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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, January 03, 2008
  • Stories You Don’t Hear

    Have you ever traveled to a destination only to find out it’s nothing like what you expected? A veteran travel writer shares what the major guidebooks aren’t telling you. Also: one man’s ten year quest to find a cure for cancer. And David Morse and Jim Norton discuss starring in the celebrated Broadway play, “The Seafarer.” Plus, Underreported looks at the year’s overlooked humanitarian stories.

A Travel Writer’s Experiences Across the Globe

Veteran travel writer Chuck Thompson believes that the widely respected Lonely Planet guidebooks have ruined more travel destinations than the tourists its writers criticize. Smile When You're Lying cuts past the clichés of travel writing and presents the interesting stories that are often left out of the guidebooks.

Weigh in: We want to hear from listeners who have recently done some traveling. Did you go to a travel destination and have your expectations subverted?

Starring in Broadway’s “The Seafarer”

Ben Brantley of The New York Times says that “The Seafarer” has “one of the finest ensembles to grace a Broadway stage in years.” Two of the actors in this ensemble, David Morse and Jim Norton, discuss starring in one of the year’s most celebrated plays.

Official website with ticket information for "The Seafarer"

A Personal Quest to Find a Cure for Cancer

Dr. Mark Davis was enjoying a successful career as a chemical engineer, until his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, ten years later, he’s created a revolutionary nanoparticle drug that has reversed terminal cancer in one test patient. This story is featured in "Curious," a series co-produced by Thirteen/WNET. Dr. Davis is joined by series producer Mark Mannucci and Ray Natha, the cancer patient featured in the story.

Official website of "Curious"

Underreported: The 10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007

People struggling to survive violence, forced displacement, and disease in Somalia, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere went underreported in the news this year. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières has released its 10th annual “Top Ten” Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007. Executive Director of MSF-USA Nicolas de Torrenté discusses the list.

Read the "Top Ten" Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2007

Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska Politics

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 08, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is Sen. John McCain’s VP running mate. To find out more about Gov. Palin and Alaska politics, check out our States of the Union: Alaska segment from Aug. 8, 2008.

Sen. Joe Biden on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. Obama has chosen Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware to be his running mate. To find out more about his personal and political life, listen to Leonard’s Aug. 2007 interview with Sen. Biden. At the time, the Senator from Delaware was still a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

As the Democratic Convention is underway in Denver, listen to 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.

John McCain in 2000

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. John McCain spoke with Leonard in September 2000 about his memoir, Faith of My Fathers. He discussed his family's naval background, his time in POW camps, as well as his own presidential ambitions for the 2000 election.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle on the Leonard Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

Oprah’s Book Club has just chosen David Wroblewski’s novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle as its newest selection. Hear Wroblewki talk about his acclaimed novel on the Lopate Show in June 2008.

States of the Union

The Leonard Lopate Show

Why is New York a blue state, Wyoming a red, and Ohio a shade of purple? Looking ahead to Election Day 2008, Leonard talks to journalists, scholars, and activists from each of the 50 states to find out what motivates voters from Maine to California.

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?