I would like to hear James Joyce and Aristotle discuss their views of aesthetics, beauty, art, and poetry. Reading their A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (ch.V, esp.) and Poetics lead me to believe that would be one interesting discussion. Not only do they have different opinions; they have very different ways of going about getting to those opinions. I wish they weren't both dead! Oh, and, pretending this dialogue were possible, let's add T.S. Eliot and Wordsworth to the mix. Just imagine the fireworks!
And I would facilitate, take copious notes, then, after they all returned to the underworld, formulate all their theories into one universal theory - the M theory of poetics.
O, to hear poets
argue as if defining
their art could be done.
To listen to men
of great intelligence claim
the others were fools.
And to laugh under
my breath, since I know something
they haven't learned yet.
