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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, December 09, 2008
  • (chadh/flickr)

    Building Histories

    Most histories of the civil rights movement focus on the South. Find out how activists and organizations in the North shaped the movement. Also: hear the history of the Hemings family of Virginia. Plus, a look at the life of Swiss modernist Le Corbusier -- and a conversation with Daniel Libeskind, one of today's leading architects!

Civil Rights in the North

Most histories of the civil rights movement focus on the South. Find out how activists and organizations in the North shaped the movement too. Thomas Sugrue is author of Sweet Land of Liberty.

The Hemings Family of Monticello

The Hemings family had close blood ties with President Thomas Jefferson, due to Jefferson’s relationship with slave Sally Hemings, who was also the half-sister of his late wife Martha. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from Virginia in the 1700s to its dispersal after Thomas Jefferson’s death in 1826. Her new book is

Le Corbusier: A Difficult Personality

Swiss architect Le Corbusier was one of the most influential of all modernists and helped lay the groundwork for 20th century architecture. He was also a rather difficult and controversial personality whose relationships with clients often ended badly. Nicholas Fox Weber’s new biography is Le Corbusier: A Life.

Event:
Nicholas Fox Weber will be giving a talk and signing books
Tues. Dec. 9 at 6:30 pm
Urban Center Books
457 Madison Ave. (at E. 51st St.)
Free but reservations are encouraged
Call 212-935-2075 for more information or to reserve a seat

Studio Daniel Libeskind

Daniel Libeskind, one of today’s leading architects, talks about how philosophy, music, theater, and film have influenced his work. His new book with architecture critic Paul Goldberger is Counterpoint.

Events: Daniel Libeskind will be in conversation with Paul Goldberger
Wednesday, December 10 at 6 pm
The Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker and 3rd Streets
For more information, visit the AIA NY website.

Daniel Libeskind will be signing books
Sunday, December 14 at 3 pm
Archivia Books
993 Lexington Avenue, between 71st and 72nd Streets

Images of Libeskind's work

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.