Top Ten Tuesday

Oh wow, it's that time again, and I didn't even realise! This is what readathoning all day on a Sunday does to you! So, this week's top ten may possibly be my most favouritest yet, and that's really not something I say every week (mostly because 'favouritest' isn't a word, and, you know, I like to use real words mostly). But anyway, here it is!

Top Ten Authors I'd DIE to Meet
(Disclaimer: there probably aren't any authors, or indeed people, that I would actually die to meet, because that would pretty much defeat the object of meeting them, because I wouldn't be able to, because I'd be dead. Just pointing out the metaphysical impossibility of the premise, but now that that's done...)

1. Stephen King- Admit it, you knew this was coming. As soon as you saw this week's top ten, and saw that I was participating in it, the first thought that came into your brain was 'Laura's going to say Stephen King, isn't she?' And you were so right. Mostly I want to meet him after I've read everything he's written, so that I have something to tell him and impress him with; and I would literally subject myself to the kind of torture seen in Misery to meet him (well, probably not. But maybe.)

2. John Steinbeck- The second thing that probably crossed your mind was 'hmm, she goes on about The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men a lot in these top ten posts. I bet she's going to say Steinbeck!' and oh my gosh, look at that, you're right again! Aren't you the clever one?! I would so massively love to meet Steinbeck and tell him that he utterly rocks my world. Reading his Life in Letters, and the East of Eden Letters, is almost like having a real connection with him, but is not quite good enough... Someone invent a time machine, now!

3. Margaret Atwood- This woman clearly rules, and following her on Twitter is sort of almost like meeting at least a tiny bit of her. Now if only I had the courage to actually talk to her on there, we might actually get somewhere! I like to imagine that we could be best friends and have all night long discussions about feminism and stuff. It's an awesome imaginary life I have...

4. Sylvia Plath- Yeah, I know. That would be a pretty depressing person to meet. But I would like to think that I could get all psychoanalytical on her, and try to make her happy, or at least keep her under constant supervision so that she didn't do anything silly. Then she could write some probably cutting and amazing prose about being kept captive and of her evil captors, and we'd all have something else to read and worship as teenagers. Also, I love her.

5. Tony Kushner- I doubt this meeting would consist of anything more than me telling Kushner about 80,000 times how much I love Angels in America, quoting my absolute favourite bits to him, and then sitting him down and forcing him to tell me how to write like someone who is absolutely amazing at writing. Also, I might then stop talking about Angels in America and talk about how I met its writer instead (but probably not. In fact, I'd probably just talk about both!)

6. George Orwell- I'd like to think that me and George could make a big difference to the world together, so I'd love to get him into today's world and make him Prime Minister, or possibly just the cutting allegorist and social commenter that he was for communism, but, you know, for today. Also, I'll bet he was just amazing. Just a hunch.

7. Stephen Chbosky- I would love to meet Chbosky, and just thank him for writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower, because really, it's just wonderful. If you haven't read it yet, just go and do it now. you can thank me later.

8. Jane Austen- I think we'd all like to meet Ms Austen, am I right? We could have a bitch about the neighbours over tea (or, you know, not tea if you're me) and then I could watch her write and just be all awed and stuff by her fabulousness. I have been to her house in Chawton, and that's probably about as close to her as I'm going to get *sniff*. Unless, you know, we invent that time machine I was talking about earlier...

9. Julie Powell- This is a bit of a random one, but since I've recently read (and LOVED!) Julie and Julia, I think it's fair to say that I'm pretty much in love with Julie, and I'd love to meet her, hang out with her, and have her cook nice things for me and generally corrupt my innocent young mind (anyone who knows me just snorted at that last bit). I will find you and meet you one day Julie!

10. Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs- This is not so much an author to hang out with, but more of a group to be in. The Beat Generation is something that is just so appealing to me that I would have love love loved to be part of their group, bouncing creative ideas off of one another, and just generally soaking up each others awesomeness (but, you know, in a less awful way). So yes, I'd like to meet them, be in their gang, and life off the fact that I'd been a part of that group for the rest of my life. That's how these things work, right?

So, I realise that I've just made these people major parts of my life, rather than just meeting them and shaking their hands and telling them that they write good things and stuff. But really, wouldn't we all rather have a fulfilling relationship with these people that goes beyond merely telling them that they rock (which is probably something they already know)? I think so! I'm looking forward to reading all about the authors you would all like to meet, and hopefully some hypothetical scenarios played out with them too!