The Leonard Lopate Show
Trading Places
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Mia Farrow recently offered her own freedom in exchange for that of an imprisoned Darfuri rebel. On today's Underreported, she talks about why she thinks the rest of the world needs to pay more attention to the atrocities of Darfur. Also on Underreported: abuses against women migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Then, Ethan Hawke talks about why it took ten years to adapt his debut novel for the silver screen. Plus: jazz musician Chico Hamilton, who's still going strong at age 85. And Tom Ricks shares his predictions for what General Petraeus will say to Congress about Iraq this September.
Underreported: Darfuri Women’s Stories, As Told By Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow, actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador, feels so strongly about ending the atrocities in Darfur that she recently offered her own freedom in exchange for that of an imprisoned Darfuri rebel. Ms. Farrow just returned from another trip to Chad, where she met with Darfuri women in refugee camps. On the first part of Underreported, she tells us about the women that begged her to tell the rest of the world their stories, in the hopes that hearing about the horrific abuses they've lived through would urge the rest of the world to bring an end to the atrocities in Darfur.
Underreported: Women Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia
Approximately 2 million women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and other countries work as migrant domestics in Saudi Arabia. They are routinely underpaid, overworked, confined to the workplace, or subject to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. And two Indonesian women were recently killed by their employers. On the second part of Underreported, Nisha Varia of Human Rights Watch speaks with Leonard about her recent trip to Saudi Arabia where she interviewed some of these domestic workers, and how the Saudi government should reform immigrant sponsorship laws.
Ethan Hawke Writes and Directs “The Hottest State”
Ethan Hawke joins Leonard to discuss writing, directing, and co-starring in the film adaptation of his own novel of the same name, “The Hottest State.” It’s a movie that distills all the emotional highs and lows of first love.
Events: “The Hottest State” opens on August 24 at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema and the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas
A Life Spent Playing with Jazz’s Greats
Chico Hamilton has played with Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. At 85, Mr. Hamilton will be playing at this weekend’s Charlie Parker Jazz Festival – two days of free music in Marcus Garvey Park and Tompkins Square Park.
Events: Chico Hamilton will be playing Saturday, August 25
Marcus Garvey Park, 124th Street (at Mt. Morris Park)
Tickets are FREE
Learn more about the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival here
Fiasco in Iraq
Fiasco leaves no doubt as to how Washington Post military reporter, Thomas Ricks, feels about the war in Iraq. Released a year ago, the book’s damning history of the war was a force in transforming the public perception of US involvement in Iraq. Fiasco has just been released in paperback and it includes a new postscript looking back on the past year.
Fiasco is available for purchase at amazon.com
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