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Life After Prison
Barry Gibbs and David Shepard spent years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. They've both been exonerated, but freedom hasn't been easy. Find out why it’s so difficult to return to the outside world. Also: what jokes can teach us about philosophy. On States of the Union, the election issues that matter in Massachusetts. And word maven Patricia T. O’Conner!
The Leonard Lopate Show is hosting a listener photo project! Send us a photo of a random object that has special meaning to you, and tell us the story behind the object. Find out how to submit here.
We also want your New Year's food ideas. Submit your recipe here.
Exonerated: Life After Wrongful Imprisonment
Barry Gibbs spent 19 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. David Shepard was wrongfully convicted of rape, and served 10 years of a 30-year sentence. Both were exonerated. But exoneration comes with its own set of challenges. Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Shepard, and Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin explain why returning to the outside world is so difficult…and whether anything can make up for the years lost in prison.
Innocence Project’s website
Hear Barry Gibbs' Oct. 2005 interview with Leonard, just a week after his release
Philosophy is Funny
What the Hegel and Bette Midler have in common? Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein say that jokes can help us understand the great philosophical traditions. Their new book is Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes.
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar is available for purchase at amazon.com
Weigh in: Tell us your jokes about philosophy.

States of the Union: Massachusetts
Several major politicians have earned their political stripes in Massachusetts -- including Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and now Mitt Romney. On States of the Union, we find out how Bay State voters feel about Mitt Romney…as well as whether their universal health care policy has been a success, and why the state recently moved its primary to February 5. Fred Thys is political reporter at WBUR.
Word Maven Patricia T. O’Conner
Word maven Patricia T. O’Conner answers your questions about the English language...including some of the more interesting new words of 2007.
Patricia T. O’Conner’s Woe is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English is available for purchase 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
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
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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.
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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.
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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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