Politics and Diplomacy

Friday, November 27, 2009

Today's show is an encore presentation of some of our favorite interviews from the past few months. First, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch discusses The Clinton Tapes, the book that describes a late-night drunken pizza run by Boris Yeltsin. Then, we speak with two curators from the Guggenheim Museum about a new retrospective of abstract art pioneer Vasily Kandinsky. Also, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about her career and how she used decorative pins to make diplomatic statements. Plus, we look at how our networks of friends can influence almost everything about our personality — from our politics to our health to our emotions.

Chewing the Fat

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Today's show is an encore edition of some of our favorite interviews from the past few months. You've probably heard that Omega-3s are good for you, but on today's show we'll unravel why they've all but disappeared from Western diets and the possible health consequences that could have for each of us. Then, actor and political playwright Wallace Shawn. Also, we'll learn about the life of Clarice Lispector—one of the most popular, but least understood, Latin American writers. Plus, Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham on the key role cooking played in human evolution.

Going Underground

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Guest host Amy Eddings fills in for Leonard Lopate today. First, Thomas Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? talks about the conservative counter-culture movement led by Glenn Beck and others. Then, we’ll hear the story of how two adventurous women discovered the earliest known copies of the Gospels. Also, The New Yorker’s John Colapinto describes going undercover in our city with the Michelin Guide. Plus, word maven Patricia T. O’Conner, takes your questions about grammar and the English language.

Risk and the Road

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

We’ll look into Wall Street’s love affair with risk, how that helped lead to the economic crisis, and what can be done to keep the same thing from happening again. Then, director Richard Linklater talks about his latest film, “Me and Orson Welles.” Also, Viggo Mortensen discusses the challenges of starring in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” Plus, we look into why many young people are abandoning the small towns they grew up in for big cities, and how that’s effecting rural America.

Coming Out Swinging

Monday, November 23, 2009

On today’s show, New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter explains why so many Americans have come to mistrust science and major institutions. Then, biographer Wil Haygood describes the life of the great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. And Thomas Keller the chef/owner of Per Se and The French Laundry, talks about his latest cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. Plus, Frontline correspondent Lowell Bergman discusses his new documentary "The Card Game," about the future of the consumer loan industry.

Go with the Flow

Friday, November 20, 2009

First, we look into the safety of our nation’s water supply with New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg. Then, Werner Herzog discusses his latest film “Bad Lieutenant.” Pulitzer Prize-winner Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate, talks about her new book-length poem. Plus, out latest Please Explain is all about strokes.

Turning the Tide

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sigourney Weaver and Lisa Suatoni, senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, talk about the troubling rise in ocean acidity and a new film they’ve produced on the subject. Then, historian Eugene Rogan takes us through the last five centuries of Arab History—from the Ottoman Empire to today. Also, photographer Ethan Russell tells us what it was like to be on the Rolling Stones' 1969 "Let it Bleed" tour. Plus, our latest Underreported segments.

An Animated Spectacle

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Elvis Costello talks about his music and the second season of "Spectacle," his music talk show on the Sundance Channel. Then, director Henry Selick tells us about his critically acclaimed animated films "Coraline," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "James and the Giant Peach." Also, Salvatore Scibona discusses The End, his National Book Award-nominated debut novel. Plus, the Gurus of How-To, Al and Larry Ubell, answer your home repair questions!

Shaking the Foundations

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

CNBC contributor Charles Gasparino explains how the roots of the financial crisis lie in a cultural shift on Wall Street during the 1970s. Then, we’ll take a look at a new report on the impact of arts education on high school graduation rates. And Marcel Theroux discusses about his novel Far North, one of this year’s National Book Award Finalists. Plus, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about why architecture matters.

Politics and Private Lives

Monday, November 16, 2009

Frances Beinecke, the head of the Natural Resources Defense Council, explains why there is a building momentum towards converting the United States to clean energy. And we’ll find out about Vladimir Nabokov’s unfinished novel, The Original of Laura, which has finally been published. Then, Rebecca Miller talks about adapting her book The Private Lives of Pippa Lee into a film. Plus, the New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg on his book ¡OBÁMANOS! The Rise of a New Political Era.

From Imploding Markets to Italian Markets

Friday, November 13, 2009

New Yorker writer John Cassidy discusses the "logic" of economic calamities. Rana Husseini looks at honor killings around the world. And we’ll dive into the joys of Southern Italian cooking with Arthur Schwartz. Plus, Please Explain is all about eco-labels.

From Running a Museum to Running from E-Mail

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Philippe de Montebello, now the Director Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art after heading it for 31 years, talks about his time at the museum. Granta editor John Freeman explains The Tyranny of E-mail. Also, Michelle Huneven discusses her latest novel, Blame. Plus, our latest Underreported segments.

Open Up

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Our November 11 show is live from the Jerome L. Greene space! Andre Agassi talks about his life on and off the tennis court. Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk discusses his latest novel. Then, Susie Essman describes working on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And we get a look inside the UK’s intelligence agency, the MI5.

Changing the Tune

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Ralph Stanley, known for his version of the song "Man of Constant Sorrow," talks about his life in music and the signature sound he helped create. Then, cultural critic David Lehman looks into the Jewish origins of much of the American songbook—from jazz standards to show-tunes to iconic love songs. Also, Kamila Shamsie talks about Burnt Shadows, her new novel. Plus, Sir Harold Evans on his life in journalism and how he developed his unique reportorial voice.

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

Breaking Through

Monday, November 09, 2009

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and we’ll speak with two of the foremost experts on Soviet and Eastern European affairs: Stephen Kotkin and Stephen Cohen. Then, Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese's longtime editor and Michael Powell’s widow, discusses the restoration of Powell's 1948 classic "The Red Shoes." Also, baritone Thomas Hampson talks about being named the New York Philharmonic's first artist-in-residence. Plus, The Kinks lead singer Ray Davies tells us about his solo career.

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

The Royal Family and King

Friday, November 06, 2009

Jan Maxwell and Rosemary Harris talk about starring in the hit Broadway revival "The Royal Family." And Leonard speaks with Hafez Nazeri, Iran's most influential young composer. Then, singer-songwriter Carole King discusses her music and her campaign to protect the environment. Plus, Please Explain is all about alcohol.

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

Remaking the World

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Ken Auletta examines the rise of Google and how it has turned the world of traditional media on its head. Then, we take a look at the life and writings of Ayn Rand. And Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan talks about the theatrical legacy of Joe Papp. Plus, our latest Underreported segment looks at how foreign governments use lobbying firms in Washington D.C. to get what they want.

Come see Andre Agassi on The Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

Rise to the Top

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

David Plouffe explains how the Obama campaign developed its unique strategies for the 2008 presidential race. Then, Frederick Wiseman discusses his latest documentary, about the Paris Opera Ballet. Also, photographer Joel Meyerowitz talks about taking pictures of the hidden pockets of wilderness in New York City. Plus, historian Niall Ferguson describes the evolution of our financial system.

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

In the Limelight

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Two reporters who were embedded during and after Sarah Palin’s vice presidential bid give us a behind-the-scenes account of her sudden rise, triumphs, and missteps. Then, Mary Karr discusses her new memoir Lit. Carrie Fisher stops by to talk about her new one-woman show, "Wishful Drinking." And actor Willem Dafoe tells us about his roles in Lars von Trier’s controversial film "Antichrist" and in Richard Foreman’s surrealist play "Idiot Savant."

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!

Economic Fusion, Food, and Entrepreneurs

Monday, November 02, 2009

Today we’ll look at how the American and Chinese economies have become one fused, co-dependent system. Then, celebrity chef David Chang talks about his first cookbook, Momofuku. And we’ll look at the life of conductor Valery Gergiev with Academy Award-winning director Allan Miller. Plus, we’ll examine how young Americans are rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship.

Come see Andre Agassi on the Leonard Lopate Show live in the Greene Space on November 11! Get tickets here!