Duologue with Leslie Heaney

When Acquavella Galleries first mounted a Matisse exhibition in 1973, the lines stretched down the block. Now, more than fifty years later, the gallery has done it again — and the wait was worth it.

Leslie sits down with Eleanor Acquavella, Director at Acquavella Galleries, to go inside Matisse: The Pursuit of Harmony — a once-in-a-generation exhibition on view free to the public at their East 79th Street townhouse through May 22nd. Over 50 works borrowed from private collections, many unseen publicly, brought together by a family that has spent six decades knowing exactly where the best Matisse works live.

In this conversation, Leslie and Eleanor explore how Matisse used sculpture to unlock his painting, his rivalry with Picasso, the odalisque and what it reveals about his relationship to color and form, and why top-quality Matisse works almost never come up for sale. They also discuss why and how the world is having a "Matisse moment" right now — with major shows opening simultaneously in Paris, Chicago, San Francisco, and Baltimore — and why New York has not seen anything like this in years.

Whether you're an art lover, a curious visitor to New York before May 22nd, or someone who wants to understand how the private art world really works — this one is for you.

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00:00:03 Introduction
00:01:30 About the Exhibition
00:03:51 The 1973 Show and 50 Years Later
00:06:08 Borrowing from Private Collectors
00:08:25 How Sculpture Unlocked Matisse's Painting
00:10:40 The Odalisque Explained
00:15:31 Matisse vs. Picasso
00:29:54 The Global Matisse Moment
00:32:17 The Matisse Art Market
00:37:04 What's Next for Acquavella
00:41:54 Outro

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We're kicking off the Duologue Summer Travel Series with one of the most beautiful and beloved corners of the country — the Hudson Valley.

Leslie sits down with Lidey Heuck, cookbook author, New York Times recipe contributor, and the voice behind Lidey Likes and the Lidey Letter Substack. Lidey lives in the Hudson Valley with her family and knows the region the way only a local can — the antique shops worth the detour, the farmers markets, the swimming holes, the restaurants, and yes, a few cautionary foraging tales.

Lidey's culinary journey began with none other than Ina Garten (yes, they talk about Jeffrey), and her debut cookbook Cooking in Real Life has become one of Leslie's all-time favorites.

In this episode: favorite antique stores, must-visit restaurants, hidden gems in the Hudson Valley, Litchfield County, and the Berkshires — plus what makes this region so worth falling in love with.

Whether you're planning a trip or just love dreaming about charming getaways, this one's for you.

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Confused about the SAT vs ACT? In this episode, Leslie sits down with Bryan Bibler, CEO of Thirty-Six Education, to break down everything parents and high school students need to know about standardized testing, college admissions, and test prep strategies for 2025.

They cover the key differences between the ACT and SAT, how to choose the right test, when to start preparing, and how recent test-optional college admissions policies—including at Ivy League schools—are changing the landscape. Bryan also shares proven methods to improve SAT and ACT scores, realistic prep timelines, and affordable test prep resources for families without access to private tutoring.

Perfect for high school students, parents, and college applicants, this episode delivers actionable insights on SAT prep, ACT prep, college application strategy, and maximizing test scores.

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Five years ago, Genevieve "Veve" Wheeler Brown flipped over a jug and found a woman's signature. What followed was a five-year quest across three continents — and a book. In this episode, Leslie sits down with her longtime friend and author of Beyond Blue and White to trace the hidden history of Delftware: from Dutch Golden Age workshop owners who built trade empires, to the Gilded Age women who founded their own museums when no one would let them in. Four centuries. One ceramic. Countless women history forgot to credit. The perfect listen to close out Women's History Month.

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In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re revisiting a powerful conversation from The Interview vault with author and journalist Ed O’Keefe.

In this episode, Ed shares the remarkable story behind his book The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President. What began as a fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School led to an unexpected discovery: unpublished letters between Theodore Roosevelt and the women who shaped his life. Those letters uncovered a deeper, more nuanced history... one where Roosevelt’s rise was not his alone, but profoundly influenced by the extraordinary women around him.

As we reflect this Women’s History Month, this re-release feels especially meaningful. It’s a reminder that behind some of history’s most influential leaders are stories that deserve to be told.

If you missed this episode the first time, it’s one you won’t want to skip.

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