During a recent interview I mentioned my favorite storytellers, and I even had to decide which author I’d want as company in a submarine.
This go around it’s lunch with an author from the past. Over hamburgers we’d talk about habits and describe growing up. We’d finish off with a milkshake and chat about what informed their writing.
It’s a heavy decision, obviously. I mean, you have to agree on where to eat. My pick may surprise you, but I think you’ll follow my reasoning.
First, I’ve mentioned before my love for myth and the way it shaped my early reading habits. Myth and fairy led me to study and read and enjoy Lewis and Tolkien, Rowling and Grahame, MacDonald and Grimm. Entire books have been written on these greats—whole libraries exist detailing their lives, habits, histories and formation.
But what about having a snack with someone that I don’t know much about? Someone none of us really know? What of a mid-day sitdown with Homer?
That’s right. Author of The Iliad and The Odyssey. That Homer. Because the Wikipedia article is basically a long list of questions. Now we have something to talk about. Like, “Are you real, or are you just a group of poets?” “Did you really write the epics, or did you just fabricate a good business card?” “When did you live?” “What’s your opinion on the Percy Jackson Series?” “Did you know a woman like Helen of Troy?” “Why’s Achilles so mad—dude’s just about invincible, good looking, warrior…I mean, come on.” “What do you think of hipsters?” “So…Odysseus taking out the suitors…that was pretty epic. What was home life like for you?” “Tell me about being on history’s bestseller list. Lots of fan mail, I’m sure.”
Homer was characterized as a blind bard, so I’d mention that the hero of my own storytelling is blind, and we might go off on a tangent discussing the uses of allegory and metaphor.
And so forth. Of course, all of this would be in ancient Greek.
What about you? What would you ask Homer? Or who would you have to lunch instead?
Robin Lythgoe
Author of As the Crow Flies
Choosing a single author to sit down and have a chat with is as bad as choosing your favorite book! Or color! Or child! There is a spectacular list to choose from, and stalking up and down between my bookshelves left me dizzy with indecision.
If I were to choose someone from the past, what kind of language and societal hurdles would we face when we tried to communicate? That’d be a whole conversation right there, but let’s assume we’ve been endowed with translation devices so we’ll both be on the same page (pun alert!). In that case…
Patricia Reding
Author of Oathtaker
This might be the most difficult question presented yet! There are so many logistics to consider. If I choose someone no longer living, just how would the two of us arrange this lunch? Where would we meet? On this side of the divide? Or the other? (Oh, imagine!) If I choose someone whose native language is neither English nor Sarcasm (which is to say, not one I speak), how will we understand one another? Use some instant translation program? (Oh, I can see the problems arising from that already!)
Even assuming all the “how and where” details can be arranged, I have to consider whether I’d rather have lunch with a famous historical figure/politician who also happened to have a gift for words . . .