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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: Kate McGarrigle

The Leonard Lopate Show

Folk singer Kate McGarrigle, who gained acclaim for a series of projects with her sister Anna, died Monday, Jan. 18, from a rare form of cancer. She left behind a family of talented musicians, including her sister, son Rufus Wainwright, and daughter Martha Wainwright. McGarrigle appeared on The Leonard Lopate show with her sister in December 2005, ahead of their holiday show at Carnegie Hall.

Monona Rossol on 50 Million Chemicals

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On September 7, 2009, scientists working for the Chemical Abstract Service (which assigns identification numbers to all new chemicals) entered the 50-millionth chemical substance into their Registry. Chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol, President and Founder of Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, took a look at what all these new substances are, where they are coming from, and how they affect our health. Rossol also responded to listener comments and questions. You can read her answers here.

Alan Alda on What Makes Us Human

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Barbara Demick on Ordinary Lives in North Korea

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Lucien Castaing-Taylor on "Sweetgrass"

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Michael Pollan on Food in 2010

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Atul Gawande on The Checklist Manifesto

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Christopher Kimball on Surviving Holiday Cooking Disasters

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Lidia Bastianich on Cooks from the Heart of Italy

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Neil deGrasse Tyson on Pluto

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National Book Award Winners

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A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!

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.