On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show
-
A clip from the documentary "No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures)Warring Factions
On today's show: A Vanity Fair reporter exposes two C.I.A. psychologists who used their military training to create the torture tactics used at Guantánamo Bay. Also, a new documentary traces bad policy decisions in Washington to their disastrous effects on the ground in Iraq. Then, an Iraqi writer discusses his debut novel about life under Saddam Hussein. And on this week's Please Explain, we put aside Harry Potter to learn the truth about magic, witchcraft, and wizardry.
Rorschach and Awe
Vanity Fair writer Katherine Eban asked why psychologists were participating in military interrogations at Guantánamo Bay, and she uncovered the alarming story of two C.I.A. contractors who were, in secret, designing torture techniques. Learning how and why took her deep into a world that our military and intelligence agencies would rather keep hidden.
Read her article, "Rorschach and Awe."
Weigh in: Should torture ever be used during interrogations of suspected terrorists?
No End in Sight
The Bush Administration's handling of the war in Iraq has been called into question right from the start. Filmmaker Charles Ferguson sought answers inside the White House, the Pentagon, and Baghdad’s Green Zone, interviewing retired Colonel Paul Hughes and other high-ranking officials to find out exactly how an initial military victory devolved into the chaos and violence we see today. The result is his Sundance Prize-winning documentary No End in Sight.
Learn more about the film here.
Weigh in: If we figure out what went wrong in Iraq, can we make it right?
An Iraqi Rhapsody
When Sinan Antoon's debut novel, I'Jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody, was published in Arabic in 2004, Lebanese poet and literary critic Abdo Wazin declared it one of the most important Arabic novels in recent memory. A fictional memoir of a young political prisoner in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, it is a haunting portrait of an artist's life in a totalitarian state.
I'Jaam is available for purchase at amazon.com.

Please Explain: Magic, Witchcraft, and Wizardry
We'll find out whether the classes at Hogwarts are just hogwash when we discuss the history and practice of magic, witchcraft and wizardry. Send us your questions for Dr. Michael Bailey, Assistant Professor of History at Iowa State University and co-editor of the journal Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, and Rev. Patrick McCollum, Statewide Wiccan Chaplain for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the author of Courting the Lady, available for purchase here.
Call 212-433-9692 or leave a comment here.
- About This Program »
- Staff Bios »
- Contact Us »
- Guest Hosts »
- Guest Picks »
- Latest Show »
- Tapes & Transcripts »
- Show Archive »
Features & Series
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Shop at Amazon!
Leonard Lopate Show picks
Start your Amazon shopping on WNYC.org and a portion of your total purchase goes to WNYC.
More
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.
- Comments [7]
Video Pick: Elizabeth Edwards
The Leonard Lopate Show
Elizabeth Edwards discusses how to best cope with lifes difficulties in her book Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities.
Recent Videos:
- Joy Behar Discusses her Favorite Things.
- Michael Pollan on Food Rules
- David Hare on Director Stephen Daldry
- Tyne Daly on the Debut of her Cabaret Act
- Actors Roger Robinson and Chad Coleman on Joe Turner's Come and Gone
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.
- Comments [4]
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?