The Leonard Lopate Show

The Year of Magical Thinking

In late December, 2003 Joan Didion’s life turned upside down. Her only daughter had unexpectedly fallen into a coma after what seemed like the flu turned into a bad case of pneumonia with serious complications. Then, after returning from the hospital, Joan’s husband of four decades suffered a fatal heart attack while they were making dinner. In The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion wrestles with her grief and loss, and what it means to be dependent on someone you love. She joins us today with Vanessa Redgrave, who brings this moving memoir to life in the Broadway play of the same name.

The Year of Magical Thinking is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Year of Magical Thinking on Broadway

• Comments [1]
• Email
• Save

Underreported: Illegal Citizenship Delays

The US government is illegally delaying the naturalization applications of thousands of immigrants, according to a recent report by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. On today's first Underreported, we look into how individuals perceived to be Muslim are being subjected to indefinite security checks, and citizenship delays that go on for years. Smita Narula is Assistant Professor of Clinical Law and Faculty Director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at the NYU School of Law. Mohammad Razvi is Executive Director of the Council of Peoples Organization in Brooklyn.

Americans on Hold: Profiling, Citizenship, and the 'War on Terror.'

• Comment
• Email
• Save

Underreported: Unspoiled Gabon

The Central African country Gabon looks much the same today as it did centuries ago. It's one of the last remaining vestiges of unspoiled wild Africa, and it's home to many plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. We find out how Gabon has managed to preserve its natural resources even as surrounding countries are struggling with civil war and environmental exploitation. Dr. James Deutsche is the director of Africa programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

“Gabon: The Last Eden” airs on Friday, May 18th at 10pm on the National Geographic Channel.

• Comment
• Email
• Save