November 11, 2003

Dinner Dates - "We might be laughing a bit too loud..."

John Hawkins polled a bunch of bloggers, asking them to list "History's Most Interesting Dinner Companions".

Here's the end result.

And although it's interesting and all, and I wouldn't turn down the chance to have dinner with Voltaire or Socrates, I have to agree with Baldilocks on this one, who says, "Now I’m all for learning from the great thinkers and doers in history, but when I go out to eat with someone, I want to laugh and have fun, as well as enjoy my meal. I want to joke around as well as have those Great Intellectual Conversations. I want to Laugh Loud and invite dirty looks from the other patrons. And I want to inspire loud laughter in return, if possible."

Amen, sister. Can't take ourselves TOO seriously now.

She starts off HER list with Frank Zappa which gives you some idea ...

So here's my list. Off the top of my head.

People I would like to dine with, living or dead:

-- Shakespeare
-- Grania O'Malley (female pirate ... a real bad-ass, and an ancestress of mine)
-- John Adams and Abigail Adams (preferably with Thomas Jefferson in tow - so I could sit with the three of them, all together)
-- Jackie Gleason
-- Galileo
-- Ewan McGregor (can't help it)
-- Lucy Maud Montgomery (author of the "Anne of Green Gables" series)
-- Tycho Brahe
-- James and Nora Joyce (together - they have to be together - probably with Lucia and ... Dad, what was the son's name? Giorgio?)
-- Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
-- Katherine Hepburn
-- Lech Walesa



Thought of a couple more to add:

-- Jesus. (He's on every list written by everybody about anything - and rightly so. Didn't feel right leaving him off. It would be nice if he invited Mary Magdalene to the table, cause I'd like to meet her as well.)
-- William Shirer (author of "Rise and Fall of 3rd Reich")
-- Rumi, the Persian poet
-- Eleanora Duse (stage actress at turn of 20th century)

And on another note entirely:

-- Oliver Cromwell (so I could poison his drink)

Thought of some more:

-- George Bernard Shaw
-- Eddie Izzard
-- Robert Kaplan
-- Ryzsard Kapuscinski (Kinuk - care to join us??)
-- Patrick Henry - I always had a soft spot for that firebrand rabble-rouser

Posted by sheila
Comments

Ewan McGregor--gotta have that obligatory libido-induced one on the wishlist. ;-)

Posted by: Juliette at November 11, 2003 1:52 PM

Actually, Juliette, Tycho Brahe is the "libido-induced" choice.

Ewan McGregor? We would speak strictly platonically about Scottish politics, and his charity-work - which is the main reason I am interested in him.. (yeah, right...)

Posted by: red at November 11, 2003 1:59 PM

What about Michael Collins? And Winston Churchill? That would be an interesting table, though Winston might be a problem. From what I understand he had a tendency to monopolize the converation.

Posted by: Dan at November 11, 2003 3:14 PM

Stalin, for the same reasons you'd sit chow with Cromwell.

Posted by: Emily at November 11, 2003 3:15 PM

Dan: Yes - I did think of Michael Collins, actually - originally.

Actually - why don't we have dinner with Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Parnell, Emily Jones, and yourself - and invite Oliver Cromwell to join us.

Posted by: red at November 11, 2003 3:18 PM

That could be - ahem - messy.

But interesting.

Posted by: Dan at November 11, 2003 3:33 PM

Dan - not to mention Churchill's tendancy for brutal honesty. Apparently, if you couldn't keep the man amused he would flat out call you boring to your face.

Posted by: Emily at November 11, 2003 6:07 PM

Sounds like my mother. Right, Sheila??? ha ha

Posted by: Beth at November 11, 2003 6:28 PM

wooo
fun topic
ok
numero uno
Moses..cause i gotta know what really happened in egypt you know the inside scoop
two
Angelina jolie- but she has to be naked
three
angelina jolie but she has to be naked
oh hmm said that already well it was worth repeating
four
Virginia Woolf
and id make her eat Mexican
five
James Dean
cause i just love him
six
Angelina Jolie dressed up as James Dean
seven
Albert Einstein
we'd have to go out and eat pastrami
with half sour pickles
eight
Elvis
and it would be an all you can eat buffet
nine
Angelina Jolie dressed up as Elvis
ten
my mother
i miss her

Posted by: rossi at November 11, 2003 8:05 PM

Dearest: loved your choices. love the topic. I would add, Harper Lee [how could you just publish one book? as great as it is, or Homer recite to me all of your other poems, please]. Giorgio is correct, but don't invite his grandson Stephen a sycophant of the worst sort--just because his grandfather is a great writer he thinks he should be able to live on Dad's royalties forever [by the way I'll give you whatever royalties I get this year as a birthday present--last year it was $13. love, dad

Posted by: dad at November 12, 2003 12:57 PM

I look forward to this year's royalty installment, dad. it should be enough for me to buy ... what ... a magazine? a lipstick?

and Harper Lee ... i know, i know ... so, she just had the one story to tell? or did she have a hard time publishing again? amazing book. need to read it again.

Posted by: red at November 12, 2003 1:45 PM