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The Leonard Lopate Show
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(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)What Went Wrong
We look into what went wrong with the McCain-Palin ticket with Vanity Fair writer Todd Purdum. Then, we find out how a master counterfeiter got away with passing fake hundred-dollar bills. And Michael and Elizabeth Norman describe World War II's Bataan Death March. Plus, three writers talk about the records and music that has influenced them most.
It Came from Wasilla
Vanity Fair national editor Todd Purdum on how the John McCain–Sarah Palin campaign, a match that seemed so right, ended up going so wrong. His article "It Came from Wasilla" is in the August issue of Vanity Fair.

The Art of Making Money
Jason Kersten discusses Art Williams, a counterfeiter who managed to defeat the security features of the 1996 hundred dollar bill, the most secure bill ever made, creating at a bill so perfect that even law enforcement had difficulty distinguishing it from the real thing. In his book, The Art of Making Money, Kersten describes the centuries-old art of counterfeiting, how Williams mastered it, and what led to his undoing.
Event: Jason Kersten will be reading and signing books
Tuesday, August 11th, at 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble in Park Slope
267 7th Avenue, Brooklyn
Tears in the Darkness
Michael Norman, a former New York Times reporter, and Elizabeth Norman, author of Women at War, give a gripping account of the 1942 battle for the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines, the surrender of 76,000 Americans and Filipinos to the Japanese, and the infamous Bataan Death March. Their book Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath focuses on American POW Ben Steele, whose sketches are included in the book.
Heavy Rotation
Peter Terzian, editor of the anthology Heavy Rotation, and two of the collection's contributors--Martha Southgate and Joshua Ferris --talk about the unique and essential relationship between life and music and talk about the record albums that have inspired them.
Event: Peter Terzian and other contributors to Heavy Rotation will be a reading and signing books
Tuesday, July 14 at 7:00 pm
McNally Jackson Bookstore
52 Prince Street
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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
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [33]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [9]
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.
- Comments [4]