I write the longest comments, don't I? Is there a prize for that? And I repeat myself in my comments, don't I? In my humble opinion......oh wait...... This one is definitely worth a repeat performance, Bob. Thanks as always.
For such a special dinner with extraordinary guests at my home, I would invite Samuel Pepys, whose diary I studied in high school and whose insights about life in 17th Century London I often considered during my 24 years living there, Walter Momper, the mayor of Berlin when the Wall came down in 1989, and John Lewis, the civil rights leader I met in Atlanta who coined the phrase "good trouble". If I could add in Doris Kearns Goodwin, an acquaintance from Boston in the 1970s, that would cover powerful first-hand voices in my life for the dinner conversation.
So can we guess more than once? So I should have KNOWN B. was right again and I was wrong. Of COURSE you met the 36th President and I SHOULD have remembered that story. And when we stroll down for the dinner, will the Baroness be included? I should hope so.....
Shameless, Mr B, absolutely shameless, how you flaunt your apparent erudition and your social connections. All names easy to spell, I notice, oh buddy-buds with Cher. Never had coffee with Wislawa Szymborska, I bet. Or interviewed Milolz Hussowczyk. I'm just sayin'.
OKAY - first of all, I THINK you might not have met Lyndon Johnson only because he died in 1973. and you were in Asia at the time, or was it New York CIty? Or was it Stratford-Upon-Avon" And this is AGAIN one of your BEST EVER STORIES, Bob - especially putting Kurt at the table with Twain and Parker. He's my own personal author choice ALWAYS- way better than old WILL every tried to be, but that's my HUMBLE opinion. You may remember that I've never actually had a humble opinion in my life.
Keep in mind, Sandy, that if this dinner party comes off as planned, you and B. can stroll on over and meet the guests. Yes, I did meet Lyndon when I was 16, on a family trip to DC. And I was still living here, at 44th and Primrose.
Shakespeare would be speaking Early Modern English no? Plus he might speak in rhyme. Could get annoying quickly. I suppose lots of things rhyme with wine
I’ll bet you’ve been to the real Las Vegas, the original in New Mexico. I’d invite Abraham Verghese (sp?) and Isabel Allende. I prefer live dinner guests rather than corpses.
If I can't steal your perfect trio of guests, I would probably go the weighty route and invite John le Carré, George Orwell and Vasily Grossman and ask them to help us fix the world.
O. Henry, H.G. Wells and Shakespeare in the bookcase where I grew up. So glad my parents were avid readers and passed their love of a good book to their kids.
I write the longest comments, don't I? Is there a prize for that? And I repeat myself in my comments, don't I? In my humble opinion......oh wait...... This one is definitely worth a repeat performance, Bob. Thanks as always.
For such a special dinner with extraordinary guests at my home, I would invite Samuel Pepys, whose diary I studied in high school and whose insights about life in 17th Century London I often considered during my 24 years living there, Walter Momper, the mayor of Berlin when the Wall came down in 1989, and John Lewis, the civil rights leader I met in Atlanta who coined the phrase "good trouble". If I could add in Doris Kearns Goodwin, an acquaintance from Boston in the 1970s, that would cover powerful first-hand voices in my life for the dinner conversation.
So can we guess more than once? So I should have KNOWN B. was right again and I was wrong. Of COURSE you met the 36th President and I SHOULD have remembered that story. And when we stroll down for the dinner, will the Baroness be included? I should hope so.....
yes, you may guess up to four times, Sandy...
Shameless, Mr B, absolutely shameless, how you flaunt your apparent erudition and your social connections. All names easy to spell, I notice, oh buddy-buds with Cher. Never had coffee with Wislawa Szymborska, I bet. Or interviewed Milolz Hussowczyk. I'm just sayin'.
OKAY - first of all, I THINK you might not have met Lyndon Johnson only because he died in 1973. and you were in Asia at the time, or was it New York CIty? Or was it Stratford-Upon-Avon" And this is AGAIN one of your BEST EVER STORIES, Bob - especially putting Kurt at the table with Twain and Parker. He's my own personal author choice ALWAYS- way better than old WILL every tried to be, but that's my HUMBLE opinion. You may remember that I've never actually had a humble opinion in my life.
Keep in mind, Sandy, that if this dinner party comes off as planned, you and B. can stroll on over and meet the guests. Yes, I did meet Lyndon when I was 16, on a family trip to DC. And I was still living here, at 44th and Primrose.
I’ve got your password now, Mr. Basler. 😆
Shakespeare would be speaking Early Modern English no? Plus he might speak in rhyme. Could get annoying quickly. I suppose lots of things rhyme with wine
That's a good point, Leah. For that matter, Chaucer could be even more annoying:
Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur
Of which vertú engendred is the flour...
Seriously man? The missus has begun using words like “wanker”?
actually, Ralph, I think the word she used was tosser...
Phew!
Mine would be Mr. Dostoevsky, Miss Mary Ann Evans a.k.a. George Eliot, and Mr. Cervantes. I suppose I'll need translators.
I'm arranging it, Jon. Let me know if your plans change...
I’ll bet you’ve been to the real Las Vegas, the original in New Mexico. I’d invite Abraham Verghese (sp?) and Isabel Allende. I prefer live dinner guests rather than corpses.
suit yourself, Kim. Corpses don't eat as much...
If I could get those two to dinner I’d be willing to cook up a feast.
Lyndon Johnson.
Met him when I was 16, on a trip to DC....
If I can't steal your perfect trio of guests, I would probably go the weighty route and invite John le Carré, George Orwell and Vasily Grossman and ask them to help us fix the world.
Jimmy Carter
I did meet Jimmy. Interviewed him....
Make my Bill Sidney Porter aka O. Henry.
Dean Koontz and Andrew Greeley for an interesting mix. And Robert Basler to keep an eye on them all!
Did you meet Cher? On the Sonny side of the street?
O. Henry is a great choice. So is that Basler guy. And yes, I did meet Cher
O. Henry, H.G. Wells and Shakespeare in the bookcase where I grew up. So glad my parents were avid readers and passed their love of a good book to their kids.
A no-brainer!
Well surprise surprise -- Kurt Vonnegut!