This is topic Five Pen Pals in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
 
If you could pick five pen pals across space and time, who would they be?
 

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Posted by Qaz (Member # 10298) on :
 
Jesus Christ
my future self
St. Paul
Aristotle
Lao-Tse, except that he'd never answer the letters
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
What are your 5 Irami?

Mine:
Jesus
Emperor Qin Shi
Joseph Smith
William Bradford
Orson Scott Card
 

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Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :
 
Jo Rowling
my mother
Oscar Wilde
Shiblon
Jesus
 

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Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
 
Bazy Tankersley
Elizabeth Zimmermann
Jo Rowling
Margurite Henry
Maude Hart Lovelace
 

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Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
 
I have no idea, but I'm intrigued by the banner ad that came up promising to calculate the name of my ideal lover.
 

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Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
 
Heinlein.
Asimov.
DaVinci.
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.
Thomas Bangalter.
 

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Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
 
"The chance of a relationship working out between Demonspawn and Succubus is not very big, but a relationship is very well possible, if the two of you really want it to, and are prepared to make some sacrifices for it. You'll have to spend a lot of quality time together. You must be aware of the fact that this relationship might not work out at all, no matter how much time you invest in it."

The love calculator gives them 47%.
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Okay, so I do think I'd like to be pen pals with Isaiah, Kafka and William Blake. And Emily Dickenson.
 

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Posted by Launchywiggin (Member # 9116) on :
 
Einstein
Beethoven
Dali
Debussy
Jefferson
 

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Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
Asimov, Qin Shi Huang, The Doctor, My futureself, a Chinese girl from present day.

If I'm allowed a 6th, Abraham Lincoln.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
What a fascinating topic, Irami.

For reasons I'll go into later, and assuming we would be able to correspond in a language mutually understandable:

Confucius
Ibn Sina
Voltaire
Christine de Pizan
Anais Nin

I like "my future self," too (brilliant [Qaz]!), but I'd never write back. I know all too well my own epistolatory habits, or lack thereof.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Zalmoxis:
"The chance of a relationship working out between Demonspawn and Succubus is not very big, but a relationship is very well possible, if the two of you really want it to, and are prepared to make some sacrifices for it.

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heh heh

I don' wanna know 'bout them sacrifices, Dude.
 

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Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
Edit: I'm guessing they might involve small animals, blood, or both.

Jane Austen (I think she'd be a GREAT letter writer)
My mother as a young woman
Franz Joseph Haydn
My younger self (a twist on the future self thing)
Jim Henson
 

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Posted by Qaz (Member # 10298) on :
 

 

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Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
 
Blayne, could Qin Shi Huang be written "Chin Siu Hung" as well? the Martial Artist from Toisaan, Guandong province?
 

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Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
 
WEB DuBois: An insightful black thinker with a literary bent.
Hannah Arendt: She is a strikingly powerful thinker who would have lucid opinions about many issues I hold dear.
Friedrich Nietzsche: The energetic philologist would rock my world with every letter, I'm sure.
Edmund Burke: He is a WASP company man with a nuanced view about why it's important to be a WASPy company man.
John Steinbeck: He has written some of my favorite novels, from characters to story and pacing and plot significance. It was his life's work, and I could use the help.

[ August 24, 2007, 05:39 AM: Message edited by: Irami Osei-Frimpong ]
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
Why not try writing your first letter to each of your hoped-for penpals? It's likely to be quite an illuminating exercise.

Then maybe you could try to write what their reply would be, from what you know of them. Sounds like fun.
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
Oh, and mine are Richard Feynman (we would laugh about so much together, and he could explain stuff to me that I don't understand), Dostoyevsky (I write and convince him to hang on during his darkest hours, and let him know he's going to be the world's best novelist someday), Antoine de Saint-Exupery (because he'd be delightful company), Joybubbles (ditto), oh and I want to reserve room on my list for 2 or 3 friends that I talk to now though not often enough. They are most delightful company indeed.
 

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Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
 
Jane Austen
My younger self (SO agreed -- I've so much to tell!)
My future husband
Jesus (I'm not even religious)
All of Monty Python
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Blayne Bradley:
Asimov, Qin Shi Huang, The Doctor, My futureself, a Chinese girl from present day.

If I'm allowed a 6th, Abraham Lincoln.

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I already got Qin Shi Huang Di Blayne, and I've already told him not to correspond with you.

I'm actually kinda jealous I did not think to write my future self.
 

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Posted by prolixshore (Member # 4496) on :
 
Corresponding with my future self would likely lead to the destruction of my future self, wouldn't it? So that's not a good idea for me, I rather like the guy.

My 5, in no particular order:

Jesus
Thomas Paine
My father, age 40
Dave Barry, the funniest letters anyone could receive
John Marshall

--ApostleRadio
 

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Posted by otterk10 (Member # 10463) on :
 
Real:
Maimonedes, Napoleon, Anne Frank, Benjamin Franklin, and Shakespeare

Fictional:
Taleswapper (Do you really think William Blake was anything like him?), Dumbledore, Valentine, Jonathan Dorian, and Forest Gump.
 

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Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
 
Whats with the interest in the first emperor?
On that note, is the OP's focus here to learn from these individuals (incoming) or to affect the past in beneficial ways (outgoing)? Or a bit of both?
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 

quote:

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Whats with the interest in the first emperor?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Pam Tyler:
Irami, are you referring to the Sir Edmund Burke who was kicked out of England during the revolutionary war for sympathisizing with the colonists? Just curious, as he is a relative.

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Are you sure he was kicked out? I'm reasonably sure that never happened. He didn't even leave parliament.
 

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Posted by Pam Tyler (Member # 10595) on :
 
Not sure that he was actually kicked out, but when my family tells the story, he had to leave England, and that is when the line began in
America. Just family stories, I have not followed up with any hard research. Haven't even done the geneology to make sure that he is actually a relative, although my maiden name is Burke. Just stories my grandfather told to me as a child.
 

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Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
 
Moses
Tolkien
My great-grandmother Ella
Erma Bombeck
My great-grandaughter (I'm assuming I'll have one, with four kids there's good probability one of them will produce offspring who will then produce me a great-grandaughter )
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Pam Tyler:
Not sure that he was actually kicked out, but when my family tells the story, he had to leave England, and that is when the line began in
America. Just family stories, I have not followed up with any hard research. Haven't even done the geneology to make sure that he is actually a relative, although my maiden name is Burke. Just stories my grandfather told to me as a child.

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Hmmm. It appears Edmund Burke died in England and had but one living son, Richard. I am trying to figure out what happened to him, he may very well have immigrated to America but I am positive Edmund spent his entire like in Britain.
 

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Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
 
Homer's scribe
Callimachus (really, any of the great Hellenistic poets would be fine, but Callimachus above all)
Freddie Mercury
Benedict Arnold
JRR Tolkein


(edit for spelling)

[ August 22, 2007, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Carrie ]
 

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Posted by The Flying Dracula Hair (Member # 10155) on :
 
Beyond neat question!

David Byrne
Quorthon
Frank Zappa
Fred Rogers
Varg Vikernes

Five seems like a perfect number. (Edited one out, because I wouldn't really need any grand fictional situation to start one)
 

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Posted by Wonder Dog (Member # 5691) on :
 
My Father as a child
My Wife as a child
Peter (the Apostle)
Enoch
Douglas Engelbart
 

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Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
 
John Rawls - (I love his theories, it would be wonderful to have discussed them with him.)
Milton Friedman - (Fascinating thinker. And a good balance to Rawls, I think.)
Benjamin Franklin - (Witty and genius, I mean... who wouldn't want to talk with him?)
Queen Elizabeth II - (She's been around for quite some time, it would be awesome to see history from her perspective.)
My future self - (I have no idea what I want to do for a career, so some insight on what to go for/what to avoid would be awesome. Also... It would be nice to get some investment advice. )

*Edit*
Oh! Oh! I need to add a sixth for myself.

Joseph Nye - (I'd want to discuss soft power... I just... agree with it?)

*Edit V 2.0*
I know I'm being evil with the editing... but I also would want Noam Chomsky. How could I not?

Is it cheating to break down the five people? I mean... Sure it forces you to limit who you could talk with, but...
 

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Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
 
Carl Sagan
An alien...(across space right? I think corresponding with aliens would be pretty interesting... once the kinks were worked out)
God, assuming his existence(It would be nice to be able to lay some questions to rest)
My dad, when he met my mom
My mom, when she met my dad

OK. That's 5. My reasonings, for those not mentioned above: Carl Sagan's books have been are amazing and are always inspirational to me, and guided my brother into his present course of study, Planetary Astronomy. He seems like a very interesting, intelligent, and fun person to know.

To know my parents, specifically as they met each other: 1. just to see what they were like as kids, and 2. To get good advice, from the people most like me in the world, on relationships and what have you...
 

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Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
 
Thomas Sowell
Florence King
Gloria Naylor
Josephine Esther Mentzer (Estee Lauder)
Aerin at the age I am now
 

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Posted by Lamarque (Member # 10825) on :
 
Richard Feynman - Totally agree with Tatiana on this one. He'd be able to explain many intersting things and share many interesting stories. Anyone who has read "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" will understand.

Jesus - although he'd probably just tell me stories that I wouldn't understand

Tolkien
Karl Marx
Winston Churchill
 

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Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
I've got more letters from Jesus than I've actually taken time to read already. And I'm rather guilty of not writing back.

quote:

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Shiblon

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