The Leonard Lopate Show
The Worst Buildings in NYC
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
We’ve been asking listeners to submit pictures of some of the worst buildings in New York City. Now, Christopher Gray joins us to discuss what makes a building bad and to unveil his choices for The Worst Buildings in New York. But first, a cognitive neuroscientist describes how reading has influenced the evolution of the brain. Then, we’ll look at what will happen to the Ethiopian children orphaned by AIDS. Also, an operita that explores the life of its protagonist through the tango.
The Science of the Reading Brain
Unlike vision and speech, reading has no direct genetic program passing it on to future generations. So where did this unlikely skill come from? And why do some people, like dyslexics, find it hard to read? Maryanne Wolf, a professor of child development, explores these complicated questions in Proust and the Squid. She integrates psychology and archaeology, linguistics and education, and history and neuroscience to look into the development of the reading brain.
Proust and the Squid is available for purchase at amazon.com
AIDS in Africa
What will happen to all the African children orphaned by AIDS? Journalist Melissa Fay Greene examines this crisis through the story of an Ethiopian woman who found herself running an unofficial orphanage and the children who lived there. Her book is There Is No Me Without You.
There Is No Me Without You is available for purchase at amazon.com
Events: Melissa Fay Greene will be speaking and signing books
Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30pm
Park Slope Barnes & Noble
267 7th Avenue
Melissa Fay Greene will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, September 26 at 12pm
New Canaan Library
151 Main Street
New Canaan, Connecticut
The Gotham Chamber Opera
The Gotham Chamber Opera kicks off its new season with the rarely performed work, Astor Piazzolla’s “Maria de Buenos Aires.” The operita explores Maria’s life, motherhood, and violent death through singing, dancing, and poetry intoned over orchestral tangos. Leonard is joined by David Parsons, co-choreographer, and Neal Goren, conductor.
Events: "Maria de Buenos Aires" will run
Wednesday, September 26 through Saturday, September 29
The Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
New York University
566 LaGuardia Place, at Washington Square South
For tickets, visit the Gotham Chamber Opera's website or call 212-279-4200.
The Worst Buildings in New York City
Christopher Gray, who writes the “Streetscapes” column for the New York Times, is looking for New York City’s worst buildings. We have been asking listeners to submit pictures of what they think are the worst buildings. He discusses what makes a building bad and unveils his choices for the worst buildings.
Slideshow: Listener Photo Submissions
Slideshow: Christopher's picks of worst buildings
View the winning submissions
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