Some of the Lopate Show staff and contributors pick our favorite interviews from the year, which is a difficult task because there are so many great interviews to choose from!
 
Janet Bryant, contributor

     Jaron Lanier and Eric Drexler on technology and the future

 

Barbara Cahn, contributing producer

    Doc Gooden! Also Graham Nash.

Fannie Cohen, contributor

     Our interview with Mike Tyson! His response to Leonard when asked about his chances of relapsing knocked out my heart strings. How rare is it that we hear such emotional honesty and humility on the air, let alone from a man once rumored to be made of iron?

Julia Corcoran, associate producer

     Please Explain How to Complain Effectively was a favorite because I learned about the complaint sandwich, which I have used many times and gotten positive results!

I also remember really enjoying George Packer talking about his book The Great Unwinding, David Sedaris on Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Hilary Mantel.

Fran Jacobs, contributing producer

     Trevor Noah, the South African comedian. He grew up under apartheid with a black mother and a white father, neither of whom was allowed by law to walk down the street with him. Funny, sharp and insightful—about both Africa and the U.S.  He made an HBO special after he was on our show and parts of his act are available online.

Jessica Miller, contributor

      My favorite interviews were the jellyfish and the moose die off. And maybe Martha Stewart.

Blakeney Schick, associate producer

     Dr. Hawa Abdi, Somali doctor and amazing woman who's had a gun stuck in her face more times than she can count.

     Carol Burnett, talking about her late daughter. She was crying, half of us were tearing up - and then she made us all laugh:

     Bill Kovach and Clayborne Carson for Reporting Civil Rights, an anthology that showed that the civil rights movement is still very much living history.