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Eileen Chang in the 60's (Karen Kingsbury)Underappreciated
On today's show: The final installment of our Underappreciated Literature series examines the work one of China's most widely read authors, Eileen Chang. And actor Bruce Dern looks back over his film career, including his experiences working with Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman and Jane Fonda. Also, Michael Lerner tells the story of Prohibition in New York City. But first, ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz reports on the lives of our soldiers at war abroad and their anxious families back home.
The Long Road Home
Before Martha Raddatz became the White House correspondent for ABC News, she covered the Pentagon. In her book, The Long Road Home, she tells the stories of the soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and the families waiting for them back in the United States.
Purchase The Long Road Home at amazon.com.
Underappreciated: Eileen Chang
Eileen Chang - also known as Zhang Ailing - is one of China's most widely read authors. After an unhappy childhood in Shanghai, she began publishing short stories as a college student in the 1940s. Her genius was recognized almost immediately, and there were soon rumors of her being considered for a Nobel Prize. In 1955 Chang resettled in America, where she continued to write but became increasingly reclusive. When she died in her Los Angeles apartment in 1995, it took neighbors days to realize she was gone. Translator Karen Sawyer Kingsbury will explain why Chang should never be forgotten again.
Purchase Chang's Love in a Fallen City and Lust, Caution, soon to be made into a feature film directed by Ang Lee, at amazon.com.
Dry Manhattan
In his lively history of Prohibition-era New York City, Michael Lerner reveals some surprising ways the ban on booze affected social and political life in the Big Apple.
Purchase Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City at amazon.com.
Bite Your Tongue!
When actor Bruce Dern looks back over his film career, there are plenty of things he is glad to have done: working with Elia Kazan, Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, and Jane Fonda, for example. The title, Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have, alludes to a few things he wishes he hadn't: like snubbing Woody Allen and turning down roles in “The Godfather” and “Gandhi.” His memoir describes the highs and the lows of a long career in Hollywood.
Purchase Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have: An Unrepentant Memoir at amazon.com.
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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
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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.
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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.
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