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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, July 07, 2009
  • obama

    From Presidential Power to Artistic Endeavors

    Charlie Savage of the New York Times discusses the Obama Administration's complicated relationship with executive power and the detention of terrorism suspects. Novelist Brad Kessler talks about his decision to leave city life to raise dairy goats and make cheese. Then, Charles Siebert on why he thinks the three thousand or so chimps living in America are probably severely traumatized creatures. And architect and artist Maya Lin on her career and her latest projects.

Charlie Savage on Presidential Power

In recent weeks President Obama has come under fire from civil libertarians for reports that his administration is drafting plans to detail terrorism suspects indefinitely. Charlie Savage of the New York Times takes a look at how much power the President claims he has and how that compares to his predecessor. Mr. Savage is the author of Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency.

Update on Honduras

We'll speak with Miami Herald foreign correspondent Frances Robles, who is in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, about the ongoing turmoil in Honduras after a coup removed President Manuel Zelaya from power.

Goat Song

Novelist Brad Kessler talks about leaving New York City for a life raising dairy goats. In Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese, he describes how he learned to be a cheese maker, what it's like to raise animals, and how he adapted to farm life.

chimp

Toward a New Understanding of Animals

Charles Siebert explores how humans can inflict mental disorders on animals, particularly great apes. In his book The Wauchula Woods Accord: Toward a New Understanding of Animals, he looks at how the approximately 3,000 chimps in this country, including performers and research laboratory subjects, are likely to be severely traumatized by their captivity and treatment. He visits Center for Great Apes near Wauchula, Florida, a state-of-the-art sanctuary, where he meets Roger, a chimp who seems like he recognizes Siebert.

Maya Lin

The artist and architect Maya Lin talks about her career, from designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., to her latest earth sculpture, Storm King Wavefield, her design for the new Museum of Chinese in America, and other projects. Find out more about Maya Lin and her work here.

Maya Lin: Bodies of Water is on view at Storm King Art Center, in Mountainville, NY, through November 15.
Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes is on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through July 12.

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

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.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?