wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
  • The World According to Sesame Street
    The World According to Sesame Street

    Strength of Conviction

    Iranian journalist Camelia Entekhabifard tells us about being imprisoned for her writings. Then, we talk to Mike Farrell, best known as B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H. Later on, we learn about the challenges of adapting Sesame Street for other countries. And Ray Suarez examines the growing entanglement of religion and politics.

Imprisoned in Iran

In 1999, Iranian journalist Camelia Entekhabifard spent three months in prison for her writings. She tells us about her harrowing time in jail, and explains how she secured her release by cultivating a romance with her interrogator.

Camelia is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Camelia Entekhabifard will be speaking and signing books
Friday, April 6 at 7 pm
Labyrinth Books
536 West 112th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue

Acting and Activism

Mike Farrell—best known as B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H—talks about his life as an actor and activist.

Just Call Me Mike is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Mike Farrell will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, March 28 at 7pm
Union Square Barnes & Noble

Sesame Street Around the World

Dan Victor, executive vice president of International Projects at Sesame Workshop, tells us about some of the challenges of adapting Sesame Street for countries around the world. The documentary "The World According to Sesame Street” focuses on Sesame Street in Bangladesh, Kosovo, and South Africa.

Religion and Politics

In the The Holy Vote, Ray Suarez, a senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, examines how religion and politics have become increasingly entangled.

The Holy Vote is available for purchase at amazon.com

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.