WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show

Please Explain: Hybrid Cars (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 16 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:41 GMT

As gas prices rise, more consumers are turning to hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius. Find out how hybrid cars work, which ones are the most efficient, the potential risks to the owner and to pedestrians, and the future of hybrid cars -- especially the 100mpg hybrid plug-in vehicles. John Voelcker is an auto journalist, and Brad Berman is the editor of hybridcars.com.

Weigh in: We’d like to hear from recent converts to hybrids. How has your experience been? Have you noticed significant savings in fuel costs?

Bebe Neuwirth’s Nightclub Debut (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 16 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Bebe Neuwirth, star of Chicago and Damn Yankees, makes her nightclub debut in “Stories with Piano” at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency (540 Park Avenue) from May 20-May 31.

Italian Comic Opera at BAM (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 16 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Jonathan Miller directs a new production of Domenico Cimarosa's comic opera treasure Il matrimonio segreto (1792) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It’s staged in its original 18th century setting, and runs through June 4. For more information about showtimes and tickets, go here. Miller was knighted in 2002 for his contributions to the arts, which have included TV, theater, opera, and writing.

Escape from Andersonville: A Civil War Novel (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 15 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:13 GMT

Daniel Lenihan and actor Gene Hackman have co-written a new historical novel set in the Civil War, Escape from Andersonville. It’s about a Union officer’s escape from the notorious Confederate prison camp Andersonville, and his dramatic return to free his men still imprisoned.

Event: Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, May 15 at 7 pm
Columbus Circle Borders Books

States of the Union: Oregon (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 15 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Oregon holds its primary on May 20. Find out which issues matter most to voters in the Beaver State, how Senator Gordon Smith’s re-election campaign is going, and why the candidates in one House race are using personal attacks against each other. Also: why some are already saying that Oregon will be a battleground state in the fall campaign. David Steves is political reporter for The Register-Guard in Eugene, Ore. He works in the paper’s Salem bureau and also writes a blog.

States of the Union fact of the week: Oregon is one of four major world hazelnut growing regions. It produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States.

Underreported: Air Pollution and Bees (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 15 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00 GMT

A new study by University of Virginia researchers suggests that air pollution interferes with bees’ and other insects’ ability to follow the scent of flowers to their source, which interferes with the pollination process. UVa’s Department of Environmental Sciences Professor Jose D. Fuentes explains more about their findings and what it means for the pollination process and bee populations.

Mario Batali's Italian Grill (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 14 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:24 GMT

Mario Batali says it's easy to make delicious Italian food on a home grill! His new cookbook is Italian Grill; his recipes include Fennel with Sambuca and Grapefruit, Guinea Hen Breasts with Rosemary and Pesto, and Baby Octopus with Gigante Beans and Olive-Orange Vinaigrette.

Weigh in: Tell us your favorite summer grilling recipes!

If you can't see the video click here

Ask an Economist (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 14 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:21 GMT

The U.S. economy seems to be in big trouble. Economist Jared Bernstein explains what that means in concrete terms - from how credit card interest rates are being affected, to whether Social Security is really going bust, and what the next president can do to help turn things around. Bernstein’s new book is Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries).

Event: Jared Bernstein will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, May 14 at 7:00 pm
Upper West Side Barnes & Noble
2289 Broadway (between 82nd and 83rd Streets)

Weigh in: What have you always wanted to ask an economist?

How Much Progress Have Women Made? (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 13 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:10 GMT

When Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) was a young woman, her grandmother’s career advice for her was to get married. Now Rep. Maloney says that gender inequality is still a big problem in the U.S. Her new book is Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: Why Women's Lives Aren't Getting Any Easier--And How We Can Make Real Progress For Ourselves and Our Daughters.

Event: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will be speaking and signing books
Monday, May 19 at 6 pm
Barnes & Noble
555 5th Avenue (at East 46th Street)

If you can't see the video click here

Healing Childbirth Injuries in Ethiopia (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 13 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Obstetric fistula was once a common childbirth injury, but it’s now relegated to the poorest regions of the world. In Ethiopia, women who suffer from fistulas are treated like social pariahs and forced to live alone – unless they can manage to get to the Fistula Foundation in Addis Ababa, a hospital that exists solely to treat them. Mary Olive Smith has co-produced and co-directed a new film, "A Walk to Beautiful", about these women; it airs Tues., May 13, on PBS at 8 pm.

States of the Union: Kentucky (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 13 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Kentucky holds its primary on May 20. Find out what’s on the minds of voters in the Bluegrass State. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is up for re-election; we look at the Democrats who hoping to challenge him in the fall. Al Cross is Director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. He also writes a weekly column for the Courier-Journal.

States of the Union fact of the week: Kentucky has more farms per square mile than any other state.

Jean-Luc Godard (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 13 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:17 GMT

Jean-Luc Godard was one of the most important filmmakers of the 20th century, and was a leader of the French New Wave. New Yorker editor and film critic Richard Brody weaves together Godard’s films, personal life, and intellectual history in his new book, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard.

Events: Richard Brody will be introducing Godard's "La Chinoise"
Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm
Film Forum
209 West Houston Street (between Varick and 6th Avenue)

Richard Brody will be introducing Godard's "Masculine Feminine"
Sunday, May 25 at 3:15 pm
Film Forum
209 West Houston Street (between Varick and 6th Avenue)

JFK’s Trusted Advisor (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 12 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:58 GMT

JFK called his advisor Ted Sorensen his “intellectual blood bank.” Ted Sorensen looks back on their work together, and tells us what he thinks JFK’s true legacy is. His new memoir is Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History.

Event: Ted Sorensen will be interviewed by James Mustich
Monday, May 12 at 7 pm
Barnes & Noble Union Square
33 East 17th Street

If you can't see the video click here

The Sorrows of an American (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 12 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:46 GMT

Siri Hustvedt’s new novel, The Sorrows of an American, follows a New York psychoanalyst who returns to his Minnesota home town to sort through his deceased father’s papers.

Events: Siri Hustvedt will be speaking and signing books
Tuesday, May 13 at 7 pm
Tribeca Barnes & Noble
97 Warren Street (at Greenwich Street)

Siri Hustvedt will be in conversation with Deborah Baker
Thursday, May 15 at 7 pm
192 Books
192 10th Avenue (at 21st Street)

Lullabies & Wildflowers (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 12 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:00 GMT

Actress, singer and songwriter Melissa Errico’s latest album is "Lullabies & Wildflowers." Much of it is inspired by her becoming a mother.

Event: Melissa Errico will be singing her complete album, "Lullabies & Wildflowers"
Tuesday, May 13 at 4 pm
Tribeca Barnes and Noble
97 Warren Street (at Greenwich Street)

America on the Verge (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 12 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi says that America is a nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He traveled across the country in the post-9/11 era and wrote about what he found in The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire.

The New “South Pacific” (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 09 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00 GMT

The new Broadway production of "South Pacific" is the musical's first revival since it opened in 1949 to thrilled audiences. Bartlett Sher is director; Loretta Ables Sayre plays Bloody Mary. “South Pacific” is at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. Go here for the full schedule and tickets.

States of the Union Update: West Virginia (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 09 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:08 GMT

West Virginia will hold its Democratic primary on May 13. Find out how things have changed in the Mountain State since our December States of the Union segment on West Virginia. Scott Finn is a reporter for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

John Turturro and Max Casella in “Endgame” (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 09 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:26 GMT

John Turturro and Max Casella star in BAM’s new production of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame.” It's gotten fantastic reviews. It runs through May 18th; Alvin Epstein and Elaine Stritch co-star.

If you can't see the video click here

Werewolves in LA (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 09 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:22 GMT

Toby Barlow’s debut novel, Sharp Teeth, is written in free verse and follows three packs of werewolves in East L.A.

Event: Toby Barlow will be speaking and signing books
Friday, May 9 at 7 pm
Book Court
163 Court Street, Brooklyn

Please Explain: Farm Subsidies (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 09 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:11 GMT

Find out how farm subsidies work, who gets them, and how they affect the prices of the food that reaches our tables. Dan Morgan is an investigative reporter for the Washington Post and co-author of Harvesting Cash, a year-long series on waste and abuse in the farm-subsidy program which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2007. Catherine Richert is the Agricultural reporter at The Congressional Quarterly.

Bill Clinton in Exile (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 08 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Find out what Bill Clinton has been up to since he left the White House. Carol Felsenthal’s new book, Clinton in Exile: A President Out of the White House, is based on more than 150 interviews with the former president's friends, associates, and enemies.

1930s Southern India (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 08 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:38 GMT

Actress Jennifer Ehle co-stars in the new film “Before the Rains,” set in the 1930s on a spice plantation in Kerala, India, in the midst of a growing nationalist movement. It opens in New York on May 9 at the Landmark Sunshine Cinemas and the Paris Theater.

Ten Beautiful Science Experiments (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 08 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Multimillion-dollar science experiments often lead to important findings – but so have simple ones by the likes of Galileo and Isaac Newton, involving strings, balls, and prisms. Science writer George Johnson tells about some of the most historic simple science experiments. His new book is The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments.

Underreported: Ecotourism vs. Land Rights in Kenya (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 08 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00 GMT

We look into how ecotourism may be interfering with ancestral land rights in Kenya. In 1974, the Endorois community were evicted from their land by the Kenyan government to make way for a game reserve and tourist resort. They’ve been fighting for repatriation and reparations since then, and now have taken their claim to the highest regional human rights body, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. Korir Singoei of Kenyan NGO Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE) and WITNESS have co-produced a new film about the Endorois, “Rightful Place.”

Underreported: Justice for Darfur (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 08 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two people for their alleged role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. But Sudanese authorities have not only refused to arrest and hand over the two suspects, they have given one of them increasingly prominent public positions and released the other from prison. Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch and the “Justice for Darfur” campaign talks about why it’s been so difficult to achieve justice for Darfur war crimes.

Former US Commander in Iraq Tells His Side of the Story (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 07 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:09 GMT

Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, the US commander in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004, tells us what he wishes he’d done differently. He shares his take on Abu Ghraib and the current state of affairs in Iraq in his new book, Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story.

If you can't see the video click here

Short Stories from Israel (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 07 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Israeli writer Etgar Keret’s new collection of 46 stories, The Girl on the Fridge, touches on love, violence, Arab-Israeli relations, and lots more. Salman Rushdie says that Keret is “a brilliant writer…the voice of the next generation."

States of the Union: Nebraska (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 07 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:40 GMT

Nebraska is a major agricultural state; we find out how rising food prices and rising fuel prices are affecting voters in the Cornhusker State. Nebraska is holding its Republican primary on May 13 and we look at the race for the state’s open Senate seat. Mike Tobias is reporter and Senior Producer at NET Television News & Public Affairs, Nebraska’s public television network.

States of the Union fact of the week: Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska, and Arbor Day was started in Nebraska.

Myanmar's Press Freedom, Post-Cyclone (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 07 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:41 GMT

Myanmar’s government-run radio station is saying that more than 22,000 people are confirmed dead and 41,000 are missing. But given the ruling military junta’s record of severely limiting press freedom, can we trust what they're saying about the scale of the disaster? We look into who’s controlling communications from Burma, the role Burmese exiles are playing in moving information in and out of the country after the cyclone, and whether greater media freedom could have helped prevent many of the deaths. Bob Dietz is Asia Program Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The Gurus of How-To, Al and Larry Ubell (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 07 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:41 GMT

The gurus of how-to, Al and Larry Ubell, answer your questions on home repair! Give us a call at 212-433-9692, or leave a comment.

Bill Moyers on Democracy (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 06 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:23 GMT

TV journalist Bill Moyers assesses the health of democracy in America today. His new book is Moyers on Democracy.

If you can't see the video click here

The Man Who Loved China (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 06 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:08 GMT

Bestselling journalist Simon Winchester’s new book, The Man Who Loved China, tells the true story of a Cambridge scientist who fell in love with a Chinese student in the 1930 and went on to devote his life to writing a whopping 17-volume history of China.

Event: Simon Winchester will be speaking and signing books
Tuesday, May 6 at 7:30 pm
Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble

A Jockey's Love for Barbaro (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 06 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Jockey Edgar Prado was riding Barbaro in the 2006 Preakness when the horse stumbled and shattered a leg; he says that Barbaro was his "friend, teammate, and hero." His new book is My Guy Barbaro. Mr. Prado also rode in this past Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and saw firsthand that race’s tragic end when Eight Belles had to be put down.

Political Projections: Remakes (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 06 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Political films are among the most frequently remade films in Hollywood. We compare the originals and remakes of “All the King’s Men” and “The Manchurian Candidate” to see how each depicts the politics of the time in which it was made.

Philip Gianos of California State University, Fullerton, is the author of Politics and Politicians in American Film. Independent scholar and journalist Gaspar Gonzalez is co-author of What Have They Built You to Do?: The Manchurian Candidate and Cold War America.

The movies we'll discuss are:

“All the King’s Men” (1949) – Robert Rossen directed this classic political film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren, a thinly veiled portrait of Depression-era Louisiana governor Huey Long.

“All the King’s Men” (2006): Steven Zaillian wrote and directed this remake, which remains largely faithful to the original version.

“The Manchurian Candidate” (1962): John Frankenheimer directed this classic political thriller that, when first released, was considered far ahead of its time.

“The Manchurian Candidate” (2004): Jonathan Demme directed this remake, updating its themes and plotlines to address the Bush Administration’s war on terror.

Watch the films, and then weigh in: How do you think the remakes compare to the original versions? How are the films shaped by the politics of the times in which they were made?

Senator Harry Reid (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 05 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:12 GMT

Senator Harry Reid talks about his path from a childhood of poverty in Nevada to Senate Majority Leader. His new memoir is The Good Fight.

Event: Harry Reid will be in conversation with Jeff Greenfield
Thursday, May 8 at 8 pm
92nd Street Y
1395 Lexington Avenue (at 92nd Street)
For tickets, go here.

A Year with Nicolas Sarkozy (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 05 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:12 GMT

Yasmina Reza is France’s most celebrated playwright. In 2006, she followed around Nicolas Sarkozy for a year as he campaigned for the French presidency; she writes about the experience in her new book, Dawn Dusk or Night: A Year with Nicolas Sarkozy.

Event: Yasmina Reza will be speaking and signing books
Monday, May 5 at 7 pm
Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway (12th Street)

Cynthia Ozick’s New Story Collection (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 05 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Cynthia Ozick’s new collection of four stories is Dictation: A Quartet.

Real-Life Stories of Reproductive Choice (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 05 May 2008)

listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio) — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:00 GMT

Reproductive choice is one of the most complex, personal, and political issues of modern-day America. A recent essay collection, Choice, explores what it’s like to have a baby, use a sperm bank, get an abortion, be a surrogate mother, and much more. Karin Bender and Nina de Gramont are the editors; Kimi Faxon Hemingway is a contributor.