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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, October 20, 2008
  • freedom of speech

    Speak Up

    Freedom of speech was central in some of the earliest human rights documents, like the Magna Carta. We speak with three people who have dedicated themselves to defending and celebrating free speech. Also: a new novel about clashing cultures in post-9/11 Chicago. Photographer Susan Meiselas. Plus, comedian and actor Richard Belzer!

    Check out our Redraw the Electoral Map challenge! There's still time to submit your map.

Free Speech Defenders

We talk about censorship – past, present, and future. Journalist Ruth Gruber, entrepreneur Barney Rosset, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Anthony Lewis are all being honored by the National Coalition of Against Censorship on Oct. 21 at its Annual Celebration of Free Speech and Its Defenders.

Post-9/11 Chicago

Egyptian author Alaa al Aswany’s new novel, Chicago, is about clashing cultures in post-9/11 Chicago.

Susan Meiselas: In History

Documentary Photography

Photographer and MacArthur fellow Susan Meiselas is best known for her work covering political upheavals in Central America in the 1970s and 80s. The International Center of Photography (ICP) is hosting the first U.S. overview of her work, "Susan Meiselas: In History." It’s on display through January 4, 2009.

Slideshow of selections from Susan Meiselas’s photos on view at ICP

Richard Belzer Is Not a Cop

Actor and comedian Richard Belzer plays Det. John Munch on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Now he’s written his debut novel, I Am Not a Cop!, which blends fact and fiction as Belzer tries to solve the mystery surrounding a friend’s disappearance.

Events: Richard Belzer will be speaking and signing books
Tuesday, October 21 at 7 pm
Lincoln Square Barnes & Noble
1972 Broadway, at 66th Street

Richard Belzer will be performing
Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 pm
Comix
353 West 14th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues
For more information and tickets, go to the Comix website

Richard Belzer will be performing
Saturday, January 17 at 8 pm
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street, between Broadway and 6th Avenue
For more information, visit The Town Hall website

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.