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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
  • Barbara Ehrenreich

    Tough Times

    With the war in Iraq, a slowing economy, rising gas and food prices...everyone knows that times are a little tougher right now. Barbara Ehrenreich believes that these past few years in the U.S. have been the worst in recent memory! Then, States of the Union is all about Alabama. A new novel explores the limits of language. Plus: former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky.

A Nation Divided

Barbara Ehrenreich says that the U.S. is being scarred by a deepening divide between the rich and poor. When she traveled throughout the U.S. to get a feel for how Americans are doing, she found that the last few years have been the worst in recent memory, and the wealth gap is growing wide every day. Her new book is This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation.

Event: Barbara Ehrenreich will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, June 25 at 7 pm
Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 East 17th Street

States of the Union: Alabama

Find out about the re-election campaign of Jeff Sessions; how state Democrats remain competitive in a state that has become solidly Republican in presidential elections; and what kind of impact the case of convicted former governor Don Siegelman has had on state politics. Joining us to discuss what matters to voters in the Yellowhammer State is George R. Altman, Capitol bureau for the Press-Register in Mobile, Alabama.

States of the Union fact of the week: Alabama’s state constitution is the world’s longest constitution and is forty times longer than the US Constitution.

Living Alone in the Wilderness

David Wroblewski’s debut novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, is about a mute young man who lives with his parents on a farm in Wisconsin until his family is torn apart and he’s forced to fend for himself in the wilderness. Stephen King wrote: "I flat-out loved The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, and spent twelve happy evenings immersed in the world David Wroblewski has created.”

Event: David Wroblewski will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, June 25 at 7 pm
McNally Robinson
52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry)

Identity and Democracy

Human rights icon Natan Sharansky is a former Soviet dissident and political prisoner; he’s also served as a senior minister in the Israeli government. He says that strong identity is vital to a healthy democracy, and valueless cosmopolitanism is very dangerous. His new book is Defending Identity.

Event: Natan Sharansky will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, June 25
Congregation Keter Torah
600 Roemer Ave.
Teaneck, NJ 07666
8:15 pm general admission; $10/adults and $5/students
for more info call 201-837-2795

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

The Leonard Lopate Show

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

The Leonard Lopate Show

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

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.

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?