If you could spend a day with anyone, one living and one alive, who would it be?

[SusanJillParker]

With all the people who have lived and who are still living in this world, I thought my picks would be more difficult but they immediately came to me.

Keeping with the writing theme instead of a sexual one, my deceased picks are Charles Dickens or Mark Twain with honorable mention to Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali, as my four brothers were all boxers and they all idolized him.

Again, a toss-up with my living choices as it was with my deceased choices, I'd like to spend a day with either Stephen King or JK Rowling with honorable mention to Michele Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

I have an appreciation for strong, black women.

If I could, I'd like to spend a day with a famous writer to discuss writing. How cool would that be to know what they were thinking when creating and writing, to have clues to their process, and to be inspired by them?

If you could spend a day with someone living and dead, who would you chose and why?

 

[oggbashan]

A deceased one?

Enoch Powell, disgraced UK politician after making a 1968 speech condemning unlimited immigration from the Commonwealth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_Powell

He was a fascinating speaker, very widely read, and could talk sensibly on almost any subject.

I'd like to ask him WHY he made that speech knowing that it would destroy his political career. His words are almost always misinterpreted and sensationalised. What he said was that unlimited immigration was unsustainable in the longer term and restrictions would be necessary. It took another decade for the restrictions to be introduced.

Apart from that, talking to him about anything could be enlightening. I might not agree with him, but discussing things with him was entertaining, erudite and fascinating. He was an old style UK politician. Debate was courteous and if he disagreed he said why.

I was fortunate enough to be at a small meeting with him in the mid 1960s a couple of years before his 1968 speech. The meeting lasted three hours. Most of us wished he could have stayed longer - even though we disgreed with him.

He was a complex man.

 

[JayG88]

I think for me it would have to be Pamela Anderson. I've idolized her since I was little so I'd pick her. I think she's beautiful and really quite smart and she has used her fame to promote / and bring attention to lots of noble charities and causes, particularly animal welfare. I knw that's not the most 'intellectual' choice but hey I could have gone for Emily Bronte (close second) or Joni Mitchell but Pammy win's out!

 

[ChloeTzang]

Deceased? Alexander the Great.

Living? That's far harder. I think Merkel - I'd love to see if she's actually as whacko as she appears to be.

 

[sr71plt]

Amelia Earhart springs to mind--both to thank her for being a trailblazer without rah rahing about it and to find out what the hell really happened.

 

[nikyc]

One living and one alive?

George Orwell, because I find his writing and ideas fascinating. Wouldn't mind picking his brain for a day.

And Magnus Carlsen, because he seems like a genuinely fun guy to hang around with. Plus he's kinda cute. I know I could probably never beat him but it would be fun to try.

 

[oggbashan]

Living person?

Eve Best - actor and stage director

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Best

I have seen her in several productions, notably for me as Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe. I would like to listen to her ideas about Shakespearean acting and direction.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/7e/4b/12/7e4b122e42d772c502049975879bdbf5.jpg

This is Eve Best in action as Beatrice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkmSIy8PayY

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

If you could spend a day with someone living and dead, who would you chose and why?

Easy
Dead-my daughter that died when she was 3. She died on New Years Eve so she is on my mind even more than usual these days. This year it will have been 8 years since she's been gone.

Alive-my best friend that lives in Amsterdam. I love her dearly and have only gotten to meet her in person once. We 'might' spend a long weekend together in April and that will be amazing.

Now if you mean famous people
Dead-Ruth Gordon
Alive-My Muse

 

[SusanJillParker]

If you could spend a day with someone living and dead, who would you chose and why?

Easy
Dead-my daughter that died when she was 3. She died on New Years Eve so she is on my mind even more than usual these days. This year it will have been 8 years since she's been gone.

Alive-my best friend that lives in Amsterdam. I love her dearly and have only gotten to meet her in person once. We 'might' spend a long weekend together in April and that will be amazing.

Now if you mean famous people
Dead-Ruth Gordon
Alive-My Muse

I'm so very sorry for your loss. No one should lose their child. I pray that you'll be with her again one day in Heaven. God bless you.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Threads or posts about elections, candidates, elected officials, political parties, or specific legislation will be moved to the political forum.

Deceased? Alexander the Great.

Living? That's far harder. I think Merkel - I'd love to see if she's actually as whacko as she appears to be.

Ahem.

 

[SusanJillParker]

Ahem.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and peace be with you and in your heart.

By the way, what I meant to write earlier before my typo, "If you could spend a day with anyone, one living and one deceased, who would it be?"

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ahem.

Oh! Oops.

 

[Kimikimidoll]

There are a lot of dead people that you could have great conversations with, but for some reason the first one that comes into my mind is Agatha Christie. I have a feeling it'll be like hanging out with a nice aunt though.

Alive; there's one ex I really want to talk to. Meeting him would not be a good idea, but there are some things I'd like to clear out.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and peace be with you and in your heart.

By the way, what I meant to write earlier before my typo, "If you could spend a day with anyone, one living and one deceased, who would it be?"

Sorry for the confusion.

I figured Still thinking about my answers, but for "deceased" either Oliver Sacks or Elisabeth Marston would be interesting company. Or La Maupin, if we have a magic translator.

I wouldn't mind meeting my grandfather either. He died before I was born; I've heard a lot about him but I'd be interested to know what he was like in person.

 

[legerdemer]

Oscar Wilde - although I'd feel completely grayed out by comparison, it would be an amazing evening. To watch that quicksilver brain spouting in real time...!

Someone earlier mentioned George Orwell - I second that, a fascinating mind.

George Sand and Isaiah Dinesen - both interesting women who eschewed much of their cultural baggage.

And possibly Lucrezia Borgia.

I noticed that all except the last were writers - I think there's a message in there for me. LOL

 

[SusanJillParker]

Oscar Wilde - although I'd feel completely grayed out by comparison, it would be an amazing evening. To watch that quicksilver brain spouting in real time...!

Someone earlier mentioned George Orwell - I second that, a fascinating mind.

George Sand and Isaiah Dinesen - both interesting women who eschewed much of their cultural baggage.

And possibly Lucrezia Borgia.

I noticed that all except the last were writers - I think there's a message in there for me. LOL

A character with lots of charisma, Oscar Wilde is a good choice.

Another good choice would be the Marquis de Sade. He wrote erotica to the annoyance of his relative, King Louie XV, and was even imprisoned for writing his trash.

 

[Kimikimidoll]

A character with lots of charisma, Oscar Wilde is a good choice.

Another good choice would be the Marquis de Sade. He wrote erotica to the annoyance of his relative, King Louie XV, and was even imprisoned for writing his trash.

They say a lot of his works were burned (or were they just hidden?) yeah, he would be one, but I'd want someone else hanging out with me, in case things got too weird.

 

[SimonDoom]

A few questions about this thread . . .

They say a lot of his works were burned (or were they just hidden?) yeah, he would be one, but I'd want someone else hanging out with me, in case things got too weird.

I like how this thread asks us to name someone living AND someone alive. Are there bases being covered here I don't know about? Can I pick someone who's one but not the other? Is that possible? Can one of them be a smart ass?

 

[Kimikimidoll]

I like how this thread asks us to name someone living AND someone alive. Are there bases being covered here I don't know about? Can I pick someone who's one but not the other? Is that possible? Can one of them be a smart ass?

The base being covered here is who do you precieve as interesting enough to spend a day with. Most people would choose someone dead, since by the virtue of being dead (and famous) they become more interesting. They aren't alive to answer to your questions/clear out doubts/ give their opinions on present matters. It also says a lot about you and your General and current (from the alive one) interests.
And as far as I read, OP didn't put any limitations on the character of your choices either; except for one to be dead and the other to be alive.

 

[SimonDoom]

Kimi, My reply was to the heading of the thread, rather than to your reply, although it didn't come out that way. My point was that the heading asks us to name a person who is living and a person who is alive, a redundancy, rather than a living person and a dead person. I know what the thread initiator's intent was, I just thought it was amusing the way the thread was worded and its implications. I was being cheeky.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

No one comes to mind.

One of my character faults is how I see most people as problems. So why invite problems.

 

[SimonDoom]

It would be interesting to resurrect Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, put them in a time machine, bring them to the present day, and then hear what they had to say about the state of the country they helped create. That would be a fascinating conversation. I'm curious as well what their accents would sound like.

 

[JayG88]

Oops I forgot the deceased part, Well that would be Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights is probably my favorite book. I love all the Bronte's but I think Emily would also be the most interesting to meet.