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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, October 02, 2007
  • Little Rock High School
    Little Rock High School

    The Little Rock Nine

    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.

Little Rock: 50 Years Later

The wave of desegregation that transformed the South in the 1960s began in Little Rock, Arkansas, in September 1957. Nine African-American students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated Little Rock Central High School; after President Dwight Eisenhower intervened, they were later allowed into the school. Contributing editor to Vanity Fair David Margolick spoke with Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, about being immortalized in the now iconic photo from 1957.

Visit Vanity Fair to read David Margolick’s article, “Through a Lens, Darkly," a web exclusive

Little Rock Central High School Today

50 years after Central High School was desegregated, it still isn't fully integrated. Filmmakers Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud looked at the legacy of the struggle for equal education and examined the lives of contemporary Central High Students in their HBO documentary, “Little Rock Central.”

"Little Rock Central" will air this Thursday at 9pm on HBO
You can learn more about the documentary here

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

Eric CarleForty years ago, Eric Carle launched a cottage industry with the now-beloved classic children's book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Mr. Carle joins Leonard to discuss his third (and last) sequel, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?.

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? is available for purchase at amazon.com

Jane Alexander on Sex and Intimacy

Jane AlexanderJane Alexander is an award-winning actress, author, and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. She joins Leonard to discuss playing the role of therapist Dr. Mary Foster in HBO’s new drama series, “Tell Me You Love Me,” and her latest film, “Feast of Love.”

The Siege of Mecca

In 1979, Muslim fundamentalists staged a violent takeover of Islam’s holiest shrine, the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. This incident was largely unreported in the West, but Yaroslav Trofimov argues that it inspired al-Qaeda and countless other Islamic revivalist movements to even greater acts of violence. Trofimov's new book about the takeover and its aftermath is The Siege of Mecca,

The Siege of Mecca 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

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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

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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

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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?