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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, August 15, 2007
  • The Washington Post publishes the book "Being a Black Man."
    The Washington Post publishes the book "Being a Black Man." (http://flickr.com/photos/dost//flickr)

    Subverting Stereotypes

    On today’s show, journalists from The Washington Post discuss their year-long exploration of what it’s like to be a black man in America. Then, a professor of psychiatry who's also a chronic paranoid schizophrenic explains how she's managed to lead a full and productive life. Also, a writer explains how Homer’s The Odyssey influenced his literary debut. And word maven Patricia T. O’Conner explores pronunciation errors and takes calls from listeners.

Being a Black Man

Over the past 50 years, black men have been perhaps the most studied and dissected population subgroup in America. The Washington Post recently wrapped a year-long series exploring what it’s really like to be a black man in America. The series has been compiled into a book, Being a Black Man. Leonard speaks with editor Kevin Merida and two of the contributors: Robert E. Pierre and Steven A. Holmes.

Being a Black Man is available for purchase at amazon.com

Weigh in: Do you think the mainstream media does a good job of talking about the experiences of black men in America?

Living With Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is often associated with a life of isolation and torment. But Elyn R. Saks has achieved a full life as both a professor of psychiatry and a chronic paranoid schizophrenic. In her memoir, The Center Cannot Hold, she describes living with schizophrenia.

The Center Cannot Hold is available for purchase at amazon.com

Weigh in: Are you, or do you know, a person living with schizophrenia who has learned to manage the disease and live a full life?

The Suitors

Ben Ehrenreich explicitly draws from Homer’s The Odyssey for his literary debut, The Suitors. It's set in a land that blends contemporary America and classical antiquity.

The Suitors is available for purchase at amazon.com>

Patricia T. O’Conner

Word maven Patricia T. O’Conner explores pronunciation errors (including her own), and she answers your questions about the use and misuse of the English language. Call 212-433-9692 or post a question or comment during the show. If your question isn’t answered on air, you can email Patricia directly by going to her website, grammarphobia.com, and clicking on "write us."

Woe Is I Jr. is available for purchase at amazon.com

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?