On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show Archive
July 2004
Interrogation Tactics
Friday, July 30, 2004
Chris Mackey supervised all military interrogations at the Bagram airfield detention facility in Afghanistan. He has co-authored The Interrogators: Inside the Secret War Against al Qaeda. James Mann looks into President Bush's campaign promise to surround himself with people who know more about foreign policy than he does. The resulting group—the "Vulcans," composed of Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Armitage, and Condoleezza Rice—has had an enormous impact on the Bush presidency. And legendary sound mixer Eddie Kramer discusses Festival Express, a documentary about an unheard of, amazing music festival.
Hanging in the Balance
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Our continuing series, Underreported, focuses challenges facing the geopolitically strategic Southern Caucasus. We’ll discuss how new oil and gas pipelines, combined with unresolved conflicts and political and economic instability, are affecting the region and attracting international attention. Then filmmakers Kate Chevigny and Kirsten Johnson follow Illinois Governor George Ryan’s efforts to empty the state’s Death Row of 171 inmates in their new documentary, Deadline. And Fred Goodman exhumes the forgotten history of Woodlawn Cemetery in The Secret City. And speechwriter John Pollack describes his adventures fashioning a boat out of 165,321 corks and 15,000 rubber bands.
Battle Hymns of the Republic
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
George Farah argues that the scripted, rehearsed nature of the presidential debates undermines the election process. His new book is No Debate: How the Republican and Democratic Parties Secretly Control the Presidential Debates. Then WNYC’s own Oscar Brand joins us to talk about presidential campaign songs throughout history. Tom Eccles, author of Plop, and artist Tony Oursler discuss contemporary public art projects. Finally, Linh Dinh on his new collection of stories, Blood and Soap.
A Tangled Web We Weave
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Larry Noble, Executive Director of the Center for Responsive Politics, discusses money and influence-peddling at the conventions. Dale Maharidge describes his journey across America to document the feelings of Americans before and after 9/11 for his latest book, Homeland. And Lawrence Wright’s latest article for the New Yorker examines the Madrid train bombings and Al Qaeda’s increasing use of the Internet.
Democratic Convention Coverage
Monday, July 26, 2004
Jeff Greenfield, senior analyst for CNN, reports live from the Democratic Convention. Vanity Fair contributor Bryan Burrough looks back on America’s most notorious crime wave, and the FBI’s formative years between 1933 and 1934 in his book Public Enemies. Then Michael Moore joins us by phone from Boston to talk about why he thinks "Fahrenheit 9/11" has been such a polarizing force in the country. Chuck Klosterman shares his self-described "low-culture" manifesto: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. And we’ll hear from Nancy Butcher, whose book The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse revels in the uneasy fascination that surrounds rare diseases, medical mysteries, and unusual remedies.
Behind the Scenes
Friday, July 23, 2004
Journalist and author Paul Alexander has been following John Kerry’s run for the White House for the past two years. His new book, The Candidate, and his new documentary Brothers in Arms, offer an insider’s view on Kerry and his campaign. Thom Andersen explores different portrayals of Los Angeles in his unusual documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself. And Sarah Dunant talks about her novel, The Birth of Venus, which is set in Florence in the 15th Century.
Maoist Rebellion
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Our continuing series, “Underreported,” focuses on Nepal, where a violent Maoist insurgency is growing. We’ll hear from Dr. Tara Niraula, President of the America-Nepal Friendship Society, and Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times, who will be calling in with an update from Kathmandu. Then Jeff Pearlman, a former Sports Illustrated writer, relates the raucously bad behavior of the championship-winning 1986 Mets in his book The Bad Guys Won. And Jim Reisler examines the beginning of both the Babe Ruth legend and the jazz age through the lens of the 1920 baseball season in Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend. Finally, Don Lee on his new novel, Country of Origin.
If You Can Make It There
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Word maven Patricia T. (You Send Me) O’Conner talks to listeners about the trials and tribulations of speaking English well. Broadway veteran Arthur (Gypsy and West Side Story) Laurents looks back on his life in the theater as an author, a playwright, and a director. Then Robert Simonson discusses his new book On Broadway Men Still Wear Hats, a look into the lives of people off-stage who help keep Broadway alive. And Lee Stringer shares his new collection of autobiographical stories, Sleepaway School.
Technically Speaking
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Author and journalist James Gleick, and Harry Kargman, founder and chief executive of the wireless software company Kargo, on how changing technology changes our lives. Then Douglas Valentine’s latest book, The Strength of the Wolf, sheds some light on the history of America’s war on drugs. The Library of America has released a new three-volume set of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s collected works in honor of the centenary of his birth. Editor Ilan Stavans joins us to discuss the writings of the only Yiddish author to win a Nobel Prize. Finally, director Kevin Fitzgerald (aka DJ Organic) discusses his new documentary Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme, and the importance of hip hop as a form of expression, with MC Supernatural and Wordsworth.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Monday, July 19, 2004
President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Michael Ratner, and Deputy Legal Director Barbara Olshansky, criticize the treatment of detainees at Guantánamo Bay. Mr. Ratner has paired with Ellen Ray to write Guantánamo: What the World Should Know. Then Thomas Frank describes how conservatives won over the Midwest in What’s the Matter with Kansas?. Chuck Barris discusses Bad Grass Never Dies, his sequel to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. And Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, on why fewer and fewer Americans are reading, and what this means to us all.
Final Frontiers
Friday, July 16, 2004
Canadian Muslim Irshad Manji criticizes some trends in the modern Islamic faith and offers her own prescription for change. Boris Fishman, editor of Wild East, and contributor Paul Greenman explain why they call the former Soviet Bloc countries "the last frontier." And a discussion with Theo Padnos, who spent time teaching literature to inmates at Vermont's Woodstock Regional Correctional Facility.
The Present Tense
Thursday, July 15, 2004
As part of our continuing series, Underreported, we focus on Bolivia. We’ll speak with activist and scholar Waskar Ari about current civil tensions, and the history of indigenous movements in the country. He is joined by Robert Albro, Fellow, Carnegie Council on Ethics. Then New Yorker staff writer and editor Hendrik Hertzberg shares his book Politics: Observations and Arguments, 1966 - 2003. We’ll hear from Joshua David and Robert Hammond, co-founders of Friends of the High Line, and Amanda Burden, Chair of the City Planning Commission, on the four finalist design proposals for the now-abandoned elevated High Line rail on Manhattan’s West Side. And George A. Carrano and Anna Lise Jensen discuss a current exhibit of photos taken by children in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Nepal, and Colombia on display at Denise Bibro Fine Art.
It’s All Relative
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Alvin and Larry Ubell, the self-appointed "Gurus of How-To," discuss the nuts and bolts of home repair. Richard Panek delves into the similarities between Einstein and Freud in his book The Invisible Century. Then Edmund Blair Bolles takes a look at the scientific strife between Einstein and Neils Bohr in his book Einstein Defiant. And we’ll hear from Carl Hiaasen on his latest novel, Skinny Dip.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl discusses the art of barbecue with Danny Meyer, the owner of several NYC restaurants including Blue Smoke. Steve Madden, the editor of Bicycling Magazine, and Ron Kiefel, a former pro cyclist who has competed in the Tour de France seven times, give us an insider’s view of the special challenges faced by Tour de France athletes. Cecil Harris’s Breaking the Ice examines the struggles and triumphs of black professional hockey players. And Patrick McGrath talks about the intersections of art and love in his new novel Port Mungo.
Dog Days
Monday, July 12, 2004
Molly Ivins takes a look back at some of the incredible political animals she has known in her latest book, Who Let the Dogs In?. Eugene Robinson, author of Last Dance in Havana, and Ned Sublette, author of Cuba and Its Music, examine the complex history and cultural import of Cuban music. Diver John Chatterton and journalist Robert Kurson discuss the dangerous adventure of discovering an unidentified German U-boat in their true story, Shadow Divers. Finally, author Jonathon Ames shares his latest novel, Wake Up, Sir!.
Poor Kids, Rich Country
Friday, July 09, 2004
Child poverty in the United States and Britain has increased dramatically in the past 30 years, even while it’s remained relatively stable in most other countries. Timothy Smeeding is here to talk about the latest child poverty data. Wall Street Journal veteran Ken Wells is senior editor and feature writer for Page One of the paper. He's also the editor of Herd On the Street, a compilation of strange animal tales from the paper's archives. A current exhibition at The Museum of Arts & Design pays homage to the career of premier textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen, who joins us to discuss his impressive body of work.
Summer in the City
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Gerard Lordahl, director of the Open Space Greening Program, offers advice on helping city plants to thrive during the summer. Ellen Schrecker, editor of Cold War Triumphalism, and contributor Corey Robin confront the legacy of the Cold War. And Tony Award-winning actor Michael Cerveris discusses his current role in "Assassins." And we’ll talk to Dr. Yannis Voyatzis, chief oenologist for the Greek wine company Boutari.
We All Want to Change the World
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
After more than forty years of covering politics, Jack Germond unleashes his frustrations in his new book Fat Man Fed Up. Next we’ll talk to John Blake, author of Children of the Movement. And we’ll hear from Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, and Ericka Abram, the daughter of former Black Panther Party Chairwoman Elaine Brown. Then we’ll hear from the band One Ring Zero and authors AM Homes and Ben Greenman, on their new CD that pairs up music with lyrics by well-know authors. And novelist Stacey D’Erasmo joins us to talk about her new novel A Seahorse Year.
The Body Politic
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Henry Valentino, senior advisor at the International Foundation for Election Systems, discusses bringing presidential elections to Indonesia for the first time ever. He is joined by Robert Templer, Asia program director for the International Crisis Group. Then James Rogan shares his unlikely political memoir Rough Edges, and Tod Botha explores New York City’s trash enthusiasts in his new book Mongo. Finally, we’ll talk to Adam Langer about his first novel, Crossing California.
Face the Music
Monday, July 05, 2004
Walter Yetnikoff, the former president of CBS Records, calls himself a "Monstrous Music Mogul." He joins Leonard today to talk about his years of hard partying and working with the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Barbra Streisand. Then biographer Ron Chernow explains why Alexander Hamilton has never been accorded the same iconic standing as some of the other founding fathers, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Author Po Bronson gives his advice on how to answer that old question: "What should I do with my life?" And Edgardo Vega Yunque shares his new epic novel. It’s set in 1980s New York City
Getting Down to Business
Friday, July 02, 2004
Ken Auletta, journalist and New Yorker staff writer, takes a look at how the pressures of business and the concern for the bottom line affect American journalism in his latest book, Backstory: Inside the Business of News. Pieter Jan Brugge’s new film, The Clearing, hinges on the abduction of an executive who is held for ransom by an employee. And Joanna Trollope tells the story of an adopted brother and sister who, as adults, go on a journey to discover their biological mothers.
Separation Anxieties
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Guest host Jeffrey Toobin fills in for Leonard today. Caitlin Flanagan's article in the current issue of The New Yorker discusses the ambivalent and often agonizing feelings mothers wrestle with when deciding to stay at home or go back to work. Meanwhile, Nadya Labi's most recent article in Legal Affairs describes how some frustrated parents are paying "transport professionals" to abduct their unruly children and bring them to reform institutions. Then Fred Rosen talks about his book Cremation in America, about the past, present, and future of cremation in the U.S. And "Crazy Legs" Conti, the subject of the new documentary Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating joins us to talk about his desire to make it big as a competitive eater. He is joined by Rich Shea, head of the International Federation of Competitive Eating.
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