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roachboy · 11-13-2004, 05:28 PM

i'd try to help but i dont really understand the assignment.
write about a historical figure?
write what?
i assume that there is some kind of research to this, yes?
what kind?

because i feel like typing more, for some reason (other work to avoid, aye there's the rub) i figure "an interesting historical figure" could be translated into: who would you resent least having to have dinner with?

personally, i find military types supremely dull. whacking and dismembering, even if done with great skill, seems to me pretty tedious stuff. achilles and hector were probably both dreadful to have dinner with. napoleon? by all accounts, he was kind of--o how to put this---a horrifying jerk as a person. probably a self-obsessed bore at dinner. yes yes, but let's talk about me.

really wealthy people? too often pinheads behind the trappings of wealth. dinner would be good, but you would probably have to drink excessively to deal with the conversation. which would push you away from being interested and into the o no i am drunk and it is really inappropriate to be drunk space. not good. not worth the real or imagined humiliation. run away.

franklin---for a provincial boob he was pretty versatile. on the other hand, he worked the "i-am-the-guy-who-wears-a-beaver-hat" thing pretty well in paris. so i suspect he could have been fun to have dinner with. particularly if he wore the hat.

i would say pascal, but then again he was a jansenist and i am not sure they did dinner.

rabelais--now there is a fellow who would have been great to hang out with.
a guy who knew the value of wine and fine food.
someone who was really funny too.

cervantes would be similar, but a bit sadder.

for americans, i would say emily dickenson, but i suspect she would not return your calls.

11-13-2004, 05:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	i'd try to help but i dont really understand the assignment. write about a historical figure? write what? i assume that there is some kind of research to this, yes? what kind? because i feel like typing more, for some reason (other work to avoid, aye there's the rub) i figure "an interesting historical figure" could be translated into: who would you resent least having to have dinner with? personally, i find military types supremely dull. whacking and dismembering, even if done with great skill, seems to me pretty tedious stuff. achilles and hector were probably both dreadful to have dinner with. napoleon? by all accounts, he was kind of--o how to put this---a horrifying jerk as a person. probably a self-obsessed bore at dinner. yes yes, but let's talk about me. really wealthy people? too often pinheads behind the trappings of wealth. dinner would be good, but you would probably have to drink excessively to deal with the conversation. which would push you away from being interested and into the o no i am drunk and it is really inappropriate to be drunk space. not good. not worth the real or imagined humiliation. run away. franklin---for a provincial boob he was pretty versatile. on the other hand, he worked the "i-am-the-guy-who-wears-a-beaver-hat" thing pretty well in paris. so i suspect he could have been fun to have dinner with. particularly if he wore the hat. i would say pascal, but then again he was a jansenist and i am not sure they did dinner. rabelais--now there is a fellow who would have been great to hang out with. a guy who knew the value of wine and fine food. someone who was really funny too. cervantes would be similar, but a bit sadder. for americans, i would say emily dickenson, but i suspect she would not return your calls. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 11-13-2004 at 05:35 PM..