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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
  • Sachs
    Justice Albie Sachs (bdnegin/flickr)

    Ad Infinitum

    South African Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs talks about racial relations in post-apartheid South Africa. Also: how the Latin language has shaped western culture for more than 2,000 years. Find out about the ongoing restoration project at the Parthenon in Athens. And a look at the buildings here in NYC that have been saved thanks to our landmarks law.

Albie Sachs: Post-Apartheid South Africa

Albie Sachs is a South African Constitutional Court Justice and a chief architect of the country’s new democratic constitution. He joins Leonard to talk about his lifetime of work as a white South African activist, lawyer, and member of the DNC.

A Biography of the Latin Language

Find out how the Latin language has shaped Western culture and history for more than two thousand years. Nicholas Ostler’s new book is Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin.

Weigh in: Do you think about the influence of Latin on our modern world on a daily basis?

Restoring the Parthenon in Athens

The Parthenon in Athens took 9 years to build in the 5th century BC, but now restoring it is taking 33 years and counting. Ancient Greek art scholar Dr. Jeffrey Hurwit of the University of Oregon and Professor Haralambos Bouras of the Acropolis Restoration Project explain more about the ancient construction methods vs. modern restoration processes.

Acropolis Restoration Project website (in Greek)

New York City’s Remarkable Landmarks Law

We look at the New York City buildings that have been saved thanks to our landmarks law, and the years of hard work that went into creating the law. Anthony Wood is the author of Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks.

Weigh in: What's your favorite NYC building that's been saved thanks to the landmarks law?

New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee website
SLIDESHOW: Preserving New York

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.

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

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.