For this week’s edition of Saturday Six, I have a list of six famous people (living or dead) whom I’d love to have dinner with.

I use the term “have dinner with” pretty loosely. It’s my experience, when I do these kinds of things, that I just sit at the same table, basking in the presence of someone of moderate fame. I may straddle the line with a slight lean towards being an extrovert, but I’m also shy, which makes new social situations pretty interesting. Sometimes I’d really prefer the antiquated practice of not being able to speak to someone until receiving a formal introduction. Otherwise, I’m far too meek to reach out and ask questions.

Anyhow, here’s my list!

Jane Austen. This is probably almost cliché, but to share a table with this accomplished and beloved writer would be surreal. Also, I bet the conversation would be delightful from someone who wrote with such wit and insight. And she must wear clothing from her own lifetime. And bring a dress for me to wear, too.

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. I am in awe of this woman who essentially lived two lifetimes, endured tragedy and heartbreak, in turn adored and hated and reconciled with the love of her life, made innumerable accomplishments (especially for a woman of her time), lived through and witnessed firsthand the American Revolution, and saw the United States grow through its infancy and reach its crisis of identity by the 1850s. Can you even imagine? (If she fascinates you, too, check out My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, a stunning fictional account of Eliza’s life.)

Dr. Ted Fujita. In high school, I was very seriously considering a career in meteorology, to the point that I was looking into schools that offered both meteorology and creative writing as majors. Specifically, I wanted to chase storms; more specifically, I wanted to chase tornadoes. I’m not sure why tornadoes have always fascinated me, but I can still remember the chills I got, at age 13, when a funnel cloud tore out a huge tree three houses down but left my brother’s batting helmet unmoved on top of our pop-up camper. I’d love to listen to Dr. Fujita talk about his research and field studies and what he found so captivating about tornadoes.

Nancy Covert Smith. It might be a stretch to call her famous, but she published multiple novels, and that’s enough to count in my book! This would probably be more of a conversation. You can read my post from a few months ago discussing the Apple Valley series that she wrote, and I would love to sit down and share with her how much those books and characters have meant to me since I was 12 years old. I recently reread them again, and they are truly my go-to for comfort reading.

Ben & Erin Napier. I’m cheating and including two people because it would still just be one dinner (sneaky sneaky). I love these two and their HGTV show, Hometown, so much. I’d love to sit and talk about small town life, the south, house renovations, her perfect design style (seriously, she has never done anything I didn’t like), being parents, being an artist…I could go on because I feel like we might never run out of things to talk about (if we were formally introduced, first, of course).

And finally, Michael Collins. Astronaut of Apollo 11 fame, the indispensable guy who flew the command module around the moon while his crewmates did their lunar exploring. What a strange pick, you’re thinking, but here’s the story. Through my husband’s work as an air & space museum director, I’ve had the pleasure of having lunch with the late Neil Armstrong and dinner with Buzz Aldrin. Silly though it seems, I feel I ought to complete the trifecta and have breakfast with Mike Collins.

I’d love to see your list of dinner guests! Please share them in the comments.