Which Historical Character Would You Choose To Share A Bowl With?
- Thread starter mawnansmiff
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Easy choice--J.R.R.Tolkein, of course. Not only the author of LOTR, but one of the great scholars of the 20th century. For instance, he was one of the translators of the definitive version of the Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible. I have one of his photos, smoking what looks like a sandblasted pipe--a Dunhill?--hanging over my desk.
I just thought of a third contender to my list, George Daniels, CBE, DSc, FBHI, FSA, AHCI (1926 - 2011), watchmaker and horologist extraordinaire who invented the co-axial escapement which was the first major innovation in watchmaking since the lever escapement invented some 250 years ago.
To sit and chat with him as he explained the tortuous years of struggle mixed with failures and successes until he got it just right would be marvellous to me.
I'm currently saving up to buy an Omega with his co-axial movement and once purchased will be a very much prized possession of mine.
Regards,
Jay.
To sit and chat with him as he explained the tortuous years of struggle mixed with failures and successes until he got it just right would be marvellous to me.
I'm currently saving up to buy an Omega with his co-axial movement and once purchased will be a very much prized possession of mine.
Regards,
Jay.
Sparrowhawk, Tolkien only translated the Book of Jonah for the 'Jerusalem Bible', the 'New Jerusalem Bible' was published in 1985 (Tolkien died in 1973) and its contents differ.
Tolkien is another hero of mine due to his work on the first edition of the OED.
Regards,
Jay.
Tolkien is another hero of mine due to his work on the first edition of the OED.
Regards,
Jay.
You said historical, I thought a second or two, came up with DaVinci, Franklin and Twain. While scrolling the thread I remembered Tesla. Yeah, funny, I didn't even think of a woman. The ones mentioned seem appropriate and worthy.
Abe Lincoln, and second would be old Sam Clemens.
(Clemens not first as the other guys above would share their talks with the board, no?)
Sidelight on Mark Twain: His publisher owned a house in Cambridge that later let our a sort of suite in the garret, which I had for a year as a student in Boston. I was told that whenever Clemens came to visit, talk business, have a meal and drinks, that the drinks took over, and he was often shunted to the garret to sleep it off.
(Clemens not first as the other guys above would share their talks with the board, no?)
Sidelight on Mark Twain: His publisher owned a house in Cambridge that later let our a sort of suite in the garret, which I had for a year as a student in Boston. I was told that whenever Clemens came to visit, talk business, have a meal and drinks, that the drinks took over, and he was often shunted to the garret to sleep it off.
Pipestud-
Barring that, Vincent van Goh. I'd love to talk to him and maybe work through his depression.
I'm with you. He'd totally smoke a pipe. He did the whole water to wine thing because Virgina and Latakia weren't around yet!
Barring that, Vincent van Goh. I'd love to talk to him and maybe work through his depression.
Many thoughtful entries have already been mentioned, but for the purposes of originality I'd go with Ulysses Grant. I know he smoked his weight in cigars, but no matter to me. It would be fascinating just to get his perspective.
This was a surprisingly difficult question for me to answer for myself because a lot of the most interesting historical people I thought of weren't necessarily people I would enjoy spending an hour smoking a pipe with. It would have to be someone that I think would be okay with some quiet time but also had something worthwhile to say. So, I landed on author and farmer Wendell Berry.
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