Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

(3/30/21) What exactly is a flavor? Why are some so pleasing while others are not? William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University Rob Dunn’s new book Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human, co-written with Monica Sanchez, is a foray into the heart of such questions. Join us for a look at human evolution and the joys of food and drink in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/29/21) Harriet Tubman—no-nonsense, funny, prescient and strategically brilliant—was one of the most important conductors on the Underground Railroad. She hid the enslaved men, women and children she rescued in the basements of Martha Wright, a Quaker mother of seven and Frances Seward, wife of the man who would eventually become Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William H. Seward. Executive editor of The New Yorker Dorothy Wickenden’s new book The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women's Rights brings the extraordinary friendship between these women to life. Join us for a look at women’s rights during the abolition crusade in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/26/21) The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over—violence breaks out, foreign nations are scandalized, peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement and within months the situation is back to where it started. Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University Séverine Autesserre’s new book The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World considers what new strategies can be used to build lasting peace in conflict zones, particularly by working with local residents. Join us for a look at the radical changes we must make in our approach to peacemaking in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/24/21) With vaccination levels rising and infection rates dropping, the dream of being able to gather together in public again seems to be getting closer every day. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Leonard and executive producer Jesse Lent take your calls on where you want to go, what you want to do and who you want to see when the world is open to the public again.

(3/23/21) Investigative journalist Bob Hennelly’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, the Village Voice, the Christian Science Monitor, the Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press along with dozens of other magazines and newspapers. In addition to his radio work for NPR and Richard Wolfe’s Economic Update, he is also a regular contributor to our show. With the Biden administration racing toward 100 million vaccinations in the new President’s first 100 days in office, Bob looks at how the effort is going both nationally and here in New York in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/22/21) The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Glenn Frankel’s latest book, Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation, and the Making of a Dark Classic, tells the story of the controversial 1969 Oscar-winning film that signaled a major change in American popular culture. The movie’s boundary-pushing subject matter earned it an X rating when it was originally released. Join us for a look at the film that unleashed a new wave of innovation in American cinema in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/19/21) A hidden set of rules governs who owns what—explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally. In his new book Mine! How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives, Professor of Real Estate Law at Columbia Law School Michael Heller reveals the six simple stories that everyone uses to claim everything. Join us for an eye-opening (and mind-bending) look at how who secretly owns what controls our lives in this installment of Leonard Lopate on WBAI.

(3/18/21) On a clear evening, if you look up you can see thousands of stars shining in the dark sky, each with a story of their own. In his new book A History of the Universe in 21 Stars: (and 3 imposters) science writer Giles Sparrow guides you through 21 celestial bodies you can see in the night sky and what they can teach us about our universe. From red giants, quasars and supernovae to black holes, join us for a look at how we came to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/16/21) Brain diseases are now the world's leading cause of disability and no cognitive ailment is increasing its reach faster than Parkinson's disease. In the past 25 years, the number of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s has doubled to more than six million. That number is projected to double again by 2040. In their book Ending Parkinson's Disease: A Prescription for Action, Drs. Michael Okun and Ray Dorsey offer a plan to prevent the disease, improve treatment and end the devastating silence associated with it. Join for a look at what can be done in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(3/15/21) After five years of near-constant upheaval in all areas of American life including language, have new words been created since Joe Biden was sworn in as president on Jan. 20? In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, sibling language experts, regular contributors to the program and the authors of Awkword Moments: A Lively Guide to the 100 Terms Smart People Should Know and That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means: The 150 Most Commonly Misused Words and Their Tangled Histories Kathryn and Ross Petras consider the latest cultural shift in US history.