Julie Burstein

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard Lopate. On today’s show: Middle East experts Flynt and Hillary Leverett argue that we need a new, more direct engagement with Iran. André Aciman discusses his latest collection of personal essays. Adam Mansbach, the author of the wildly popular Go the F*ck to Sleep, talks about his latest novel, Rage is Back. Plus, our word maven Patricia T. O’Conner looks at the vocabulary that emerged from Watergate and answers your questions about the sometimes vexing English language.

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard Lopate. On today’s show: We’ll find out how Michelle Rhee’s attempts to reform Washington, D.C.’s, schools made her a highly controversial national figure. Actor Jeff Bridges and his Buddhist teacher Roshi Bernie Glassman talks about their decades-long dialogue on life, friendship, and the movies. Woodcarver David Esterly talks about being asked to replace a destroyed masterpiece. And Ray Fisman and Tim Sullivan look at the trade-offs and inefficiencies inherent in every organization—from McDonald’s to Al Qaeda.

We'll talk with parents holed up indoors with children and share ideas about how to keep them entertained. Laurie Rubin describes her experience as a blind woman and explains how she’s seen color her entire life. And photographer Joel Meyerowitz and his wife and collaborator Maggie Barrett talk about a new two-part exhibition of his work and a new book of photographs he’s taken over his career. We'll also have updates on the storm throughout the show.

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard Lopate. She’ll speak with Vanity Fair contributing editor Craig Unger about Karl Rove’s influence on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign and on fundraising for the Republican Party. We’ll find out about animal abuse in agribusiness, and one woman’s work to expose it and to create a shelter for injured farm animals. Karen Thompson Walker talks about her debut novel, The Age of Miracles, about what happens when the earth’s rotation slows down. Plus, our gurus of how-to, Alvin and Larry Ubell answer your questions about home maintenance and repair!

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard today. Michael Lewis discusses his investigation of economic bubbles around the world. Susan Orlean takes a look at the life and times of Rin Tin Tin, the legendary German shepherd who became a top-grossing movie star. Jesse Browner talks about his new novel Everything Happens Today. Plus, the authors of The Dictators Handbook explain bad behavior is often good politics.

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard Lopate. On today’s show: Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick tells about an al Qaeda mole who infiltrated the CIA. For our Underappreciated series, Ann Beattie looks at David Markson’s 1988 novel Wittgenstein’s Mistress, a book David Foster Wallace called a “work of genius.” Grammy winning jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard stops by. Plus, former hacker Michael Calce discusses how he brought down sites from Amazon to CNN to Yahoo!

Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard Lopate. On today’s show: Mark Bittman discusses why he believes taxing unhealthy foods is good policy. The director of the new documentary “Senna,” talks about the Brazilian race car driver Ayrton Senna. Oliver Pötzsch discusses his novel, The Hangman’s Daughter. Plus, Holly Finn describes undergoing many rounds of in vitro fertilization and the challenges of waiting too long to have a baby.

Watch President Obama's press conference, and join the live chat, at 12:15 on It's a Free Country.

Guest host Julie Burstein fills in for Leonard. She’ll speak with Ben Zimmer about what your e-mail writing style says about you. Then, New Yorker executive editor Dorothy Wickenden tells the story of two Smith College graduates (one of them her grandmother) who headed West in 1916. Gully Wells talks about her parents, Dee Wells and A. J. Ayer, and their inner circle in 1960s London. We’ll take a look at how Google affects our memory. Plus, we’ll learn about the difficulties and rewards of bee keeping!

Guest host Julie Burstein talks to On Being host Krista Tippett about her new series that looks at how to rebuild civic life in America. Then, Nina Sankovitch discusses the books she turned to for comfort—and escape—after her sister’s death. We’ll find out why we often misunderstand the motives behind shoplifting. Plus, Don Cheadle discusses playing an FBI agent in the dark comedy, “The Guard.”