as an exploratory journey through that old party question: if you could have a drink with anyone in history, who would it be? History is full of people you’d love to have a drink with. Let’s meet a few.
as an exploratory journey through that old party question: if you could have a drink with anyone in history, who would it be? History is full of people you’d love to have a drink with. Let’s meet a few.
Have a drink with: John Colt Double-entry bookkeeping and axe murder Ask him about: packing advice You’ve probably heard of Samuel Colt, especially with gun rights so prominently in the news. Not only was Colt one of America’s most well-known gun manufacturers, he used the eager 19th century press to transform gun ownership from a…
Have a drink with: Stede Bonnet The Gentleman Pirate, if you please Ask him about: the shipboard library Like many, many other people around now, I am smitten with Our Flag Means Death, Taika Waititi’s comedy series about real-life pirate Stede Bonnet and his journeys with the famous Blackbeard. What may be surprising to viewers…
Have a drink with: Salvador Dalí Girls, girls, girls. Plus lobsters. Ask him about: But how do you make the giraffe explode? The 1939-1940 World’s Fair was a tremendous attraction, drawing more than forty million visitors to New York over its two seasons to experience the “World of Tomorrow.” Built over 1200 acres on top…
Have a drink with: King Edward VII, aka “Bertie” Sportsman, monarch, don’t mention the lobster Ask him about: Holiday weight gain It’s movie awards season, which means I have been trying to catch up on all the “for your consideration” titles I didn’t get to over the course of 2021. Last week I caught Spencer,…
Have a drink with: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Elementary, my dear Watson. Ask him about: ghosts In the early 1920s, folks in America were generally worn out, in a not unfamiliar way. The geopolitical situation was fraught in the wake of World War I, racial tension was high after the 1919 “Red Summer” race riots,…
Have a drink with: Hugh Henry Brackenridge Attorney, nog enthusiast, clothing optional Ask him about: Pork as medicine It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s time for nog. Where did eggnog come from? If you look into it, you get a linguistic soup of suggestions (“nog” being an old word for strong ale, or…
Have a drink with: Louis Wain Auteur of psychedelic fractal cats Ask him about: cat memes “British cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves.” – H.G. Wells If you love yourself a good cat photo, you can go ahead and thank Louis Wain. Up until the…
Have: a piece of cake. It’s….pleasantly aged? Ask: is it past its sell-by date? According to the BBC, last week a slice of cake from the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana sold for £1,850 at auction (about $2,500 USD). A piece of one of the couple’s twenty-three cakes, the slice had been…
Have a drink with: Anne of Brittany Iron will, heart of gold, death before dishonor Ask her about: Being an early modern #girlboss For Women’s History Month in March, we’re diving into conversation with Rozsa Gaston, the author of a four-book series of historical fiction on Anne of Brittany, the only woman to be twice…
Have a drink with: The Weller Brothers Blow, me bully boys, blow. Ask them about: Sugar and tea and rum Amidst other things people probably did not have on their bingo card in 2021 was the rise of Sea Chantey TikTok, but it’s been a strange year already, so why not? So the biggest question…
