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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, December 27, 2006
  • Some of the glacial erratics of Ravenswood Granodiorite excavated during the sewer construction on Vabderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene (Sidney Horenstein)
    Some of the glacial erratics of Ravenswood Granodiorite excavated during the sewer construction on Vabderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene (Sidney Horenstein)

    On the Rocks

    Glaciers, water, and geological activity shaped New York City’s landscape long before the buildings and pavement did. Find out what lies beneath the five boroughs, from boulders in Fort Greene to striations in Central Park. Also, Miles Davis’s son Gregory Davis details the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality of his jazz superstar father. A food writer explains how he discovered his love for food. Plus: the anti-Hitler movement within WWII Germany was more significant than most people realize. We’ll find out why the myth of the German monolith isn’t true.

New York on the Rocks

Before New York City was New York City, the landscape was carved out by glaciers, water, and geological activity. Sidney Horenstein, Geologist & Environmental Educator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History, explains what lies beneath the pavement and parks of the five boroughs.

New York City Rocks Slideshow

Miles Davis: Jekyll and Hyde

Miles Davis was a jazz superstar, one of the greatest musical innovators ever, beloved by many. He was also reclusive, misogynistic, and mistrustful of others. Miles’s son Gregory Davis details the complicated personality of his famous father in his new book Dark Magus: The Jekyll and Hyde Life of Miles Davis.

Wrestling with Gravy

Jonathan Reynolds tells Leonard how he found his vocation as a food writer. In his new book Wrestling with Gravy, he writes about the food in his life - from the “gruesome oatmeal” he was served after a night in jail, to the truffles he made to seduce his first wife.

Alliance of Enemies: German-American Collaboration in WWII

During WWII, the anti-Hitler movement from within Germany was more significant than most people realize. Augustus Von Hassell (grandson of a bomb plotter) and Sigrid MacRae take apart the myth of a German monolith in their new book Alliance of Enemies: The Untold Story of the Secret American and German Collaboration to End World War II.

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.