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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, August 08, 2007
  • Elizabeth Edwards and Kate Michelman campaign in Iowa
    Elizabeth Edwards and Kate Michelman campaign in Iowa (Michael Millhollin/flickr)

    ...and the Lovely Spouse

    From Elizabeth Edwards and Judith Giuliani to Bill Clinton, candidates' spouses sometimes get as much attention as the candidates themselves. On today's show, we'll look into how husbands and wives affect political campaigns. Also, the dark history of the construction of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. We'll also look at one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan - some say he's more famous than Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt combined. And the Gurus of How-To, Al and Larry Ubell take your calls.

Campaign Spouses

Candidates' spouses can get almost as much media attention as the candidates themselves. We'll find out how husbands and wives influence campaigns and elections, and look into the current crop of campaign spouses, including Bill Clinton, Cindy McCain, Elizabeth Edwards, and Judith Giuliani. Leonard talks to Gail Collins, New York Times columnist; also, Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer who took a leave of absence from the newspaper in 2006 to join her husband, now Senator Sherrod Brown, on the campaign trail. Schultz's new book is …and His Lovely Wife.

…and His Lovely Wife is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Splendor and the Scandal

The construction of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome took more than 100 years and was the grandest architectural undertaking of the High Renaissance. In Basilica, R.A. Scotti reveals the dark sides of St. Peter’s history, from jealous architects to ambitious popes and reluctant artists.

Basilica is available for purchase at amazon.com

The King of Bollywood

Although he’s not a household name in America, Shah Rukh Khan is the king of Bollywood. Some say he’s more famous than Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt combined. Shah Rukh’s rise to stardom from middle-class Delhi was unlikely and difficult. In King of Bollywood, Anupama Chopra, who comes from a filmmaking family herself, describes Shah Rukh's career and how he fits into the history of the Indian film industry.

King of Bollywood is available for purchase at amazon.com



Events: Anupama Chopra will be introducing "Kal Ho Naa Ho"
Wednesday, August 8 at 8 pm
The Scorates Sculpture Park
Astoria, Queens
For more information visit the park’s website.

Anupama Chopra will be introducing "Devdas"
Friday, August 10 at 7:30 pm
Museum of the Moving Image
For more information, visit the MMI’s website.

The Gurus of How-To

The Gurus of How-To, Al and Larry Ubell, tackle the nuts and bolts of home repair, and take listeners’ calls on everything from leaky faucets to noisy air conditioners. Call us at 212-433-WNYC (212-433-9692) or submit a comment.

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?