On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show Archive
August 2004
Let’s Put on a Show
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan Rooney, tell us about their starring roles in the new musical revue, Let’s Put on a Show! at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Next, we’ll talk to Jeremy Burton, Vice President of Veritas Software Corp., about his company’s decision to ban e-mail on Fridays. Then Leonard opens up the phone lines to find out what listeners think about e-mail and office productivity, and which aspects of modern technology they’d rather live without. The Asia Society is presenting Forgiveness/Mourning, a performance piece rooted in Beijing opera, Korean Dance, and Japanese Butoh. The production is a part of the Imagine Festival, a citywide series of events dedicated to using art—rather than politics or protest—to confront critical issues facing the nation. Composer Eve Beglarian, dancer Eiko, and festival co-founder and co-producer Chris Wangro join us in the studio. Finally, Michael Simon shares his fiction debut, a hard-boiled mystery novel set in Austin, Texas during the 1980s called Dirty Sally.
Glory Days
Monday, August 30, 2004
Evan Cornog, associate dean at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, argues that throughout American history, presidents have created narratives about themselves in order to define themselves politically. Successful leaders, it then follows, are successful storytellers. He makes his case in his latest book, The Power and the Story. Next, we’ll hear from Penny Wolfson about her son’s experiences with the progressive disability Muscular Dystrophy. She explores the disease’s impact on her family, and the larger medical and scientific issues surrounding the genetic disorder in her book Moonrise. Then, will the Republican National Convention be a boon to NYC's economy? First, we'll hear from the optimists. Mark Jaffe from the New York Chamber of Commerce and John Tepper Marlin, economist for the NYC Comptroller's office, explain why they have high hopes for the convention. Then, Paul Bachman of Boston's Beacon Hill Institute speaks. He takes a more pessimistic view. He's an author of a recent study that shows that the Democratic Convention had mixed results for Boston, and that the Republican convention in New York might not do much better.
Life with the Shah
Friday, August 27, 2004
Farah Pahlavi is the widow of the Shah of Iran, whose campaign to modernize his country ended when he was overthrown in 1979 by Khomeini’s opposition. The Pahlavis have been in exile ever since. She’s here to look back on her eventful life and her memoir, An Enduring Love: My Life with the Shah. According to Laura Shapiro, the 1950s eating revolution in the United States was the result of a war-induced overcapacity for food production and preservation. The food industry had to figure out how to get American housewives to use more canned and frozen food. Shapiro is the author of Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America. And Nicholson Baker discusses his controversial new novella, Checkpoint, in which one main character is fixated on assassinating President Bush.
Humanitarian Relief
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Our continuing series “Underreported” looks at the forces jeopardizing humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan. This July, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) pulled out of Afghanistan after 24 years of service there. MSF Director of Operations, Kenny Gluck, explains why MSF decided to pull out, and Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the UN, discusses the prospects for humanitarian aid worldwide in the face of terrorism.
Then Gilbert King examines the international human trafficking industry—a modern day slave trade—in (Woman, Child—for Sale). Journalist Sue Fishkoff offers an inside view the Brooklyn-based, internationally-recognized Hasidic movement, Chabad-Lubavitch, in her new book: The Rebbe’s Army. And pro-Republican comedians Chris Warren and Julia Gorin are in town for the Republican National Convention. They’re performing as part of the comedy revue “The Right Stuff,” a comedy troupe bent on offering an alternative to what they see as a left-leaning bias to comedy.
From Brooks to Brooklyn
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
The one and only Mel Brooks discusses the play Squeeze Box (produced by his wife Anne Bancroft), and life since The Producers”. We’ll talk to Utah State archaeologist Kevin Jones and David Hurst Thomas, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History, about the significance of the Fremont ruins at Range Creek in Utah. Kept under wraps on land owned by a 74-year-old cowboy, the ruins—which researchers are saying are some of the most important archeological remains in the country—were recently sold to the federal government. Then editor and contributor Tim McLoughlin and contributors Kenji Jasper and Ellen Miller join us to discuss the short story collection Brooklyn Noir. Finally, sports writer Alan Schwarz offers insight on the allure of baseball statistics in his new book The Numbers Game.
Just an American Boy
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Joseph Califano has been a key political figure during three different Democratic administrations--serving as domestic affairs chief under Johnson, as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under Carter, and as an advisor to Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. He joins us to share his memoir Inside: A Public and Private Life. Then singer/songwriter and activist Steve Earle performs live in our studios. He’ll preview his new album The Revolution Starts...Now. Journalist Christiane Bird explores the political and cultural history of the Kurds in her latest book A Thousand Sighs, A Thousand Revolts: Journeys in Kurdistan. Lastly, we’ll find out what inspired Eric Brende, a graduate student at M.I.T. at the time, to live without running water and electricity for 18 months. He documents the experiment in Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology.
HIV/AIDS in China
Monday, August 23, 2004
The Global Business Coalition believes that HIV/AIDS should be a fundamental issue for the business sector. Executive Director Trevor Neilson joins us today to discuss the increasing toll of HIV/AIDS in China, and the GBC’s strategies for combating HIV/AIDS. Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff reflects on his influential musical career, and shares his new album Black Magic. Frances Sternhagen discusses her role in Echoes of the War, a production of two short plays about WWI by J. M. Barrie—best known as the author of Peter Pan. And David Browne, a music critic for Entertainment Weekly, turns his attention to skateboarding, snowboarding, and other extreme sports with his new book Amped.
We Want the Airwaves
Friday, August 20, 2004
Director Robert Greenwald’s latest documentary, Uncovered, investigates the Bush administration’s arguments for war in Iraq. He joins us today along with Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst, and Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, to deconstruct the decision to go to war. Then banjoist Bela Fleck and bassist Edgar Meyer team up and perform from their new recording, Music for Two. And documentary filmmaker Michael Gramaglia, punk historian Legs McNeil, and Johnny Ramone look back at the history of the Ramones, and the portrayal of the group in the new documentary End of the Century.
Asylum
Thursday, August 19, 2004
We continue our "Underreported" series with a look at the pitfalls of political asylum. Immaculee Harushimana was separated from her husband and two sons when war broke out in their native Burundi in 1993, and she spent the next ten years struggling to bring her family to the U.S. Then, we pay tribute to master chef Julia Child, who passed away last week. Writer Anna Cypra Oliver tries to reconstruct the life of her troubled father, who killed himself in 1974 and left behind a confusing legacy. And German director Margarethe von Trotta talks about her award-winning new movie, Rosenstrasse.
Looking Back
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Word maven Patricia T. O’Conner advises listeners on the finer points of speaking English well. Call 212-267-WNYC. Then journalists Walter Mears and Nancy Benac reflect on covering the Democratic and Republican National Conventions as the AP’s official bloggers. Singer/Songwriter Donovan, the Scottish mystic-pop star, discusses his new album Beat Cafe, a meditation on the legacy of bohemian art. And Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee, perhaps best known for Sherman’s March, tells us about his latest look at the South, and the intersection of personal life and history, in his new film Bright Leaves.
A Grand Strategy
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Stephen Flynn served as director for Global Issues on the National Security Council staff during the Clinton administration, and served in the White House Military Office during the George H. W. Bush administration. He warns that America has failed to take adequate steps to protect itself against terrorist threats since 9/11 in his new book, America the Vulnerable. Then Gary Hart, former U.S. senator and longtime member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argues that America needs a large scale, coherent foreign policy strategy to replace the containment policy of the Cold War era. His book, The Fourth Power, outlines Hart’s grand strategy—a foreign policy founded on the universal appeal of American ideals. Linda Greenlaw, one of the few women captains in the commercial fishing industry, is perhaps best known as one of the characters in Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm. Apart from being a seasoned fisherwoman, she’s also a best-selling author. She joins us today to discuss All Fishermen Are Liars, a compendium of true stories from commercial fisherman. And Lan Samantha Chang, author of Hunger, shares her new novel Inheritance.
Concern for Darfur
Monday, August 16, 2004
Dominic MacSorley, an aid worker with Concern Worldwide, speaks with us live from Darfur on the humanitarian crisis in western Sudan. And Eric Reeves, a scholar of Sudan, gives additional context on the history of the conflict in Sudan, and what can be done to help curb the crisis. Robert Fuller believes that societal power dynamics result in "rankism," a form of discrimination based on status. His book, Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank, takes a look at a type of discrimination he thinks is as detrimental as racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice. Then listeners weigh in on the subject of "rankism." Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler found the inspiration for his new collection of stories, Had a Good Time on the backs of American postcards from the early 20th Century.
In the Bedroom
Friday, August 13, 2004
Ever wonder why your dreams are often so hard to remember? Or whether or not your craziest dreams relate to your waking life? Medical and science reporter Andrea Rock is here to explain recent breakthroughs in the science of the dreaming mind. And we’ll talk to three actors from the new film We Don’t Live Here Anymore, based on two works by Andre Dubus from the mid 1970s. Laura Dern, Peter Krause, and Mark Ruffalo join us to discuss the challenges of portraying the painful intricacies of adultery as it affects two couples in a small New England college town.
No Shortage of Challenges
Thursday, August 12, 2004
This week's "Underreported" segment will examine the current political and economic struggles besetting the Dominican Republic. President-elect Leonel Fernandez is set to take office on August 16th. Among the challenges he will face are a troubled economy, fuel and energy shortages, and a national health care system on the verge of collapse. We’ll speak to Leonel Fernandez by phone from the Dominican Republic. We’ll also hear from Jeff Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute, and Dr. Ramona Hernandez, director of CUNY's Dominican Studies Institute and a Professor of Sociology. Then Roya Hakakian shares her memoir, Journey From the Land of No, about her experiences growing up during the 1979 revolution in Iran. Jacob Slichter relates the lessons he learned from making it as a drummer for the rock band Semisonic in his new book, So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star. Finally, Kent Jones from the Film Society of Lincoln Center discusses the current retrospective on the legendary American director Anthony Mann.
Photo Finishes
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
The gurus of how-to, Al and Larry Ubell, answer listener questions about home repair. Then NYC darkroom owners Jim Megargee and Beth Schiffer explain how darkrooms and traditional photographers are reacting to the advent of digital photography. Next, photographer Clifford Ross describes how he created the world’s highest-resolution landscape photograph by combining digital and film technologies. And Pulitzer prize-winning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins us to discuss her first book: Bushworld: Enter At Your Own Risk.
Truth in Advertising
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, helps us navigate the joys and perils of eating seafood. Then FactCheck.org’s Brooks Jackson examines the veracity of the claims made in the Bush and Kerry campaign advertisements. Next up, Editor David Wallis and journalist/contributor Ted Rall discuss Killed: Great Journalism Too Hot To Print--a compilation of articles written by well-known authors for big-name publications that were pulled due to their controversial nature. Finally, Bradley P. Dean has collected 50 of Henry David Thoreau’s unpublished letters on spirituality for his new book, Letters to a Spiritual Seeker.
Figures of Speech
Monday, August 09, 2004
Language expert Allan Metcalf’s latest book, Presidential Voices, dissects presidential speech patterns throughout American history. He joins us today to analyze the speaking styles of George Bush and John Kerry. Then Norman Kelley’s latest book, The Head Negro In Charge Syndrome, argues that ego and personality are undermining black politics. He joins us to discuss his self-described "controversial critique" of black leadership in America. Then we’ll hear from William Lychack on his new novel, The Wasp Eater. And Matisyahu, an artist billed as "the Hasidic Reggae Superstar," tells us about his unique blend of reggae, hip-hop, and the Lubavitch Hasidic lifestyle.
Gates of Knowledge
Friday, August 06, 2004
John Dean served as White House counsel to President Nixon. His latest book, Worse Than Watergate, argues that the Bush administration’s extreme secrecy is one of the most significant threats America has faced in recent political history. Then David Kirp examines the pros and cons of America’s market-driven educational system in Shakespeare, Einstein, and the Bottom Line.
Cote d’Ivoire
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Our continuing series, Underreported, focuses on the growing instability in the Ivory Coast, as conflict between rebels and government forces have escalated over the past few years. Ivoirien scholar Eric Edi joins us to outline some of the major concerns facing the region. Then we’ll turn our attention to theater, and speak to two Tony Award-winning actresses. First up, we’ll hear from Swoosie Kurtz on her current role in Frozen, in which she plays a woman whose 10-year-old daughter was murdered by a serial killer. Then we’ll talk to Bebe Neuwirth on her starring role in "Here Lies Jenny," featuring the music of Kurt Weill. Finally, photojournalist Peter Turnley discusses his photo essay "The Bereaved: Mourning the dead, in America and Iraq" in this month’s issue of Harper’s Magazine.
For Love or Money
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Radio host and best-selling author Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s conservative approach to counseling women has garnered her a healthy following of both fans and detractors. She’ll discuss her latest book, Woman Power, and her theories on successful lives and marriages. Also no stranger to controversy, economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman shares his views on the 2004 presidential elections, and tells us about the updated release of his book The Great Unraveling. And Sol Stein shares his memories on the significance of his friendship with James Baldwin in Native Sons. Finally, Dan Hill tells us what the facial expressions of George W. Bush and John Kerry can tell us about the candidates.
Feeling the Aftershocks
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. charges the Bush administration with undermining 30 years worth of environmental protection laws in Crimes Against Nature. Next, Tony Perrottet uncovers the true story of the original Olympic Games in The Naked Olympics. Then Alan F. Segal discusses the meanings of different notions of the afterlife to ancient civilizations in his new book Life After Death. And we’ll talk to Bob Berger, who directed and helped to create Charlie Victor Romeo--a play based on black box transcripts from real-life airline emergencies.
Getting Along Famously
Monday, August 02, 2004
Former US ambassador to the USSR Jack F. Matlock, Jr., offers a firsthand account of the complex, strategic policies that ended the Cold War in Reagan and Gorbachev. Then Will Swift explains how the friendship between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the King and Queen of England changed history in The Roosevelts and the Royals. And L.A. Weekly deputy editor John Powers shares his critical analysis of the political and media culture of the Bush era in Sore Winners. Finally, Jami Gong on his life as a Chinese-American activist, Internet entrepreneur, and stand-up comedian.
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