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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, June 22, 2007
  • teenager

    A Pole-Dancing Terrorist

    Conversation is the glue that holds mothers and daughters together, according to linguist Deborah Tannen. She joins us to today to explain how those conversations can go wrong, and why mothers and daughters tend to miscommunicate. Also: French director Pascale Ferran on her new film adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Richard Flanagan's new novel about a pole dancer who's mistaken for a terrorist. And journalist Edward Luce tries to make sense of the many contradictions of modern India.

You're Wearing That?

Conversation is the glue that holds women's relationships together, according to linguist Deborah Tannen. So when mother-daughter conversations go wrong, there can be big problems. Ms. Tannen's book is You're Wearing That?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation.

You're Wearing That? is available for purchase at amazon.com

Lady Chatterley's Lover Goes to France

D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover was banned in the US until 1959. Its subsequent publication was considered an important part of the sexual revolution. Now it's been adapted into a new film version by French director Pascale Ferran. It opens today in New York at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Cinema Village.

Past Present: Pralines

Every so often we like to dig into WNYC's vast archives and find some gems that have gone out over our airwaves in years past. Today we're going to play some music that originally aired exactly 60 years and 4 months ago, on February 22, 1947 as part of WNYC's American Music Festival. It's a tune called "Pralines," with an introduction by Tony Parenti, who played the clarinet, along with Clarence Williams on piano, Pops Foster on bass, and Baby Dodds on drums. Thanks to WNYC archivist Andy Lanset for finding it for us.

A Pole-Dancing Terrorist

Australian novelist Richard Flanagan's latest, The Unknown Terrorist, is set in modern-day Sydney, in the aftermath of a terror bomb scare. A nightclub pole dancer becomes Australia's most-wanted woman after she's accused of being an accomplice to the attempted bomb attack.

The Unknown Terrorist is available for purchase at amazon.com

India, In Spite of the Gods

India will have more English speakers than the United States by 2050. The country also has a booming tech sector, while three-quarters of the country lives in extreme deprivation. Edward Luce of the Financial Times tries to make sense of modern India and its rise to global power in his new book In Spite of the Gods.

In Spite of the Gods 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?