Dead Author Dinner Party

[@book-ramble]

Welcome! I'd love to know if you watch - please, leave a comment! Who would you invite?

[@apoetreadstowrite]

Interesting concept for a video, & I really enjoyed what you did with it, keeping it breezy & entertaining - very engaging, thank you.

[@book-ramble]

Thank you. More to come, no doubt.

[@BryanM.R.-prionic1]

Great video, and I love your choices, even though I wonder if Plato might actually turn out to be something of a bore in person. I would definitely like to chat with Shakespeare and Tolkien for obvious reasons, and that might get REALLY interesting since Tolkien "cordially disliked" Shakespeare. 😂 It might be fun to take a chance on Aristophanes just because the guy might be hilarious. Oh, and I'd like to chat with Virgil. I admire his work, but my primary hope would be to hear his honest impressions/opinions of what Octavian/Augustus was like. Finally, I would have to throw in Abraham Lincoln. It might seem odd to consider him a "writer," but I'd argue that the man's speeches, letters, and other writings contain an abundance of very interesting prose. But the real fun would lie in inviting Mrs. Lincoln. I don't know how familiar you are with Mary Todd, but she has long been haunted by rumors of being psychologically ... troubled. There are disputed accounts such as her chasing Abe with a knife and angrily throwing pots of hot tea at communal meals, but there is a well attested story of her flying off the handle and publicly humiliating the wife of a general at a Presidential review of troops by wildly accusing her of having designs on her husband. It created a highly awkward political moment for Abe, as you can imagine. But anyway, I've long thought there could be a sick kind of entertainment in having the Lincolns for dinner, tossing out some passive-aggressive little barbs to provoke Mark Todd, and then sitting back to enjoy the spectacle of poor old Honest Abe attempting to quell the fireworks. 😇 Have a good one!

[@book-ramble]

Lol. Aristophanes would be great - I'd definitley have him discuss 'The Clouds' and look to Socrates's reaction. Virgil would be great too! Mrs. Lincoln would be similar to Socrates's wife, Xanthippe. I would love to know whether she did throw a piss-pot over The Gadfly! Imagine those two together. Thanks!!

[@zoenorman9846]

I'm totally shocked to hear you say one of my comments inspired this video, Mark. Imagine my surprise to hear my name mentioned!!!! 😃 I enjoyed hearing which authors you would invite to your 'Dead Author Dinner Party'. So many different personalities. I'm sure they would all be as interested in each other as you would be with them. I had to chuckle when you mentioned a heated discussion between them. Imagine that!! 😆 I think it would take me a while to decide who to invite. There are so many interesting authors. Obviously, Tolkien would be on the list and I would love to invite some female authors from back when women were just beginning to get published in their own rights such as George Eliot and the Brontë sisters. Virginia Woolf would be an interesting person to chat to also. So many to choose from. ☺️ This was good fun, Mark. Thanks for another great video!! 😃

[@book-ramble]

Thanks. I will have to consider the follow up one now - all women!

[@zoenorman9846]

That sounds really interesting, Mark. I shall look forward to hearing who you choose. 😃

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Great picks all Mark! ...except maybe Trotsky. Politics aside, my impression is that would be a rather one sided and overbearing dinner conversation! If I could only select one out of your stable of authors, that's an easy choice, Herodotus. Genius pick for a dinner chat!

[@book-ramble]

They WOULD be hard work, no doubt. I wonder if I would have them for a second time? Lol.

[@Bookishtravels1]

Fascinating Mark! I would love to chat with Tolkien too. I will have a go at this, i think my list would be very very different!

[@book-ramble]

Please do it! I'd love to watch it.

[@Bookishtravels1]

@@book-ramble ok!!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

This was such a fun and fascinating thought experiment! Your lineup is incredible-Homer and Plato at the same table as Tolkien and Trotsky? That’s a dinner party I’d love to eavesdrop on. I especially appreciate your curiosity about how they’d interact, not just with you but with each other. Shakespeare throwing down in a debate with Tolkien? Aphra Behn bringing the much-needed voice of early women writers? So much potential chaos! I love this idea so much I might have to put together my own version. Looking forward to your follow-up with more women authors-can’t wait to see who makes the list!

[@book-ramble]

Thank you! Please do let me know when you have done it, I would be fascinated to see who you include. And you are right - Aphra being the ringmaster and taming the others would be a sight!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

@ just caught my spelling error. Either autocorrect did me in again or my brain is done for the day.

[@book-ramble]

@@DrCrankyPantsReads Lol. She may have had an Afro - then known as the Afra. That makes sense!

[@alastairgreen2077]

Who's invited, not whose.