My Famous Dead People Dinner Party Guest List

If there is a land of dead interesting people out there, you can bet I’ll be hosting a fascinating dinner party the first week I’ll get there.

Here’s who I would invite, and why:

1. Ayn Rand – get to know her warm + fuzzy center, discuss Objectivist spirituality (this latter idea borrowed from a friend)
2. Jesus – get him to explain how to love + yet change the world, explain how almost all of us have misunderstood and mistaken him
3. Dietrich Bonhoeffer – discuss what a post-deconstruction Christianity looks like, tell stories of how he maintained Christian love while resisting evil
4. C.S. Lewis – get his “books every young man should read” list, get writing tips, swap stories w/ atheism and religion
5. Viktor Frankl – listen and learn, do logotherapy
6. Albert Jay Nock – get his ideas on how the current generation can resist authoritarianism and collectivism with panache
7. Ludwig von Mises – discuss the intersection of ethics and the logic of human action, hear his stories from resisting socialism + fascism
8. St. Francis of Assisi – learn how to find joy in a live of forgiveness and peacemaking
9. Friedrich Hayek – geek out over how price systems work, discuss how to live with the balance of tradition and change
10. Jane Austen – get writing + characterization tips, engage in witty repartee and people-observation
11. Christopher Hitchens – get writing and public speaking tips, thank him for his honest critiques, learn how to not become bitter while fighting a long battle
12. Guy Clark – get some Texas wisdom on how to write songs that cut to the bone
13. J.R.R. Tolkien – ask all of my questions about the Lord of the Rings universe + unfinished stories, learn his process so I can build my own

Who are your people? Would love to see your wish list in the comments!