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The Leonard Lopate Show
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Brain World
We visit the world of traumatic brain injury -- from the injuries, to the unusual behavior they can cause. Also: a memoir about an unusual childhood in Botswana. Hear about the inspiring life of Father Mychal Judge, the first official casualty of 9/11. Plus, hard-living journalist David Carr on how he built a career despite years of struggling with addiction.
Head Cases: The World of Traumatic Brain Injury
We visit the world of traumatic brain injury, from how the injuries treated, to the unusual behavior they can cause – like a woman who lost much of her memory and has to be reintroduced to her husband over and over again. Michael Paul Mason is author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath.
Hear Leonard's March 2007 Please Explain: Traumatic Brain Injury

Growing Up in Botswana
When Robyn Scott was 7, her peripatetic parents moved the family to a game farm in Botswana, close to the border of South Africa. She writes about her unusual childhood and her first-hand exposure to the apartheid mindset in a new book, Twenty Chickens for a Saddle: The Story of an African Childhood.
The Life and Death of Father Mychal Judge
Franciscan priest Father Mychal Judge, who worked with the FDNY, is listed as the first official casualty of 9/11. Michael Daly’s recent biography of him is The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge.
A Reporter Investigates His Own Life
Hard-living journalist David Carr talks about his life in the newspaper business, and his struggles with drug addiction and failed relationships. He reported on his own life for his best-selling memoir, The Night of the Gun.
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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