hello darling how are you?
It is sad that my first instinctive answer is roald dahl because he had such a dark sense of humour and is one of the authors I most admire.

cleverer and wittier answers I have none this morning
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 8:40, 2 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

I am very well indeed, thank you; I trust you are too?
It's not remotely sad to want to meet one of your favourite writers. At least that's someone you know will be witty and interesting - my choice is someone renowned for being painfully shy in person and for communicating primarily through music. It's a shit choice but I stand by it, so there.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 8:49, Reply)

it's only tue, my taxi is snarled in traffic, i was working til 2am and tonight will be the same
But apart from that I'm grand altogether.... I think you'd be fine talking about music for an hour somehow, even he could manage to show off some chords if he couldn't speak!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 8:58, Reply)

I would talk to him about his influences growing up
and of his real opinions of his contemporaries.

Sorry to hear your workload is so gruelling. I myself could work 'til midnight every day at the moment - but I am not rewarded sufficiently to do this so I simply don't, and things will go rather wrong as a result but I say 'tough shit' to this, consummate professional that I am.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 9:08, Reply)

combination of
billing deadlines, being away next week and people expecting me to do Stuff. Your attitude is much healthier, I'm the sort of person who sunbathes with Blackberry in hand!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 9:15, Reply)

Yeah, Roald Dahl would be high on my list.
He dies when I was in primary school, and I was gutted. Even when I got a first edition of his final book shortly after. One of my favourite authors of all time, because he didn't beat around the bush and had what sounded like a fascinating life.

No idea what I'd have to contribute to the convo, of course.
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 9:56, Reply)

When my Dad was young, he met him
He said he doesn't remember much, only that Roald seemed ridiculously tall. They lived in the same village.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Tue 21 Sep 2010, 10:01, Reply)