IF THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE FROM ANY TIME PERIOD YOU COULD INVITE TO DINNER WHO WOULD THEY BE?
I’m in a silly mood and just had to share that scene from Beetlejuice, which leads me to my first dinner guest, the man who brought this song to us here in the States, Mr. Harry Belafonte. He will be a charming dinner guest with much insight into civil rights and the issues of today, the movie business as well as the record business. Oh, the stories he will tell with his distinctive voice, the opinions he will bring to our table and maybe, just maybe, he will sing a tune for his supper.
Of course, I will invite Louisa May Alcott. If she happens to bring some party crashers, like Henry David Thoreau or the Emersons, I will gladly set a few more places and welcome them in. Can you imagine our conversation with Harry Belafonte and America’s famous transcendentalists?
Since it is dinner party, I think it would be grand if Julia Child would give us the pleasure of her company. I wonder what she will think of all the renewed interest in her life and her continued impact on the culinary scene. She and her husband were known for their lively dinner parties. I’d love to have her dine with us – and hear about her years as a spy.
Last, but not least, I would invite Abigail Adams to join us. From the very beginning of our country’s founding, as citizens declared a state of independence and started our Revolutionary War, Abigail had a say in things that mattered. She wrote to her husband, John Adams ” . . . and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors.” I will look forward to her views on how we ladies are “remembered” today, and I will encourage her to write a blog.
Who would you invite to dinner?
Lifeonthecutoff's Blog 
Oh my goodness – how to choose?! I would put together Thomas Hardy, Ghandi, William Shakespeare and Hildegarde von Bingen – there you are, they just popped out. The conversation I’m sure would be extremely lively.
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It certainly would, Juliet. That is a very interesting grouping – the best for good dinner conversation. Thank you for coming up with your dinner guests so quickly.
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You have a great and varied guest list for your dream dinner party. I am not sure who I would invite but Jesus would be there for sure because there is no one in history who after just three years of public life has created more interest, then Princess Diana because I’d have to ask her, ‘What were you thinking?’ when she had the fling with Dodi that took her to her grave, Heath Ledger because he needs to be brought back to life, and Sophie, my dog that I adored from when I was eight until I was an adult. I would like one more day with her! xx
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A wonderful combination of guests. I can just imagine the conversation which I think would be more quiet in tone, unless Sophie is so glad to see you again that some barking could be expected. Oh, what an interesting guest list.
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What fun, Penny! Today i’ll have Jane Austen (such wit and observation) Winston Churchill (a way with words and great experience) Florence nightingale (rather a heroine of mine) and John Nettles (for sheer niceness) Tomorrow it could be four quite different people. 🙂
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That’s a fabulous seating arrangement, Perpertua. Sir Winston may dominate the conversation, but I dare say Jane Austen will hold her own. I loved reading about Florence Nightingale as a young schoolgirl. John Nettles. Just saw him last night – on a repeat of Midsomer Murders, of course. Such an interesting dinner group you will have.
I’m so glad the question didn’t include “what will you serve?”.
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I’m assuming I cant have my parents….and to be honest, they’d be the ones I’d really want…. but, if they cant come, then I’ll have Emily Bronte for dramatic and emotional input, Studs Terkel for some intelligent gossip, James Stewart, because I could listen to him speak for hours and not get tired of his lovely voice, and finally, Lord Byron for a bit of outrageous glamour and nonsense. I cant quite work out the seating plan though. J.
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Parents are always welcome, Janice. I couldn’t agree more.
Put Studs next to Jimmy. Neither one will get a word in edgewise, but won’t it be interesting to watch? Miss Bronte should be in the middle, though where to put Lord Byron . . . I can see your place cards being arranged and then rearranged.
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Your list of dinner guests is so well thought out that I suspect you’ve been planning this dinner for quite awhile! I will have to think on this a bit. My first thought was Jesus Christ but then I considered that He might make everyone at the table feel a bit uncomfortable and tongue tied! So I have to start from scratch.
I love that scene from Beetlejuice! Funny how that scene has become the definitive version of such an old and well known song.
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Actually, Janet, just since Monday, but I did have more time that you did. Take some time, if you like, and let us know who you decide on – or crash one of the other parties.
I don’t know why that scene came to mind even before my own guest list, but, it did and it is THE scene most remember from the movie. Now, that would have been some party.
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This is fun! The dinner would be prepared by my mother so of course she would join us.
I would invite Sei Shonogon, John Keats, Eudora Welty, and Emily Dickinson. Emily would decline since she is the way she is and in her place I would ask F. Scott Fitzgerald or Truman Capote. Very difficult decisions.
Bon apetite!
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I’m so glad you think so, Marilyn, and by all means include your mother.
Now, I’ll admit I had to look up Sei Shonogon and now want to know more. I just love learning new things. What an inspired guest list. Emily would decline, but perhaps she would compose a poem and Tru could read it, or Eudora.
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Ok, Penny, this one is hard. I would love to invite the authors that I mentioned in the last post, but I want to be more original. For his great storytelling ability and moral insight, I think C. S. Lewis. Perhaps his dear friend J. R. R. Tolkien would tag along to make things interesting. My next invitation would go to Walt Disney. He was such an innovator and he may add a touch of whimsy. Besides, I would like to hear his opinion of the more recent Disney fare. Then, just for fun, I would love to invite Lucille Ball. She would keep the men from getting too, too serious and could make light of any messy disaster caused by my ineptness. The last, I guess even though I didn’t want to use one I named before, would be Lucy Maud Montgomery. We could reminisce about the beauty of Prince Edward Island. Oh dear, what a combination!
This was fun, but now my brain is tired.
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It is a bit of a challenge, isn’t it?
Oh joy supreme, those are two friends would be wonderful guests. C.S. and J. R. R. Didn’t Walt Disney do a version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? I’m already enjoying your dinner. Lucille Ball would make light of any disaster that might befall you, but, she just might be the cause of it. tee hee No matter, She can discuss redheads with Lucy Maud and then PEI, though your wonderful prairie would surely generate wonderful thoughts.
Yeah. Me too.
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In the mood for a “cozy” dinner party – how about Gladys Taber because she wrote about what she served at some of hers (do you suppose she would contribute a dish) and her friends Faith Baldwin and Ed Shelton and Barbara of course – we could have book talk and nature talk and chatter till the sun comes up.
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Yes, yes, yes! A perfectly cozy dinner party. Gladys will bring, as a housewarming gift, a signed copy of “Harvest in Stillmeadow”. Will you have her read from it? I’m sure she will offer to bring a dish. Thank you, Joyce.
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Hi Penny, I love how you are answering these questions, one per blog post. What a great idea! And that you are posing them to your readers. Your dinner guest list would make a lively table. Julia Child would be so much fun, and how interesting it would be to listen to Louisa May Alcott and Abigail Adams tell stories. I need to come up with some answers of my own…I’ll get back to you on that one. In the meantime, thanks so much for participating. I hadn’t realized how challenging my first question was (about a favorite writer) but it makes sense since your readers are so well read, and have many favorite books and writers. My favorite is Virginia Woolf and I love “To the Lighthouse.” But my list of other wonderful writers would go on and on…
xx Sunday
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It is such fun, Sunday, and I’m just loving everyone’s answers and will look forward to who you guests might be. Bloomsbury Group comes to mind, but then there is the Queen. . . You are so very welcome. I think that it is a good thing that the first question is a challenge as we all think about the books we read and how they effect us. “To the Lighthouse”. I’m not surprised, Sunday. You always inspire me, for which I am grateful.
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Dear Penny, . . . I so like how you are handling the questions that were part of your award. Your dinner guests would enliven any group and so I’m going to think of how would be interesting, scintillating, provocative, and humorous.
Like Marilyn and Janice, I would want my mom and dad there. Mom would make her famous potato salad, her slaw (equally famous), and her chuck roast. Dad would talk about politics and how he raised me to be a Democrat. They would be the host and hostess and I would simply pull out the chairs for the guests.
Now the guests:
For interesting, I’d invite Abraham Lincoln whose wisdom is like Solomon’s and who could share with us how he made his Civil War decisions. I’d ask him what he thinks about the way the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been conducted.
For scintillating, I’d invite El Greco and ask him what palette he’d use today.
For provocative I’d invite Paul of Tarsus who traveled in so widely and walked to the tune of a different drummer. We’d discuss his view of women.
For humorous, I’d invite Stephen Leacock whose essays caused me to laugh out loud in our senior class in high school and who taught me–through those essays–that a writer could have a fine sense of the ridiculous. Given his essay on banking back in the early 20th century, I’d ask him what he thinks of banks and Wall Street today.
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I’m so pleased to hear that, Dee. Thank you.
Oh, to have your parents physically back at the table again. How wonderful that would be. I yearn mine as well. You make me think of all of the lively conversations that took place at our kitchen table. I miss that.
Your guests are so well chosen, Dee. Mr. Lincoln would be such a wonderful choice. I understand he was quite a story teller – and wise, as you say.
Aha. El Greco. How marvelous that would be with Paul’s worldly views and I would love to be a fly on the wall, for all of these people – and for Stephen Leacock who escaped my high school education. There is still so much I need to learn in this life.
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You have quite a dinner guest list there, Penny! That’s an eclectic group–I hope they get along well 🙂 I love that Abigail Adams wold be there! Very nice! If I can make my guest list then I can finally meet Yo-Yo Ma, can’t I? I’d add al the Beatles at this point…I have a variety of questions that have been plaguing my memory, and they could just fill in the blanks! With my recent musings I should have some British Royalty at my table, but I don’t think the Queen will be able to accept, and the “lesser” Royals aren’t quite as interesting to me. I’ll invite Charles Dickens, and hope that he knows French, because I’ll also invite Victor Hugo. Can’t you just imagine! What a fun daydream, Penny. Debra
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I’ve been secretly hoping you were going to invite Yo-Yo Ma, Debra. A most excellent choice, along with the Beatles of course. Dickens and Hugo? A splendid guest list in any language. What conversations, sprinkled with adages and music will grace your table. Will you wash the dishes? tee hee. It’s fun to daydream, isn’t it?
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What a fun, fun topic to muse upon. I wouldn’t want a party but four separate times with four people. And not eating, but sitting in comfortable chairs in front of a fire with a cocktail!
Virginia Woolf
P.G. Wodehouse
John Mortimer
Theodore Roosevelt
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What a cozy setting those would be, Nan, and more to look forward to than just one meal. You have an inspired pick of notables. I would love to be sitting there with you – and each of them.
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I love your list, Penny, and I ADORE that movie. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, but I happened to be in NY when the MoMA did their Tim Burton exhibit, and we got to see it on the big screen in the basement. It was such a treat for me.
These questions are so hard, because winnowing it down to four people is hard.
Meriwether Lewis – What was it like to lead that randy group of men and one woman into the unknown? Why didn’t he view reaching the Pacific with the loss of just one life a success? Why did he kill himself?
Theodore Roosevelt – Actually, I would want him to bring horses and force us to charge around on them outside.
My six-greats grandmother Jenny Wiley – She was one of those abducted women, back when we were settling the frontier of Kentucky. She escaped captivity and found her way back home to her husband. They lost all their children in the raid, but they started over and had a bunch more.
Colin Firth – He wouldn’t have to say anything. I would just want to stare at him.
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What fun to see Beetlejuice on the big screen. This is such a funny and favorite scene.
What an intriguing party of pioneers and Colin Firth to stare at. I would want to know more about how he prepared for his role in The King’s Speech? I didn’t know Lewis killed himself. How did I not know that? How sad for all he accomplished. Will you have your dad with as you charge forward with Teddy.
The real pioneer is your greatX6 grandmother, Andra. What a strong woman Jenny Wiley must have been and what a tremendous legacy she left. I would put her a the head of the table.
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