LEONARD LOPATE AT LARGE

Today Leonard has a conversation with D.D. Guttenplan on his new book, “The Next Republic: The Rise of a New Radical Majority,” about how the fledgling progressive grassroots movement can achieve lasting change in Trump’s America. The book provides hope, pragmatism and strategy in equal measure. Guttenplan unpacks the research behind “The Next Republic,” and what his findings mean for future political movements in America. T

On today’s Leonard Lopate at Large, Dr. Wright along with series creator Christine Arena joins Leonard  for a discussion of why science matters. The six-part set of short films entitled “Let Science Speak” was made in direct response to escalating efforts to suppress environmental science and silence scientists. “More than anything, this series is about not only science and why science matters, but who we are as scientists,” Dr. Dawn Wright, one of the scientists featured in “Let Science Speak,” told Kara Howland of the blog TV Goodness. “Some of us are parents, some of us are people of faith, we’re all people who care about our communities.”

Today, Leonard welcomes Lisa Brennan Jobs to Leonard Lopate At Large talking about her memoir Small Fry “We had lunch on a large covered balcony overlooking the sea. Bono asked my father about the beginning of Apple. Did the team feel alive? Did they sense it was something big and they were going to change the world? My father said it did feel that way as they were making the Macintosh, and Bono said it was that way for him and the band, too, and wasn’t it incredible that people in such disparate fields could have the same experience? Then Bono asked, ‘So, was the Lisa computer named after her?’ There was a pause. I braced myself—prepared for his answer. My father hesitated, looked down at his plate for a long moment, and then back at Bono. ‘Yeah, it was,’ he said. I sat up in my chair. ‘I thought so,’ Bono said. ‘Yup,’ my father said.I studied my father’s face. What had changed? Why had he admitted it now, after all these years? Of course it was named after me, I thought then. His lie seemed preposterous now. I felt a new power that pulled my chest up. ‘That’s the first time he’s said yes,’ I told Bono. ‘Thank you for asking.’ As if famous people needed other famous people around to release their secrets.” – excerpt from Lisa Brennan-Jobs’s memoir “Small Fry,” courtesy of Vanity Fair

Today, on Leonard Lopate At Large….Ruth Beckerman “In Ruth Beckerman’s incisive documentary ‘The Waldheim Waltz,’ the director treats former U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim as a poster boy of the phenomenon. Using only footage from the 1970s and ’80s, some of which she shot herself while protesting Waldheim’s successful bid for the Austrian presidency, Beckermann methodically reveals the timeline of revelations detailing her subject’s Nazi affiliations, and how notwithstanding the evidence, a majority of the electorate in 1986 still voted him into office.” – Jay Weissberg, Variety In this installment of “Leonard Lopate at Large,” “Waldheim Waltz” director Ruth Beckermann discusses this important documentary.

Today, Leonard welcomes Anne Diebel and Tyler Maroney. Join Leonard and his guests for a crash course in what paper terrorism is, and why it’s so dangerous. In Anne Diebel and Tyler Maroney’s article in this month’s issue of Harper’s, “Paper Terrorism: Anti-government vigilantes wield a subtle weapon,” the two journalists dive into this method of warfare that is mostly unknown to the general public.

Today on Leonard Lopate At large, Leonard has a conversation with Dr. Henry Marsh….and his life as a brain surgeon! It’s a rare glimpse of the personal experience of Henry Marsh, brain surgeon. “Henry Marsh is in the business of admitting his mistakes. It’s right there in the title of his second memoir — ‘Admissions: Life as a Brain Surgeon’ — and it was the central theme of his first, ‘Do No Harm,’ published in his native England to wide acclaim, in 2014, and then here a year later.

Today, Leonard has quite a treat for you as he talks with Susan Silver about what is was like working as one of the only female writers on iconic sitcoms like “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Maude,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Partridge Family.” Susan Silver was one of the first female TV comedy writers, with credits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude, and Bob Newhart, among others. As the lyrics from the iconic Mary Tyler Moore Show said, “She made it after all!” From another Midwestern town, Milwaukee, with all its 1960’s values and normalcy, Susan went on to fame and fortune in Hollywood, had a successful career as one of the first women in TV sitcoms, and reinvented herself in different prominent arenas in New York. Hot Pants In Hollywood is a showbiz memoir, and much more.  It’s a Baby Boomer’s life on steroids. Along the way, she “Searched for Mr. Adequate,” her well-received dating column, had many romantic adventures, loves and loss, and she’s ‘still here!’ Though her story is unique due to the career she chose, her life is relatable to all women

Today on Leonard Lopate At Large, Kathryn and Ross Petras join Leonard in discussion on commonly misused words! “English-speakers are sure their language is especially perplexing. But while it has its quirks, so does every other language (aside from planned ones like Esperanto). In one way, though, English really is confusing. A small new book, ‘That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means,’ by Ross and Kathryn Petras, helps readers distinguish many words that are confusingly similar.

Today, Leonard’s conversation is with  economist Idrees Kahloon and Ben Freeman of the Center for International Policy talking about foreign policy. And discussing  Kahloon’s article “Crimea river: The swampy business of lobbying for foreign governments.”

Today Leonard talks with Carter Strickland of The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that was founded in San Francisco in 1972, which works with communities to develop open space. Their New York office opened in 1978. State Director Carter Strickland has been leading the way in building these parks, including remaking 197 school playgrounds across the five boroughs. Read more:Forest Hills Times – Carter Strickland Trust for Public Land

Today  Leonard speaks to director Stephanie Welch and co-writer Andrew Kimbrell. The documentary “A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream” reveals how biologically determined politics has disenfranchised women and people of color, provided a rationale for state sanctioned crimes committed against America’s most vulnerable citizens, and now gains new traction under the Trump administration. Featuring interviews with social thinkers such as Van Jones and Robert Reich, as well as prominent scientists, “A Dangerous Idea” is a radical reassessment of the meaning, use and misuse of gene science. Today  Leonard speaks to director Stephanie Welch and co-writer Andrew Kimbrell.

Today on Leonard Lopate at Large,  Hannah Howard will talk about her book “FEAST: True Love in and out of the Kitchen”. “Hannah Howard, a freshman at Columbia with a passion for the elite world of Manhattan’s restaurant scene, is intoxicated by food and desperate to learn all she can about its wonders, but her destructive eating disorder makes it nearly impossible. Before she can learn to love her relationship with food, though, she must first confront her relationship with her body, fears, insecurities, addictions, and all.” – Sadie Trombetta, Bustle

Today it is a special Food Friday edition of “Leonard Lopate at Large,” answering those questions about food foraging with Tama Matsuoka Wong, author of “Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in Your Backyard Or Farmer’s Market” and her fellow foraging expert John Gottfried.

Today, in studio, Leonard talks with Alexander Newley, the British artist best known for his ‘portrait of a portrait’ type paintings of some of the world’s most well-known faces across theatre land discussing his new book ‘Newley’ all about what it was like growing up with a film icon—Joan Collins, as a mother and Oscar-winning composer, stage genius and entertainer, Anthony Newley as a father.

Today on Leonard Lopate At Large, Leonard’s guest is Miriam Pawel, author of “The Browns Of California.” Pawel, the author of ‘The Crusades of Cesar Chavez,’ bills her family saga as a ‘lens through which to tell a unique history of the 31st state,’ but it does much more. Her engaging narrative of the politics, ideas and policies of the two Edmund Browns illuminates the sea change in the nation’s politics in the last half of the 20th century.” – Lisa McGirr, New York Times Book Review