If it can be two people, I’d like to listen in while Einstein talks with Newton. We had all these nice neat “Laws” of physics from Newtonian Mechanics until Dr. Einstein came along.
Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, C.S. Forester, Nevil Shute, John Steinbeck, Daphne Du Maurier, Madeline L’Engle, Pearl Buck, Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, H.G. Wells, Helen MacInnes, . , ,
OK OK it’s a buffet, but why not splurge if the opportunity arises.
Sidenote: it’s a pet peeve of mine that the snowmen that appear in comic strips are so often physically impossible to make. I realize it’s a snow dog in today’s trip, but the point holds true.
Some college buddies and I set out to make one of Calvin’s creations. We couldn’t do it – snow simply wouldn’t stay that way. And it required a lot of sticks of specific shapes.
Jefferson and/or Madison. We just got to talk about that electoral college stuff!! And, phasing out slavery, and popular vote and gerrymandering. It wouldn’t be a short conversation.
My Grandparents and my Great Grandparents. I knew only my maternal Grandmother and she lived across the Atlantic; saw her rarely. The rest died long before I was born. I have since become a Grandfather AND a Great Grandfather. Lemme tell ya, it was a steep learning curve as I had no mentors…but don’t get me wrong, it’s been a blast.
I’m rethinking, for an entertaining lunch I’d take Tolkien. He was a story teller. He didn’t sit in a secluded cabin and write, he told his children stories and evolved them into novels.
At the moment, I’d have to say either Kurt Vonnegut, Terry Pratchett, or Christopher Moore.
But other times, it might be Mother Jones, Eleanor Roosevelt, Thaddeus Stevens, Guy Clark, Bernie Sanders, Jerry Garcia (pre-smack), Neil Cassidy; I wouldn’t mind a chance to ask Thomas Jefferson how he’d reconcile his brilliant theorizing on liberty & equality with raping his slaves.
But maybe most of all, my paternal grandfather or my maternal grandmother.
I’m likely one of many who will be “borrowing” Mrs. Olsen’s response the next time I see/hear that question. Good one. One more for Terry Pratchett, add Neil Gaiman. Just so they get to hang out again together one more time and I get to kibitz.
Putting aside cultural and generational barriers, I’d prefer to have a meeting of the minds with someone who sees me as an equal, with whom I can actually talk which would exclude most of the men in history and many who are still living. They tend to have pre-conceived ideas of what a woman might be there for.
“What if you could have lunch with … anybody from history?
1) Choose only one, “above” all others? I don’t see a point to that.
2) With those who disappeared, would it be possible for them to tell the circumstances of their disappearance? (Jimmy Hoffa comes to mind.)
3) To what purpose? To ask what they think is important today? To ask their opinions/advice on topics that I think are important? To make suggestions about what I think they should have done? Hmm… maybe to get the “truth” about their media “scandals”?
With any of the above and more, I don’t see how such a lunch could be of any practical benefit to me or those I care about.
4) Besides, I’ve already had conversations — though mostly not accompanied by lunch — with a few of those suggested here… and several that I expect would eventually turn up if this thread continues long enough.
There have also been a few near misses. E.g., a friend was late for a meeting because she had been at a memorial service for a recently departed family friend… Isaac Asimov.
Many of the people I’d most want to meet have reputations as not being pleasant companions (famous wits are often insecure, depressed drunkards). Fred Rogers is probably the least likely to be disappointing and/or disillusioning, so I’m going to say him. But he was a vegetarian, so I wouldn’t want to meet him for dinner…
There’s a marvelous book out there – 1942’s “Van Loon’s Lives” (by Hendrik Willem Van Loon), the gist of which is that the author finds he is able to invite historical personages to dinner by slipping the invitations under the stone lions at the public library – and they show up! So he has them over, two by two, in in fascinating pair-ups; Queen Elizabeth 1 and Byzantine Empress Theodora, for one. Yes, they all speak the same language or at least are able to communicate perfectly somehow. It’s a lot of fun and also reflects a lot of historical research.
Bilan 5 months ago
Just don’t have a drink with Socrates.
GreasyOldTam 5 months ago
Rudolph Diesel. I’d ask what really happened when he disappeared. in 1913. Where did he go and what did he do?
Chrisdiaz801 5 months ago
Stephen King. I have always wanted ‘Survivor Type’ to be made into a film.
OldsVistaCruiser 5 months ago
FDR.
TheSkulker 5 months ago
Nikola Tesla
Concretionist 5 months ago
Hmm. I’m told that many authors aren’t so great at conversation. Though the two that I’ve known are pretty reasonable at it.
Eric Thom Premium Member 5 months ago
Ms. Olson has the right idea, set the ground rules early
Gizmo Cat 5 months ago
Would have liked to talk with Sean Connery. And with a peasant in the Middle Ages.
Doug K 5 months ago
Where would they want to eat? Do I have to dress up?
daveoverpar 5 months ago
Terry Pratchett.
E.Z. Smith Premium Member 5 months ago
Looks like a Jeff Koons.
Ichabod Ferguson 5 months ago
They’d have to speak English or we’d be eating in awkward silence.
stillfickled Premium Member 5 months ago
Janis Joplin
acmiller Premium Member 5 months ago
I’ll have what she’s having!
mrwiskers 5 months ago
Kevin Kelly
fjc007 5 months ago
Carl Jung
P51Strega 5 months ago
If it can be two people, I’d like to listen in while Einstein talks with Newton. We had all these nice neat “Laws” of physics from Newtonian Mechanics until Dr. Einstein came along.
ksu71 5 months ago
Tossup between Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
sandpiper 5 months ago
Harry Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, C.S. Forester, Nevil Shute, John Steinbeck, Daphne Du Maurier, Madeline L’Engle, Pearl Buck, Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, H.G. Wells, Helen MacInnes, . , ,
OK OK it’s a buffet, but why not splurge if the opportunity arises.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member 5 months ago
Do we have to talk? I’m trying to read here!
rshive 5 months ago
A Lebanon bologna sandwich — the finest food made by the hand of man.
smoore47 5 months ago
Hunter S. Thompson.
ThreeDogDad Premium Member 5 months ago
I forget who said when asked, “What person, living or dead, would you like to lunch with?” they would answer, “Living. Dead people smell funny.”
Ed The Red Premium Member 5 months ago
Sidenote: it’s a pet peeve of mine that the snowmen that appear in comic strips are so often physically impossible to make. I realize it’s a snow dog in today’s trip, but the point holds true.
Some college buddies and I set out to make one of Calvin’s creations. We couldn’t do it – snow simply wouldn’t stay that way. And it required a lot of sticks of specific shapes.
Darkknight55 5 months ago
Abraham Lincoln
Diane Lee Premium Member 5 months ago
Jefferson and/or Madison. We just got to talk about that electoral college stuff!! And, phasing out slavery, and popular vote and gerrymandering. It wouldn’t be a short conversation.
innertuber 5 months ago
Marianne von Werefkin
TMMILLER Premium Member 5 months ago
Dali Lama, Steven King, Hemingway and Tom K Ryan
Otis Rufus Driftwood 5 months ago
This strip is often drier than an off brand saltine that’s at least a week past the ‘best by’ date on the box.
Jimmyk939 5 months ago
My Grandparents and my Great Grandparents. I knew only my maternal Grandmother and she lived across the Atlantic; saw her rarely. The rest died long before I was born. I have since become a Grandfather AND a Great Grandfather. Lemme tell ya, it was a steep learning curve as I had no mentors…but don’t get me wrong, it’s been a blast.
P51Strega 5 months ago
I’m rethinking, for an entertaining lunch I’d take Tolkien. He was a story teller. He didn’t sit in a secluded cabin and write, he told his children stories and evolved them into novels.
Mike Baldwin creator 5 months ago
Very funny! Love it. Two simple answers to a complex hypothetical question.
dlogotop83 5 months ago
George Washington Stephen Crane Edgar Allan Poe
Cozmik Cowboy 5 months ago
At the moment, I’d have to say either Kurt Vonnegut, Terry Pratchett, or Christopher Moore.
But other times, it might be Mother Jones, Eleanor Roosevelt, Thaddeus Stevens, Guy Clark, Bernie Sanders, Jerry Garcia (pre-smack), Neil Cassidy; I wouldn’t mind a chance to ask Thomas Jefferson how he’d reconcile his brilliant theorizing on liberty & equality with raping his slaves.
But maybe most of all, my paternal grandfather or my maternal grandmother.
Bill The Nuke 5 months ago
Mark Twain or Terry Pratchett
Mel-T-Pass Premium Member 5 months ago
I’m likely one of many who will be “borrowing” Mrs. Olsen’s response the next time I see/hear that question. Good one. One more for Terry Pratchett, add Neil Gaiman. Just so they get to hang out again together one more time and I get to kibitz.
raptor 5 months ago
My parents
Mark Jackson Premium Member 5 months ago
Probably Richard Feynman.
Charles 5 months ago
Sir Pterry Pratchett
The Brooklyn Accent 5 months ago
Lots of great suggestions, though with most of them, I’d be too intimidated to talk much.
Can I toss in a vote for Shel Silverstein? I might not learn much, but it would be a trip.
Geophyzz 5 months ago
All these answers, on a Sunday, and nobody wants to sit with Jesus.
denirwin Premium Member 5 months ago
It always irritates me when asking about possible lunch companions, etc., the question is phrased with ‘what’ instead of ‘who’.
Richard S Russell Premium Member 5 months ago
George Carlin. And I’d ask how he’d like to stick around for dinner on me as well.
Stephen Gilberg 5 months ago
Salvador Dali.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 5 months ago
Emily Carr, Maya Angelou, Miriamma Thampy, Hadassah,
Putting aside cultural and generational barriers, I’d prefer to have a meeting of the minds with someone who sees me as an equal, with whom I can actually talk which would exclude most of the men in history and many who are still living. They tend to have pre-conceived ideas of what a woman might be there for.
gammaguy 5 months ago
Does currently alive count as “from history”?
gammaguy 5 months ago
“What if you could have lunch with … anybody from history?
1) Choose only one, “above” all others? I don’t see a point to that.
2) With those who disappeared, would it be possible for them to tell the circumstances of their disappearance? (Jimmy Hoffa comes to mind.)
3) To what purpose? To ask what they think is important today? To ask their opinions/advice on topics that I think are important? To make suggestions about what I think they should have done? Hmm… maybe to get the “truth” about their media “scandals”?
With any of the above and more, I don’t see how such a lunch could be of any practical benefit to me or those I care about.
4) Besides, I’ve already had conversations — though mostly not accompanied by lunch — with a few of those suggested here… and several that I expect would eventually turn up if this thread continues long enough.
There have also been a few near misses. E.g., a friend was late for a meeting because she had been at a memorial service for a recently departed family friend… Isaac Asimov.
tchrisev 5 months ago
Poor Mrs O has definitely experienced the monkey paw effect!
fritzoid Premium Member 5 months ago
Many of the people I’d most want to meet have reputations as not being pleasant companions (famous wits are often insecure, depressed drunkards). Fred Rogers is probably the least likely to be disappointing and/or disillusioning, so I’m going to say him. But he was a vegetarian, so I wouldn’t want to meet him for dinner…
Caeruleancentaur 5 months ago
Jesus and/or his mother.
Caeruleancentaur 5 months ago
Jesus and/or his mother.
LASteve 5 months ago
There’s a marvelous book out there – 1942’s “Van Loon’s Lives” (by Hendrik Willem Van Loon), the gist of which is that the author finds he is able to invite historical personages to dinner by slipping the invitations under the stone lions at the public library – and they show up! So he has them over, two by two, in in fascinating pair-ups; Queen Elizabeth 1 and Byzantine Empress Theodora, for one. Yes, they all speak the same language or at least are able to communicate perfectly somehow. It’s a lot of fun and also reflects a lot of historical research.
eced52 5 months ago
Moses
tqnism 5 months ago
And he didn’t say Frazz?