General Douglas MacArthur. I would love hear him duscuss his career while firing up a couple of cobs.
With Whom Would You Smoke?
- Thread starter huntertrw
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One of my passions is photography and one of my favorite photographs is Ansel Adams. I’ve seen images of him smoking cigarettes so I’m not certain if he enjoyed a pipe. However, I’d thoroughly enjoy sitting down with him, either smoking a pipe or cigarette, just to glean information from him about photography especially his techniques in the darkroom.
The late British author Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932) who penned The Wind in the Willows. With him I would discuss that very book, one of my favorites.
To me its best chapter is The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and, no, it is not about pipe-smoking. My last visit with it was in April of last year when I read it, aloud, to my mother who hung on its every beautiful word. She passed peacefully from this world three days later at the age of 94.
But he did write of the pipe. In fact, in an essay titled Of Smoking , he states:
"It hath been ofttimes debated whether the morning pipe be the sweeter,
or that first pipe of the evening which ``Hesperus, who bringeth all
good things,'' brings to the weary with home and rest. The first is
smoked on a clearer palate, and comes to unjaded senses like the kiss
of one's first love; but lacks that feeling of perfect fruition, of
merit recompensed and the goal and the garland won, which clings to
the vesper bowl. Whence it comes that the majority give the palm to
the latter. To which I intend no slight when I find the incense that
arises at matins sweeter even than that of evensong. For, although
with most of us who are labourers in the vineyard, toilers and
swinkers, the morning pipe is smoked in hurry and fear and a sense of
alarums and excursions and fleeting trains, yet with all this there
are certain halcyon periods sure to arrive -- Sundays, holidays, and
the like -- the whole joy and peace of which are summed up in that one
beatific pipe after breakfast, smoked in a careless majesty like that
of the gods ``when they lie beside their nectar, and the clouds are
lightly curled.'' Then only can we be said really to smoke. And so
this particular pipe of the day always carries with it festal
reminiscences: memories of holidays past, hopes for holidays to come;
a suggestion of sunny lawns and flannels and the ungirt loin; a sense
withal of something free and stately, as of ``faint march-music in the
air,'' or the old Roman cry of ``Liberty, freedom, and
enfranchisement.''
How could you not want to share a pipe and a conversation with such a delightful author?
To me its best chapter is The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and, no, it is not about pipe-smoking. My last visit with it was in April of last year when I read it, aloud, to my mother who hung on its every beautiful word. She passed peacefully from this world three days later at the age of 94.
But he did write of the pipe. In fact, in an essay titled Of Smoking , he states:
"It hath been ofttimes debated whether the morning pipe be the sweeter,
or that first pipe of the evening which ``Hesperus, who bringeth all
good things,'' brings to the weary with home and rest. The first is
smoked on a clearer palate, and comes to unjaded senses like the kiss
of one's first love; but lacks that feeling of perfect fruition, of
merit recompensed and the goal and the garland won, which clings to
the vesper bowl. Whence it comes that the majority give the palm to
the latter. To which I intend no slight when I find the incense that
arises at matins sweeter even than that of evensong. For, although
with most of us who are labourers in the vineyard, toilers and
swinkers, the morning pipe is smoked in hurry and fear and a sense of
alarums and excursions and fleeting trains, yet with all this there
are certain halcyon periods sure to arrive -- Sundays, holidays, and
the like -- the whole joy and peace of which are summed up in that one
beatific pipe after breakfast, smoked in a careless majesty like that
of the gods ``when they lie beside their nectar, and the clouds are
lightly curled.'' Then only can we be said really to smoke. And so
this particular pipe of the day always carries with it festal
reminiscences: memories of holidays past, hopes for holidays to come;
a suggestion of sunny lawns and flannels and the ungirt loin; a sense
withal of something free and stately, as of ``faint march-music in the
air,'' or the old Roman cry of ``Liberty, freedom, and
enfranchisement.''
How could you not want to share a pipe and a conversation with such a delightful author?
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I have to admit, HunterTRW, that is a beautiful passage. They don't write like that any longer.
For those trivia hounds out there that may care (and many who will not), Pink Floyd borrowed that title for the title of their very first album back in '68.
Alan Alexander Milne (1882 - 1956), author of the Winnie-the (or ther)-Pooh stories which I have recently been re-reading and thoroughly enjoying:
I'm going to add a couple to my list. First is Renzo Piano, famous architect, who liked pipes of all kinds.
The second, Alan Watts, I just came across last weekend and have started reading one of his books. I listened to one of his lectures while wrenching on my car and some of it was kooky, but much of it was interesting. His book, Wisdom of Insecurity, that I just started, has some funny and oftentimes straight up throwing shade but very poignant ideas.
The second, Alan Watts, I just came across last weekend and have started reading one of his books. I listened to one of his lectures while wrenching on my car and some of it was kooky, but much of it was interesting. His book, Wisdom of Insecurity, that I just started, has some funny and oftentimes straight up throwing shade but very poignant ideas.
C. S. Lewis or J. R. R. Tolkien., but by far and preferrably C. S. Lewis
Being a Connecticut resident I'd go with Mark Twain and the famous Sherlock Holmes portrayer, William Gillette. I would love to smoke with those personalities in these amazing homes.
Mark Twain House
Twain's Billiard Room
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William Gillette, one suave MoFo!
Gillette Castle
Mark Twain House
Twain's Billiard Room
William Gillette, one suave MoFo!
Gillette Castle
More about Gillette, pipe related! Sherlock Holmes related.
"Gillette introduced the curved or bent briar pipe instead of the straight pipe pictured by Strand Magazine's illustrator Sidney Paget, most likely so that Gillette could pronounce his lines more easily; a straight pipe can wiggle or fall when speaking, or cause problems with declaring lines while it is clenched between the teeth. It is less difficult to pronounce lines clearly with a curved pipe. Some have lately theorized that a straight pipe may have obscured Gillette's face. This could not happen with a curved briar in his mouth."
"Gillette introduced the curved or bent briar pipe instead of the straight pipe pictured by Strand Magazine's illustrator Sidney Paget, most likely so that Gillette could pronounce his lines more easily; a straight pipe can wiggle or fall when speaking, or cause problems with declaring lines while it is clenched between the teeth. It is less difficult to pronounce lines clearly with a curved pipe. Some have lately theorized that a straight pipe may have obscured Gillette's face. This could not happen with a curved briar in his mouth."
Yes! I've been there and it's wondrous! I've toured the Twain house as well. They are both just jaw-droppingly cool.
with people who don't mind me having a pipe ...there the ones I can tolerate....when I want a pipe
If I’m going to smoke with a historical figure, which is my choice,I want to be regaled, entertained and enthralled. Mark Twain for sure! Smoke pipes, cigars, shoot some billiards, have some drinks and just listen and ask enough questions to keep him going.
There are few places at which I have felt more at home in than Mr. Twain's billiards room. My great regret is that I could not smoke my pipe there in homage to him...
^^^^^
Lots of suggestions - many well known, some not so, but nonetheless, no less interesting persons.
BUT..............
For me, smoking a pipe is my down time.
Having to converse means having to cogitate and form coherent thoughts, and converse on topics of interest, and God forbid, intellect.
The polar opposite of what I sat down to do with my pipes
So, apart from me mate, Doug - NO ONE !
Doug and I go back years, since our early days with our wine-tasting group.
It's an amiable companionship that needs little conversation. Of which, I have to admit, a lot is repetitive.
But nothing that really interrupts the smoking.
Which is THE raison d'etre for our get-togethers
