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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Joanna from KurdistanSurvival of the Kurds
Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were killed in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. A Kurdish woman from Baghdad talks about her determination to survive. Also: a new play that explores the impact of 9/11 and the war in Iraq on the lives of three individuals. Then, a novel about the discovery of a lost manuscript by Herman Melville. And we look into whether Pakistan bears much of the blame for the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

How Pakistan is Helping the Taliban
Journalist and businesswoman Sarah Chayes says that Pakistan is largely to blame for the reemergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan – and that the Bush administration has been far too gentle with Pakistan. Her recent article, "Days of Lies and Roses," is in the Boston Review.
Dying City
Dying City, now at Lincoln Center, is set in a downtown Manhattan apartment. The play looks at how 9/11 and the war in Iraq transform the lives of 3 characters. Leonard talks to playwright Christopher Shinn and actor Pablo Schreiber.
Herman Melville's Lost Manuscript
Sheridan Hay’s debut novel, The Secret of Lost Things, imagines what happens when an 18-year old discovers a lost manuscript by Herman Melville.
Events: Sheridan Hay will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, April 4 at 7 pm
Upper West Side Barnes & Noble
2289 Broadway, at 82nd Street
A Kurdish Woman's Struggle to Survive
Hundreds of thousands of Joanna Al-Askari Hussain’s fellow Kurds were murdered under Saddam Hussein. As part of her struggle to survive, she became a Kurdish freedom fighter during the Iran-Iraq war. She joins Leonard, as well as her biographer Jean Sasson, author of Love in a Torn Land.
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [33]
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.
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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.
- Comments [9]
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.
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