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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, March 15, 2007
  • coexist (beatak/flickr)
    (beatak/flickr)

    Powerful Knowledge

    On today’s Underreported, we check in on the state of freedom of expression in Ethiopia. Then, Andre Schiffrin talks about his eventful life in publishing. And a new book examines examples of peaceful co-existence between Muslims, Jews, and Christians throughout history. Plus, the chair of the religion department at Boston University argues that Americans need to brush up on their religious literacy.

Underreported: Suppression of Dissent in Ethiopia

The government of Ethiopia has become notorious for the heavy-handed suppression and punishment of any form of political dissent. On today's Underreported, we look at the state of freedom of expression in Ethiopia, and examine how dissent is suppressed. Leonard talks to the family members of two Ethiopian political prisoners. Meqdes Mesfin is public health practitioner in Boston, and daughter of Mesfin Woldemariam, founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council and the most prominent human rights defender in Ethiopia. He has been detained by the Ethiopian government in connection with public demonstrations protesting alleged election fraud in the May 2005 elections in Ethiopia; Amnesty International is advocating for him. Hiwot Nega is the sister of Berhanu Nega, a leading member of the CUD, Ethiopia’s main opposition party.

For more information on human rights in Ethiopia, go to qalitiqalkidan.org and ethiomedia.com.

Politics and Publishing

Andre Schiffrin talks about how political development influenced his life, and his career in publishing at Pantheon and The New Press.

A Political Education is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: André Schiffrin will be in conversation with John Leonard
Thursday, March 15 at 7 pm
The Small Press Center
20 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues
For more information, visit the Small Press Center’s website.

Peace Be Upon You

In Peace Be Upon You, Zachary Karabell examines some historic examples of peaceful co-existence between Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

Peace Be Upon You is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Zachary Karabell will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 pm
The Asia Society
725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street
For tickets, visit the Asia Society website or call 212-288-6400.

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic...and Religion?

Religion scholar Stephen Prothero believes that religion should return to public schools as the “Fourth R” of American education. In Religious Literacy, he explains why he believes informed citizens must understand the key beliefs of the world’s major religions.

Religious Literacy is available for purchase at amazon.com

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?