For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, a "Last Supper List" is the roster of 12 guests, living or dead, that you'd invite if you were able to throw the ultimate dinner party. Back in January, 2014, I wrote a post in which I offered my Last Supper List. My list included:
Pope Francis;Leonardo da Vinci;Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt;Dorothy Parker;Will Rogers;J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin;Sherlock Holmes;Winston Churchill;Sun Tzu; and,Niccolo Machiavelli.
It's been eleven years since I compiled that list, and I thought it might be time to revisit it and see if it needed updating. Turns out, it did. Six people return for my updated Last Supper List, joined by six newcomers. First, the returnees:
Will Rogers - one of my most revered heroes ... witty, perceptive, and a keen political observer and commentator with a common touch. I wish I'd known him;
Dorothy Parker - the witty, wisecracking lady who was a mainstay of the famous Algonquin Round Table ... I'd love to trade witty commentary with her, although I'd surely come out second;
J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin - I'd love to sit down with the men who created two of the most memorable fantasy worlds ever - Middle Earth and Westeros - and learn how they dreamed up such magnificently detailed places and intricate plots;
Leonardo Da Vinci - how could I not include one of the world's great polymaths?
Niccolo Machiavelli - his insights into the twisted politics of the Italian Renaissance provide valuable insights into the behavior of our current leaders.
There are new and interesting figures who have earned a place at my table, elbowing aside other worthy, but less currently interesting characters:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy - the TV comedian who became the unexpectedly heroic leader of a nation at war takes the place of Winston Churchill for a new century;
Pete Buttigieg - the witty, engaging everyman whose talent for plain-spoken common sense is a breath of fresh air in a political world full of empty blather;
Louise Penny - the Canadian author of the wonderful adventures of Inspector Gamache of Quebec's Sureté. I love her stories, but even more the style and depth of her writing. I'd love to find out how she thinks.
Dr Anthony Fauci - the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and the chief medical advisor to the president from 2021 to 2022, Dr Fauci was in the lead of the fights against both AIDS and Covid-19. His stories both of his work and of his struggles against the politicization of the Covid pandemic would be fascinating to hear over drinks and dinner;
Jasmine Crockett - the sharp-tongued Texas representative who always brings the argument - with receipts - directly to her opponents; and finally,
Charlie Kirk - if anyone might hold his own in debate against the likes of Pete Buttigieg and Jasmine Crockett, it's the founder and president of the conservative training ground Turning Point USA. I don't think I'd like him personally, and I disagree with him on almost every issue, but his presence would at least lead to some stimulating discussion. I'd pay good money to see the spirited debate among Machiavelli, Buttigieg, Crocket, and Kirk.
Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for another collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage - you know you need the lift.
More thoughts then.
Bilbo
6 comments:
Hmmm...
I am going to have to give this some thought later in the day.
My two guests would be Talleyrand and Archimedes. Archimedes was a strikingly modern mathematician (and physicist and engineer) in the 3rd century BCE. He invented integral calculus and was first to realize the difference between "a lot" and "infinity". Talleyrand served three Kings of France, various revolutionary governments, and Napoleon. After the Napoleonic wars, when France was prostrate, Talleyrand's diplomacy first got the legitimate line of kings restored in France, then turned the Congress of Vienna around from punishing France (as Russia and Prussia wanted) to rehabilitating it and reconstructing the rest of Europe, which kept Europe out of general wars for a century. In his time, he was known as a brilliant conversationalist.
Dr Fauci's memoir /On Call/ was fascinating. If you can't get him to come to dinner, the book will give you a lot of insight into his thinking and his experiences.
J.R.R. Tolkien's volume of /Letters/ gives some insights into how he created Middle-earth. His son Christopher has edited over a dozen books of his writings that will tell you a lot more.
I've never done this exercise before so these are off the top of my head: authors Kate Atkinson and Emily St. John Mandel, astro-physicists Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox, comedians John Oliver and Nate Bargatze. That's only half the table; if I think of more I'll come back and add to it. I agree with you that Zelenskyy, Buttigieg, Fauci, and Crockett would also be worthwhile.
Kirk sounds like a future tRUMP.
John - we're waiting ...
Stan - a very thoughtful comment - thanks! I've read Tolkien's collected letters, but would love to see him discuss the craft with GRR Martin.
Jenny - I hate to admit that I'd forgotten about Neil DeGrasse Tyson - he'd be a great guest, as would Brian Cox. I'd be willing to disinvite Charlie Kirk for either of them.
Mike - he's pretty ghastly. He has the same effect on me that Der Furor does, but he's much more articulate. He spouts the same nonsense, but does a better job of it.
Never heard of this list before! That'll take a lot of thought. Benjamin Franklin would definitely be one. He is said to have been witty, and I've long admired his inventiveness.
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