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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, April 20, 2007
  • Public or Private?

    We find out how communities throughout the world are fighting the privatization of their water supplies. Then, Farley Granger talks about starring in Hitchcock's "Rope" and "Strangers on A Train." And we pay tribute to Barbara Stanwyck, who's the subject of a 12-film retrospective at BAM. Plus, we explore the history and science of building skyscrapers, on Please Explain.

The Privatization of Water

Throughout the world, global corporations are buying the rights to lakes, streams, and springs--and taking control of public water services. In Thirst, Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman warn against the growing privatization of water supplies, and explain how some communities are fighting back.

Thirst is available for purchase at amazon.com

Farley Granger on Hollywood and Broadway

Farley Granger (of "Rope" and "Strangers on A Train" fame) talks about the ups and downs of his career in Hollywood and on Broadway. He's joined by Robert Calhoun, who helped write his memoir Include Me Out.

An Evening with Farley Granger at Film Forum

Include Me Out is available for purchase at amazon.com

Brooklyn's Own Barbara Stanwyck

Victoria Wilson, author of Barbara Stanwyck: Her Life, Her Work, Her Hollywood, Across an American Century, and film historian Elliott Stein celebrate Barbara Stanwyck's centennial. Her distinctive acting is on display in a 12-film retrospective at BAM.

Ball of Fire at BAM

Please Explain: Skyscrapers

Carol Willis, an architectural historian and the Founder and Director of the Skyscraper Museum, and Bill Baker, a partner in charge of Structural and Civil Engineering with the firm Skidmore Owings and Merrill, answer your questions about how skyscrapers are built, and how and why they keep getting taller. Bill Baker and his colleagues are the designers of what will soon be the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai.

Diagrams Comparing Some of the World's Skyscrapers

Carol Willis's Form Follows Finance: Skyscrapers and Skylines in New York and Chicago 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.