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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, December 08, 2008
  • (cliff1066/flickr)

    Problems at the Plaza

    Condos in the newly renovated Plaza Hotel have been sold for tens of millions of dollars. Find out about the many lawsuits over shoddy construction used in those very expensive apartments. Also: a look at 13 books that helped shape America's history and identity. Plus, the role race has played in Castro's Cuba.

Trouble at the Plaza Hotel

Condos in the newly renovated Plaza Hotel have been sold for tens of millions of dollars. Find out why lawsuits have been filed over shoddy construction in those very expensive apartments, and whether the NYC landmark’s renovation has been mishandled. Evgenia Peretz has written an article in the Jan. issue of Vanity Fair magazine called "Eloise Sheds a Tear."

Weigh in: Tell us your memories of the Plaza.

Books That Changed America

Poet, novelist, and critic Jay Parini talks about the thirteen books he says shaped America’s history and identity – from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation to Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. His new book is Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America.

Event: Jay Parini will be speaking and signing books
Monday, December 8 at 7 pm
Union Square Barnes & Noble with the New School

Unlocking the Past in Poland

Erin Einhorn talks about her Jewish family’s complicated relationship with what they left behind in Poland during WWII. She’s the author of The Pages In Between.

Race and Revolution in Cuba

Carlos Moore, the son of Jamaican parents who immigrated to Cuba in search of a better life, talks about the role of race in Castro’s Cuba. His new book is Pichon.

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.