ysabetwordsmith | Emotional Intimacy Question: Dinner Guest

Folks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. I'm starting with this list.

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

It's hard for me to narrow it down to one, so I won't insist on that rule. Leaving out people I might genuinely have a chance at, such as famous writers, brings me to:

Stephen Hawking -- because I love quantum physics and would greatly enjoy listening to someone I feel confident is smarter than me.

The Dalai Lama -- again, his existential intelligence outstrips mine. I think I would ask him, "What do you do when you know how to adapt to the culture you land in each life ... but you don't like the one you're in?"

EDIT 5/15/18 -- Today, we're focusing on live people. Someone else reminded me of a historic version that I've penciled in for next week.

Current Mood: curious
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/4613237.html

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From:

acelightning

Richard Feynman - from everything I've read by and about him (and his sister Joan, also a scientist), the way he thought was a lot like the way I think... although his mathematical abilities were about 7,000 times what mine are. But he was also considered a witty conversationalist, not to mention his talent on the bongo drums :-)

From:

technoshaman

Feynman played drums? Oh, HELLYEAH!

From:

acelightning

Specifically, bongo drums. Feynman was irreverent, playful, and astonishingly social for a physicist, as well as being fond of Latin-American percussion. (This was before bongo drums became associated with "beatniks".)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I have probably just scorched the pasta whilst dragging PVC drums out of the library to start up a scientist music jam.

So. Don't. Care. :D

From:

acelightning

Feynman on bongos, Einstein on violin... who else?

From:

capri0mni

Oh... people alive today, without the use of a time machine?*

I was going to say Wangari Maathai, but when I looked online to double check the spelling of her name, just now, discovered that she had died... :-(

So, failing that, maybe Neal deGrasse Tyson, because whenever I hear him speak, I'm already answering him in my head: "Yes, yes! Just so -- But also... have you considered ____?" which is generally how the best dinner conversations go (but then, he's recently been accused of sexual harassment, so...)

By the same criteria, Daniel Dennett is high on my invitation list.

And Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

And also: Young woman, YouTuber, and the Chicago Field Museum's "Chief Curiosity Correspondent," Emily Graslie.

*I've also asked the question: "If you had access to a TARDIS, what 12 guests would you invite from throughout history/today for a dinner party? And who would sit next to whom?

Edited (fixed link, added footnote) Date: 2018-02-15 01:34 pm (UTC)

From:

technoshaman

Einstein. Angelou. Bowie. Warshawski. Cochrane. Sarek. the Curies. Yes, Feynman. Tesla. Mary Shelley.

hmmmm....

Sacagawea.

(Note I went forward as well as back. Couldn't resist. )

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I've seen the 12 guests version. I have penciled this in for next week's question.

From:

talewisefellowship

Hotta Yumi, author of Hikaru no Go. hikago is such an important manga to me and I'd love to hear what she has to say about it. And I'm curious if she really does/did have a hikaru fictive like we suspect.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

That's the one about the Go player? I think I've seen trailers.

From:

talewisefellowship

it is indeed the one about the go player. many go players actually! And some are plural!

Hikago is a really gay and really plural story so it's very important to me.

From:

technoshaman

oh, man, I might do things that would offend him to have a shot at the Dalai Lama. I had half a shot at seeing him and Desmond Tutu once, and decided it wasn't worth the hours in queue... *grump*

(Oh, and I'm not going to rule out folks I could get with a little twisting, because, dayum...)

Neil Gaiman. WITH AFP. And take the next day off, I'll need it.

Nathan and/or Garnet Rogers. And have them sing for their supper, and invite everyone over for the show. (This has a pretty high chance of actually happening.)

Steven Barnes. I owe him one. Long story.

Buzz Aldrin. Or frankly anyone who's made orbit, but especially the Apollo crews and especially Buzz. Second on that list would be Col. Chris Hadfield.

Lin-Manuel. Though I'd want to wait until their latest progeny is a little bigger. :)

I would like to have had a shot at Bowie.

And for that matter, Maya Angelou.

The one I *did* pull off - by sheer accident - was Ada Palmer, the current holder of the Campbell Tiara... *two days after Chicago won the World Series.* That was FUN, music *and* history *and* Baseball... I'm hoping I can do it again. la la la la la...

From:

we_are_spc

I was one of the lucky ones to hear Mya speak at FGCU. Such an enigmatic personality, and so full of history!

I do wish I could have had some time alone with her though; that would've been awesome.

-Fallon~

From:

siliconshaman

I would've said Hawking too... aside from the physics [which he probably gets a lot of] we could discuss the latest advances in brain-machine interfaces and robotics/prosthetics.

but if we're talking access to a TARDIS...actually, I'd probably just be happy with The Doctor really... I mean, to start with imagine swapping recipes!

But, ok, if we're talking 'generic time machine' then it's toss up between Freeman Dyson, Richard Freynman, Albert Einstein or Ada Lovelace. Whom I've read, was a witty conversationalist as well as a genius ahead of her time. The maths would probably be over my head but we could have fun talking ideas.

From: (Anonymous)

You or Vathara, because awesome authors. Maybe Lin-Manuel Miranda, I really like his stuff that I've come across and he's supposed to be really nice towards fans.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I wasn't expecting to be on anyone's list. :D I am so flattered!

From:

pocketnaomi

Most of the 'modern' ones I'd like best to invite are recently deceased, which saddens me. Pete Seeger. Mary Travers. Ursula Le Guin. Paul Robeson. Simon Wiesenthal.

But I notice a few common themes there. I like musicians, worldbuilders (fictional or fact) and people who have ideas about how to make the world a better place. It occurred to me that I know somebody living who is all of these things, plus a historian and philosopher as well, which are two of my own favorite academic disciplines (in fact she's a professor at my own alma mater).

So I'm going to say Ada Palmer. Whom I actually have invited over -- as GoH at the housecon my family hosts, rather than as a dinner guest, but it'll get her here for a three day weekend! Health concerns have postponed acceptance, but she and we hope to have her here as soon as those are resolved enough that she can handle the travel comfortably.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

That is so awesome. I hope it comes together soon!

I've hung out with Tom Smith at a friend's houseparty. He's the only person I know who can write verse as well as I can, as fast as I can -- sometimes better or faster, and always set to music. He was taking prompts and I asked if he wanted me to go easy or not. He said not. I gave him "antidisestablishmentarianism."

And he filked it.

With a caveman.

\o/

From:

pocketnaomi

Oh, that's awesome. Tom is great. Do you still have the lyrics he came up with? I haven't heard that one and I'd love to!

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Alas, no. It was spontaneous. I think the concert was recorded but not all the material ever got rereleased.

From:

snippy

So this is for people alive today, without use of a time machine, right?

Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Daveed Diggs. Keanu Reeves. Kristin Bell. Amal Clooney.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>So this is for people alive today, without use of a time machine, right? <<

Time machine dinner party will be next week.

>> Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Daveed Diggs. Keanu Reeves. Kristin Bell. Amal Clooney.<<

Nice set!

From:

we_are_spc

One of them already happened-back in October (If we can find a way to do that again...)

I would love to sit with some of the hiphoppers I admire, Kendrick, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q...

Not to mention a longer stint with mis Seanan (Which hasa good chance of happening if I stay in the community_) And I would dearly love to met Alexander James Adams.

Vixy and Tony....and Mya Bonhofff *sighs* I mean...I would love to ask them how they do it-what their motivation for music is, how they live their lives so bravely.

I'm still so afraid to speak harsh truthes because I do not have the confidence to go all out yet-especially when people speak the language of shame (As written in the entry I posted) I have been shamed myself-and I don't like it.

Also: stup9id mundane questions like...how long have you been at music, yata yata (Which might frustrate them, but ya'know.

I tend to set my people down then see where the conversations go-asking for questions up front is sometimes hard for us because most magic happens within the conversations themselves-questions come up as they go, and most of the answers I find in interviewsws (Especially when it comes to the first stet-so then I don't know what *to* ask because someone has already done the asking.

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> One of them already happened-back in October (If we can find a way to do that again...) <<

Yay!

>> I'm still so afraid to speak harsh truthes because I do not have the confidence to go all out yet-especially when people speak the language of shame (As written in the entry I posted) I have been shamed myself-and I don't like it.<<

Well, some people have more confidence, and others more resources. It's not like I can get fired for pissing off a boss; that gives me a certain sort of freedom that not everyone enjoys. *ponder* Not that having a boss or losing a gig stopped me from mouthing off when I had them, though.

>>Also: stup9id mundane questions like...how long have you been at music, yata yata (Which might frustrate them, but ya'know.<<

Depends on the person. Some get tired of it. Others enjoy talking about themselves -- especially if it's for an interview that will get them more publicity. The way I got to know lots of creative people was doing reviews and interviews. Would you believe, most people quit sending complimentary copies? If you do just that one thing, you can make a ton of friends.

From:

mama_kestrel

>> One of them already happened-back in October (If we can find a way to do that again...) <<

We have some months to work on finding you a ride, a roommate and a sponsor if the person who brought you last year isn't coming this year. Let's work on that. :)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Have I mentioned how much I love my audience recently? You make good things happen for each other. \o/

From:

acelightning

Oops, I missed the "only people who are still alive" restriction. Which also rules out my second choice: Heinlein ;-)

From:

mama_kestrel

Katherine Johnson, Yvonne Cagle, Ada Palmer, Tamora Pierce, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sandra Day O'Connor, Brandon Sanderson, Ian Anderson, yourself, Tom Smith, and Barry and Sally Childs-Helton, who have a great gift for making disparate groups comfortable and getting the conversation rolling. That will do to be going on with.

The time machine dinner party will need to be held in a social hall.....

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Holy cow, you're the second person to name me! :D And in such august company. I'm flattered.

Also, bonus points for inviting a pair of chamfers. That's a great idea.

$mdlbear: blue fractal bear with text "since 2002" (Default)$

From:

mdlbear

So many to choose from. Joan Baez, Janis Ian, Fred Small, Don Knuth, Lester Earnest, Whit Diffie,... And that's just people I've actually met, in only two fields.

Of the ones I haven't met Bob Dylan, the Dalai Lama, Stephen Hawking, and Elon Musk are at the top of the list.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Of the ones I haven't met Bob Dylan, the Dalai Lama, Stephen Hawking, and Elon Musk are at the top of the list.<<

I'm thinking those four in a room together could solve most of the world's problems. :D

From:

dreamwriteremmy

In no particular order: Jennifer Lawrence, Julian Koster, you, Mara Wilson, Diane Duane, Howard Trachtman (likely to happen some day since I am acquaintances with some people he's friends with and he does arts social outings and other peer networking events in mental health in Boston), Kathy Broady, Jim C Hines, Amanda Palmer, André de Quadros (if you count lunch & learn meetings I've technically had lunch with him as a volunteer staff but that was training conversation not social), Vixy and Tony, and Dylan Marron. With that cast conversation would likely include: education, mental health resources, social action, music and other performance arts, and writing.

(You're on the list because I've actually quoted stuff from your blog in peer groups and social action stuff because of how much I WISH L-America had more T-America/LIFC components. Haha. Including the snarking about how MCU would be very different if it had better social service resources. Hell, I'm actually working on trying to create a early stage mental health recovery curriculum that puts bottom rungs on the ladder using your blog, some tumblr resources and zines haha. Things I wish they still taught at the program we go to. :p)

Edited Date: 2018-02-16 09:03 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> With that cast conversation would likely include: education, mental health resources, social action, music and other performance arts, and writing.<<

So. Much. Win.

>> (You're on the list because I've actually quoted stuff from your blog in peer groups and social action stuff <<

Wow. You are now the third person to list me! 0_o I eventually got used to being a high-chase person at a convention of several hundred people. I would not have put myself in the global category.

*giggle* I am now imagining all the "popular" kids in high school who considered me unlikable. I bet none of them ever got put on a global list. ^_^

>> because of how much I WISH L-America had more T-America/LIFC components. Haha.<<

I wish that too. But I can describe what I observe in more functional dimensions, and much of that is replicable here with extant resources.

>> Including the snarking about how MCU would be very different if it had better social service resources. <<

Yes it would. That's why I wrote "Touching Someone's Pain" the way I did.

>> Hell, I'm actually working on trying to create a early stage mental health recovery curriculum that puts bottom rungs on the ladder using your blog, some tumblr resources and zines haha. Things I wish they still taught at the program we go to. :p) <<

That is so awesome. One thing mental health really needs is resources to treat minor problems before they become major problems. Right now the mainstream is still at the "virtuous pus" stage. >_< You could do a great job with this at the peer counseling level, which doesn't require credentials, and if you want to get fancy then network with professionals in your area to refer people who want more help. It's a lot easier to find a good match if the client has already done the basic work of figuring out what the problem is, what things aren't working, and what kind of style they like.

I suggest that you go to my Memories pages on DW and LJ to check the How To, Safety, and A Little Slice of Terramagne tags. I am currently working on a patchwork test for Emotional Intelligence since I couldn't find anything good on that topic that was readily available. Holler if you need more help; I've done curriculum planning before.

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