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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, July 03, 2009
  • Jim Lehrer

    Writing, Reading, Retrofitting, and Eating

    Today's show is a special 4th of July encore edition of some of our favorite interviews from the past few months. First, an interview with News Hour anchor Jim Lehrer about his latest novel Oh, Johnny. Architects Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson talk about ways to improve the suburbs. Then, Ursula K. LeGuin on her latest novel Lavinia. Plus, Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA, explains how we have been conditioned to overeat.

Jim Lehrer

You may know Jim Lehrer as a PBS news anchor, but did you also know that he is a prolific novelist? His latest work of fiction mixes baseball, World War Two and romance. It’s called Oh, Johnny.

Retrofitting Suburbia

Architects Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson explain how existing suburbs can be redesigned and redeveloped in their book Retrofitting Suburbia.

Click here to view a slideshow from the book.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Novelist Ursula K. Le Guin's latest book Lavinia gives voice to a character who gets a very brief mention in Virgil's "Aeneid." The story follows Lavinia as she grows up in ancient Rome and is eventually confronted by a fleet of Trojan ships.

hot dog

Pavlov’s Hot Dog

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. David A. Kessler looks at the ways we've been conditioned to overeat unhealthy foods in his book The End of Overeating.

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.