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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
  • LSD (ohsnap/flickr)
    (oh snap/flickr)

    Behind the Curtains

    LSD and ecstasy make people high, but some doctors believe that psychedelic drugs may also have therapeutic uses - for a few specific medical conditions. Also: the secret lives of George Sand, one of the most fascinating women of 19th century Europe. Then we hear about Virginia Woolf's husband Leonard, who gave up his own literary aspirations to care for his wife. Plus, PBS anchor Jim Lehrer, who's just written his 16th novel.

Jim Lehrer

Jim Lehrer and The Phony Marine

The Phony Marine is PBS anchor Jim Lehrer's 16th novel. It's about a pudgy clothing-store salesman who buys a Silver Star medal on eBay and transforms himself into a former Marine.

George Sand: Naked in the Marketplace

French writer George Sand was noted for her affairs with men, but biographer Benita Eisler found that Sand's mother was the real love of her life. Eisler's new book is Naked in the Marketplace: The Lives of George Sand.

Events: Benita Eisler will be reading and signing books
Wednesday, November 29 at 7 pm
The Astor Place Barnes & Noble

Virginia Woolf's Husband

Virginia Woolf's husband Leonard was an important literary figure in his own right. Victoria Glendinning's new biography, Leonard Woolf, paints a portrait of a man who put his own literary aspirations aside to care for his more famous wife.

Therapeutic Psychedelics

LSD and ecstasy may do more than make people high. Some doctors believe that psychedelic drugs may have therapeutic uses for certain medical conditions. Leonard talks to Dr. John Halpern, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research at McLean Hospital; and Dr. Michael Mithoefer, a psychiatrist based in Charleston, SC.

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.