Gerald Ford and the Human Genome

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Gerald Ford spoke candidly with Thomas DeFrank about everything from Richard Nixon to Dick Cheney. The interviews are so revealing that President Ford only permitted them to be released after his death. Then, J. Craig Venter describes what it was like to become the first person to sequence the human genome. Plus, Backstory looks at the newly elected president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

The Leonard Lopate Show is hosting a new Thanksgiving cartoon contest, Cartoon Cornucopia! Check it out and be sure to submit your original cartoon by Wednesday, November 14 at noon.

Sir David Frost on Richard Nixon

Monday, October 29, 2007

Sir David Frost tells Leonard what really happened during his famous interviews with Richard Nixon. And a historian describes the rise and fall of the whaling industry in America. Also, a wife's diaries reveal the dramatic story of a Warsaw zookeeper who saved hundreds of lives during World War II. But first, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross describes the best sounds of the 20th century.

The Leonard Lopate Show is hosting a new Thanksgiving cartoon contest, Cartoon Cornucopia! Check it out and be sure to submit your original cartoon by Wednesday, November 14 at noon.

Anthony Hopkins on "Slipstream"

Friday, October 26, 2007

Sir Anthony Hopkins discusses writing, directing, and starring in the dark comedy "Slipstream." Then director Alison Eastwood talks about her debut film, "Rails and Ties." Also, an activist describes the plight of the 27 million people held in slavery worldwide and tells us what we can do to help end forced labor. And on Please Explain, we give you a hand with understanding why some of us are righties while others are lefties.

The Leonard Lopate Show is hosting a new Thanksgiving cartoon contest, Cartoon Cornucopia! Check it out and be sure to submit your original cartoon by Wednesday, November 14 at noon.

One of America's Greatest Movie Directors

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Sidney Lumet discusses 50 years of making movies. He’s joined by Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the stars of his new film. Find out how 15 Burmese plaintiffs successfully sued a giant oil corporation. Also, a travel writer’s 7,000-mile journey on the silk road. Plus, the challenges Camille Pissarro faced as the only Jewish Impressionist painter.

The Plame Game

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Leonard has spoken with Joseph Wilson, Robert Novak, and Matthew Cooper about "Plamegate." We hear from the woman at the very center of the scandal: Valerie Plame Wilson. She'll tell her side of the story. Then, a new biography of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz depicts him as a deeply unhappy man. Also, a deaf American recounts his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Zambia. Plus, what one foreign correspondent learned during his 30 months on the ground in the West Bank.

The Real Deal

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

How do you know if that bottle of extra-virgin olive oil is really extra-virgin? Ruth Reichl and Louis Di Palo discuss what real olive oil tastes like. Then, an exhibition of important Abstract Expressionist works at the Met. Also, Laura Lippman discusses her new crime novel based on the real-life disappearance of two sisters. Plus, Susan Faludi assesses the post-9/11 era through the lens of gender relations.

War Correspondence

Monday, October 22, 2007

NPR's FBI correspondent Dina Temple-Raston tells the real story of the Yemeni-American Al Qaeda recruits known as the Lackawanna Six. And a filmmaker gets deep inside one man's struggle with manic depressive illness. Also, a novelist depicts life in small town America on the eve of World War I. But first, a panel of journalists - one joining us live from Baghdad - shares eyewitness accounts of the conflict in Iraq and explains the complexities of wartime reporting.

Putting on the Ritz

Friday, October 19, 2007

Playwright Terence McNally and actress Rosie Perez discuss the new Broadway revival of his 1975 comedy hit "The Ritz." And on today's Please Explain, we'll take the pulse of the human heart.

Staying Alive

Thursday, October 18, 2007

A small number of patients infected with HIV have never gotten sick and require no medication. On today’s first Underreported feature, find out what doctors hope to learn by studying the immune systems of these patients, and how that could lead to new ways to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. Then, the second part of Underreported looks into the situation of the American hostages that have been held for four years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. But first, Stephen King on this year’s best American short stories.

Kings of Nonfiction

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Radio host Ira Glass says we’re living in a golden age of nonfiction writing. He’ll share some of his favorite stories – from the well-known to the obscure. Then, word maven Patricia T. O’Conner talks about badly written instructions, and takes your questions on the use and misuse of the English language.

While My Conscience Explodes

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Legendary music producer Phil Ramone shares the secret to winning 14 Grammys. Then, economist and columnist Paul Krugman on why now is the time for a “new New Deal.”

Name That Tune

Monday, October 15, 2007

On today’s show, Dr. Oliver Sacks discusses the relationship between music and the human brain. Then, we’ll revisit the history of the Africa-to-America slave trade through the stories of those on the slave ships. Also, an exhibit of art from Africa’s equatorial rainforests. Plus, a new translation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

Noodles and Needles

Friday, October 12, 2007

The New York Times’s Minimalist Mark Bittman is an avowed meat eater, but he joins us to discuss his all-vegetarian cookbook. Then, Please Explain is all about acupuncture.

Make a pledge of $180 and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian Cookbook is our gift to you.

Food For Thought

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Tim and Nina Zagat talk about their 2008 New York City restaurant guide. Then, Underreported looks at new meat inspection rules, how the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in poultry production may be ineffective and detrimental to human health, and a potential misuse of nanotechnology in washing machines.

Sharing is Caring

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A new bike sharing system has been a hit in Paris. Would a bike share work here in New York too? Then, an Orthodox Jewish writer discusses his crisis of faith when deciding whether to circumcise his newborn son. Also, the Gurus of How-To, Al and Larry Ubell take listeners’ calls on home repair. But first, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charlie Savage on how the Bush administration has shifted power to the executive branch and secured this shift for generations to come.

Broken Promises

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Director David Cronenberg discusses his latest film, "Eastern Promises." Also, French jazz pianist Martial Solal fills us in on his week of performances at The Village Vanguard. And we'll learn about the unique cuisine of Syrian Jews. But first, a journalist gives an eye-opening account of labor abuse and outright slavery in contemporary America.

We also want to hear from you about biking in NYC: Do you bike to work? Where are the most dangerous places in the city for bicyclists?

Revolution of Hope

Monday, October 08, 2007

Mexico's Vicente Fox reflects on his remarkable presidency. Then Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Russo discusses his new novel set in Upstate New York. Also, an ivory expert fills us in on how DNA technology can help catch elephant poachers. And two historians share their latest books, one comparing the American and French Revolutions and the other illuminating the turbulent first decades of our nation's history.

Thinking Outside the Box

Friday, October 05, 2007

Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk discusses his new collection of essays, Other Colors. Then the creators of Showtime's "Weeds" and HBO's "The Wire" share the secrets of television success. And on today's Please Explain, we'll take a bite out of apples.

Memorable Performances

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Underreported examines the rise of neo-fascist groups and hate crime in Russia. Then, ice skater Dorothy Hamill reveals why winning a gold-medal didn’t make for a happy life. Also, David Hyde Pierce on his Tony-award winning performance in “Curtains.” Plus, how Charles Lindbergh teamed up with a Nobel Laureate to find the secret of immortality.

Playing Hardball

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

On today’s show, Chris Matthews discusses what people in any field can learn from politicians about achieving success. Then, a look back at 25 years of Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave festival, and which innovative artists are participating this year. Also, what's at stake in the divisive debate over abortion. Plus, the gun empire of Justin Moon, the son of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and the likely successor to lead the Unification Church.

The Little Rock Nine

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

On today’s show, we’ll look at how school desegregation in the South began with nine students at Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Then, an illustrator discusses the third sequel to his classic children’s book. Also Jane Alexander on sex and intimacy in her latest film and HBO drama series. Plus, how the founding of al-Qaeda can be traced to a Muslim fundamentalist takeover of the Grand Mosque in 1979.

This Just In

Monday, October 01, 2007

On today's show: an editor, writer, and photographer from the Associated Press explain how the organization has covered the biggest news stories of the past 160 years. And Junot Diaz discusses his critically-acclaimed novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Also, a former server at Thomas Keller’s Per Se shares a waiter’s-eye view of four-star dining. But first, an Economist reporter takes us inside the race to build the clean energy cars of the future.