 pm
The Main Branch of The New York Public Library
Fifth Avenue, at 42nd Street
For tickets, visit the NYPL website, or call 212-868-4444.

Annie Leibovitz on Life Behind the Lens

In A Photographer’s Life, Annie Leibovitz tells us how she makes portraits personal—whether it’s of a celebrity or a loved one.

A Photographer’s Life is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Annie Liebovitz will be presenting a slide show of her work and signing books
Friday, November 3 at 7 pm
The Paula Cooper Gallery
534 West 21st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues

Slideshow of Annie Leibovitz's photos

A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines

Physicist Janna Levin's new novel, A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, imagines the lives of two of the 20th century’s greatest mathematical minds: Kurt Godel and Alan Turing.

A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines is available for purchase at amazon.com

Please Explain: Corporate Campaign Contributions

When you eat a pizza from Domino's or buy a book from Barnes & Noble, you could unwittingly be making a campaign contribution. On today's Please Explain, we ask how much corporations donate to political parties, who's getting the money, and what the companies get in return. Larry Noble is the former executive director and general counsel for the Center for Responsive Politics. He's currently working with the law firm Skadden Arps and advises corporations on how to comply with campaign finance laws. Carol Pott is the editor of The Blue Pages: A Directory of Companies Rated By their Politics and Practices.

The Blue Pages is available for purchase at amazon.com

Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska Politics

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 08, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is Sen. John McCain’s VP running mate. To find out more about Gov. Palin and Alaska politics, check out our States of the Union: Alaska segment from Aug. 8, 2008.

Sen. Joe Biden on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. Obama has chosen Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware to be his running mate. To find out more about his personal and political life, listen to Leonard’s Aug. 2007 interview with Sen. Biden. At the time, the Senator from Delaware was still a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

As the Democratic Convention is underway in Denver, listen to 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.

John McCain in 2000

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. John McCain spoke with Leonard in September 2000 about his memoir, Faith of My Fathers. He discussed his family's naval background, his time in POW camps, as well as his own presidential ambitions for the 2000 election.

States of the Union

The Leonard Lopate Show

Why is New York a blue state, Wyoming a red, and Ohio a shade of purple? Looking ahead to Election Day 2008, Leonard talks to journalists, scholars, and activists from each of the 50 states to find out what motivates voters from Maine to California.

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?