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
Tributes: Jeanne-Claude
The Leonard Lopate Show
Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [33]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [9]
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]
