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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
  • Former President Richard Nixon (U.S.Gov)
    Former President Richard Nixon (U.S.Gov)

    Nixon, Castro, and Other Legacies

    On today's show: how the 1977 Frost/Nixon interviews helped cement Richard Nixon's political legacy. Then: Fidel Castro and his brother Raul attended a Jesuit school named Dolores that educated Cuba's elites until the revolution. Most of their former classmates are now in exile. We'll look into the divergent paths of Dolores alumni. Also, Lore Segal's new story collection. And TV critic Bill Carter shares his predictions for the future of the network news, and whether Katie Couric has a chance.

Convicting Richard Nixon

After Richard Nixon resigned, he referred to Watergate as a "pipsqueak thing," certain that history would clear him of any wrongdoing. James Reston Jr. was part of a team that helped prepare TV personality David Frost for a 1977 series of interviews with Nixon, three years after his resignation. Reston joins Leonard today to tell us about his work to get Nixon to admit that Watergate was wrong. Reston's new book is The Conviction of Richard Nixon.

The Conviction of Richard Nixon is available for purchase at amazon.com

Fidel Castro's Classmates

Fidel Castro and his brother Raul attended a Jesuit school named Dolores that educated Cuba's elites until the revolution. Now most of the Castro brothers' former classmates are in exile. Patrick Symmes looks into the divergent paths of Dolores alumni in his new book, The Boys from Dolores: Fidel Castro's Classmates from Revolution to Exile.

The Boys from Dolores is available for purchase at amazon.com


Event: Patrick Symmes will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, July 18 at 7pm
Upper West Side Barnes & Noble
2289 Broadway, at 82nd Street

Shakespeare's Kitchen

Lore Segal's new book of interrelated stories is Shakespeare's Kitchen. This is her first major work of fiction since Her First American, which came out in 1985.

Shakespeare's Kitchen is available for purchase at amazon.com

Desperate Networks

Over the course of a single season, NBC plunged from first to last place in prime time ratings. Big changes are underway at America's major networks. New York Times TV critic Bill Carter shares his predictions for the future of the networks, and whether Katie Couric has a chance. His book Desperate Networks has recently been released in paperback.

Desperate Networks is available for purchase at amazon.com

Weigh in: Do you still watch the evening news on network TV? If so, which channel do you prefer and why?

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?