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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, July 21, 2008
  • On a High Wire

    Find out just how precarious the financial situations of American families really are. Also: looking for something to read this summer? We kick off our annual Underappreciated literature series with the work of Sudanese novelist Tayeb Salih! Plus, Adam Mansbach on his new novel. And a look at the rise of megachurches.

    We're hosting an other FREE Lopate Show film screening on Monday, August 4! We'll be watching the 1972 film "The Candidate." Go here to RSVP and find out more.

Are American Families Worse Off?

Just how precarious are American families’ financial situations right now? In his new book, High Wire, Los Angeles Times economic correspondent Peter Gosselin traces 25 years of shifting economic risk from business and government onto the backs of working families.

We’d like to know how the economic downturn is affecting your life. Do you feel significantly worse off financially than you did 5 years ago?

Underappreciated: Sudanese Author Tayeb Salih

We kick off our annual summer Underappreciated literature series with a look at the work of Sudanese writer Tayeb Salih. In 1967, Salih wrote a cornerstone of contemporary Arabic literature, Season of Migration to the North, a complex novel about a man who returns to the Sudan after finishing his education in England. Columbia University professor Bruce Robbins explains why Salih deserves more widespread recognition in the United States.

Hear Our Previous Underappreciated Segments

The End of the Jews

Adam Mansbach’s new novel, The End of the Jews, tells the stories of a young Jewish man in the 1930s, and a young Czech woman in the 1980s.

Event: Adam Mansbach will be in a conversation with Keith Gessen, hosted by JEWCY.com
Tuesday, July 22 at 7 pm
45 Main Street, Suite 613, (corner of Front Street)
DUMBO, Brooklyn

The Rise of Megachurches

There are more than 1,250 megachurches across the U.S. We look at the rise of megachurches, and why some have described them as the most successful community-building institutions of modern times. Frances Fitzgerald is staff writer at the New Yorker; Conde Nast Portfolio contributing editor Karl Taro Greenfield recently wrote "God Wants Me to Be Rich," a profile of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen.

If you’ve attended services at a megachurch, or have been a member of one, we’d like to hear about your experiences. How has it affected you? How was/is it different from a more traditional churchgoing experience?

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.