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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, July 06, 2007
  • (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtstradling/346307820/" target="_blank">mtstradling</a>/flickr)
    The New Jersey Turnpike as seen from inside an NJ Transit train (mtstradling/flickr)

    New Jersey State of Mind

    We're in a New Jersey state of mind. On today's show: three writers and guest host Julie Burstein (all native New Jersey-ites) try to make sense of their home state's mixed reputation. We'll also find out why the construction of New Jersey's Pulaski Skyway caused a major political power struggle in the early 20th century. Then, a comic novel that follows three high school students through the college application process, from SATs the rejection letters. And today's Please Explain is all about smell.

Writing About New Jersey

New Jersey is the Garden State, but it's also known for its highways and chemical plants. Young writers from New Jersey make sense of their home state's mixed reputation in a new collection called Living on the Edge of the World: New Jersey Writers Take On the Garden State. Contributors Kathleen DeMarco, Christian Bauman, and James Kaplan join us to explain what's weird and wonderful about New Jersey.

Living on the Edge of the World is available for purchase at amazon.com

America's First Superhighway

New Jersey's Pulaski Skyway was the country's first superhighway, designed to connect the hub of New York City to the rest of the USA. The construction project was very contentious, and resulted in a very flawed highway. The Skyway hasn't changed much since it first opened in 1932. Steven Hart's new book is The Last Three Miles: Politics, Murder, and the Construction of America's First Superhighway.

The Last Three Miles is available for purchase at amazon.com


Event: Steven Hart will be reading and signing books
Saturday, August 11 at 2 pm
Barnes & Noble
3981 US Highway 9
Freehold, New Jersey

Getting In

Susan Coll's new comic novel, Acceptance, tracks three high school students as they go through the college admissions process...from SATs, campus tours, and interviews to rejection letters.

Acceptance is available for purchase at amazon.com

Please Explain: Smell

On today's Please Explain, we get nosey with smell. Biophysicist Dr. Luca Turin and psychobiologist Dr. Charles Wysocki explain what odors are, how our noses work, and what kind of information humans can gather by smell.

Tributes: Kate McGarrigle

The Leonard Lopate Show

Folk singer Kate McGarrigle, who gained acclaim for a series of projects with her sister Anna, died Monday, Jan. 18, from a rare form of cancer. She left behind a family of talented musicians, including her sister, son Rufus Wainwright, and daughter Martha Wainwright. McGarrigle appeared on The Leonard Lopate show with her sister in December 2005, ahead of their holiday show at Carnegie Hall.

Monona Rossol on 50 Million Chemicals

The Leonard Lopate Show

On September 7, 2009, scientists working for the Chemical Abstract Service (which assigns identification numbers to all new chemicals) entered the 50-millionth chemical substance into their Registry. Chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol, President and Founder of Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, took a look at what all these new substances are, where they are coming from, and how they affect our health. Rossol also responded to listener comments and questions. You can read her answers here.

Alan Alda on What Makes Us Human

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Barbara Demick on Ordinary Lives in North Korea

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Lucien Castaing-Taylor on "Sweetgrass"

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Michael Pollan on Food in 2010

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Atul Gawande on The Checklist Manifesto

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Christopher Kimball on Surviving Holiday Cooking Disasters

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Lidia Bastianich on Cooks from the Heart of Italy

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Neil deGrasse Tyson on Pluto

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National Book Award Winners

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A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

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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.