Table For Ten

Dinner parties are a very serious thing. They involve planning and alcohol and most importantly, invitations. But what would you do if you didn't have to worry about sending out the obligatory invite to an obnoxious relative or colleague? What if you could have your ultimate dinner party, designed by you, orchestrated by you, and executed by you? What if you could invite ANYONE you wanted? Who would it be?

Here are the only three requirements. They have to be dead. They have to know how they died. And you can only have nine guests--other than yourself.

Since I like to lead by example and these are the kind of things I think about all the time, this is just another example of how I like to poke fun at morbidity.

Without further ado, my table of ten is none other than the following:

(1) and (2) Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald But only if they bring the booze. A pair of alcoholic writers who can add ballerina and fledgling screenwriter during the Golden Age of Hollywood to their repertoire.

(3) River Phoenix What can I say? I have a fascination with young death and how it could or could not have been prevented. But more importantly, I think he could have been the next Marlon Brando. He SHOULD have been the next Marlon Brando.

(4) Robert Todd Lincoln The eldest of Abraham Lincoln's children lived through the Gold Rush, the Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI, and prohibition. But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Robert is that he outlived his entire family and was the only one of the Lincoln children to make it past a second decade.

(5) Marilyn Monroe I know she was smarter than everyone gave her credit for. And I am a firm believer that the best work comes from pain. And what's more--I think she is the epitome of this and I want to know where that pain really came from.

(6) Ayn Rand I am not sure if I completely understand her. But that's probably why I want to invite her.

(7) Rudolph Valentino If you could adjust inflation in terms of superstardom, he would be the reigning king of the silver screen. And with the fact that he died so young, you have to wonder about the possibilities of what could have been. But why wonder, when you could have him for dinner?

(8) Emily Dickinson She was by far one of the most judgmental individuals that has ever existed. And I just want to know why.

(9) Martin Luther King, Jr. He is not only the quintessential peacekeeper--but he is the ultimate of peacemakers. Maybe he can be the voice of reason if we have any moments where we can't agree to disagree.

Choosing the guest list for your Dead People Dinner Party says a lot about your intuition, your curiosity, and your personality. Proceed with caution and if you are able, think about how these departed souls would interact with each other--not just you. It's not all about you. Well, it's a little bit about you, since it's your party.

Now let's see what (who) you bring to the table.