Hmmm. John le Carre (aka David Cornwell), because he'd have great stories from life as a spy, Jane Austen, because I love her, and Vasily Grossman, because he died without seeing his masterwork in print and has no idea how beloved it is.
Oooh, I'd wanna sit across from Booth Tarkington to watch him dissect his entre and silently assess everyone. His characters are just so dreadful, or intentionally pitiful, or lovable in all the ways. Flannery O'Connor would be amazing to my right. That gal could "curl your hair" with a plot twist, and she "spoke" Southern by action on the page. For my date, I'd choose Wally Lamb. One, he's still among us in the corporal sense, and two, because he is the master of putting interpersonal and family interaction on the page with a bunch of eerily recognizable pinch points :). I'd need a lot of gin and a notepad for sure!
Colette, Dawn Powell, Maggie O’Farrell.
Hmmm. John le Carre (aka David Cornwell), because he'd have great stories from life as a spy, Jane Austen, because I love her, and Vasily Grossman, because he died without seeing his masterwork in print and has no idea how beloved it is.
Make sure you’ve got plenty of vodka for Mr. Grossman. A great writer.
Thank you, Sarah. I hope that Vasily Grossman thing doesn't;t happen to you...
And Kurt Vonnegut, but you've already named him.
Oooh, I'd wanna sit across from Booth Tarkington to watch him dissect his entre and silently assess everyone. His characters are just so dreadful, or intentionally pitiful, or lovable in all the ways. Flannery O'Connor would be amazing to my right. That gal could "curl your hair" with a plot twist, and she "spoke" Southern by action on the page. For my date, I'd choose Wally Lamb. One, he's still among us in the corporal sense, and two, because he is the master of putting interpersonal and family interaction on the page with a bunch of eerily recognizable pinch points :). I'd need a lot of gin and a notepad for sure!
Love that you read O'Connor, Kassie, and I love the "lot of gin" part. Count me in...
We both agree on Kurt Vonnegut, right? I have the Palm Malls ready
We always agree on Vonnegut, Leah...
The one you didn't meet was Michael J. Fox and my choices are Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr and Rex Stout.
I interviewed Michael J. Fox when Back to the Future came out, Gene, and the Washington Post gave me a byline on it...
That was before I was at The Post. Their standards were lower.
they seem to be headed back in that direction....