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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, November 18, 2008
  • Obama and reporters
    (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

    Gold Mine

    What a year for political reporting 2008 has been! We talk about the best political writing of the past year. Also: find out about a spectacular hoax that was perpetrated in 1830s New York City, when many New Yorkers became convinced that the moon was inhabited. Then, a look at the history of cemeteries in America. And we hear an insider's perspective of the trial and execution of Saddam Hussein.

Best Political Writing of 2008

2008 has been a remarkably rich year for political reporters. Leonard talks to Jane Mayer of the New Yorker, John Heilemann of New York Magazine, and Todd Purdum of Vanity Fair. All are included in the new collection Best American Political Writing 2008.

How to Fool a New Yorker

Hear about a spectacular hoax that was perpetrated in 1830s New York City, when many New Yorkers became convinced that the moon was inhabited. Matthew Goodman is the author of The Sun and the Moon.

Events:
Matthew Goodman will be speaking and signing books
Tues. Nov. 18 at 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Tribeca
97 Warren Street
NY, NY

Matthew Goodman will be speaking and signing books
Tues. Dec. 2 at 7:30 PM
Community Bookstore
143 Seventh Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

American Resting Place

Find out how Americans are buried, and what our cemeteries tell us about gender, class and culture in U.S. history – from Native American burial grounds to 19th c. public parks and modern-day lawn cemeteries. Marilyn Yalom is the author of The American Resting Place.

Slideshow of images from The American Resting Place

Saddam Hussein’s Trial

Law professor Michael Newton gives us an insider’s perspective on the trial and execution of Saddam Hussein, and why it was difficult to give him a fair and unbiased judgment. He helped write the rules of the Iraqi High Tribunal for the trial. He’s also the co-author of Enemy of the State.

National Book Award Winners

The Leonard Lopate Show

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

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.

Please Explain: Eco-Labels

The Leonard Lopate Show

Your broccoli, shampoo, and air conditioner might bear labels declaring them to be organic, cruelty-free, or energy efficient, but what do those labels mean and are they true? Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Project Director for Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org and Consumers Union’s Senior Scientist for Policy Initiatives, and Dara O'Rourke, founder and CEO of GoodGuide.com, took a look at what eco-labels indicate, how standards are set, and what they mean for consumers and manufacturers around the world.

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.