A couple of (relatively older) World Series of Poker winners but that’s it.
Quite a few established SF writers. Off the top of my head, Ray Feist, Esther Friesner, Norman Spinrad, Adam-Troy Castro, Jane Yolen, Joan Vinge, Alan Steele, Rob Sawyer, and too many others to list.
I don’t know if this counts as casually, but I’ve corresponded with both Mark Bittman and Michael Ruhlman via email (both food writers, both pretty successful). Usually cooking question kind of things, and I’ve written a couple articles that Bittman published on his blog.
I know a couple of Star Trek (TNG, Voy, Ent) writers. One is actually a friend, the other, an acquaintance.
A local fire chief or two (business).
I had a bit of a correspondence going on with RAH’s wife (before widowhood) a while back. Snail mail. She was interested in my ideas, but had little tolerance for certain things she considered credulous. She didn’t want to bother her husband with me. Interesting lady.
My former advisor, the historian, political commentator, and occasional consultant to world leaders Niall Ferguson.
As an aside, I was wandering through Wikipedia one day and found that Sacha Baron Cohen also counted Professor Ferguson as an advisor, during Niall’s time at Cambridge. I had no idea I was one degree of separation from Borat.
Well…I’m on - or was on - friendly terms with three writer/historians (one deceased), well-known within their field of endeavor, but not exactly famous. And I’m :o distantly related to Senator Larry (Wide Stance) Craig :eek: (cousin several times removed). Knew him slightly back when he was a junior congressman, but he probably wouldn’t remember me. Oh, and the long-serving state treasurer of Idaho. He was youth leader at my church back when I was a youth and he was a young adult. Kind of an obscure state official, but he’s famous in that everyone in the state gets letters from him at tax time.
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I correspond occasionally with Larry Dablemont, who is well-known regionally (MO, AR, OK, KS) because of his syndicated newspaper column and known nationally among sportsmen because of his books and magazines. He’s been to my house and we’re gonna try to arrange a rabbit hunt in the next few weeks.
I used to e-mail with James Lileks a little bit and he’s used some things I’ve sent him in his blog. He’s a columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
I dated a former child actor a couple years back. He played the little boy in Parenthood alongside Steve Martin. We aren’t in contact at the moment, but I’m sure I could send him an email if I wanted to.
Other than that, I don’t know anybody XD
You know Pauly Shore? Awesome!
There’s a member of these boards I’m friends with who’s in the film industry, and I’m friends with a relatively obscure author (though his brother is a huge movie star).
Same here. Kate Bush has telephoned me, so that has to rank pretty high.
Casually? There’s a local NPR affiliate on-air personality that I’m friends with. That’s about it.
Most people will laugh at the Institute of Official Cheer. Most people on the Dope will loathe his politics. (Not me, but most.)
I met quite a lot of stand-up comedians in the 80s and 90s who went on to bigger and better things, but most of them wouldn’t know me from Adam’s Off Ox nowadays.
One exception is Lisa Ann Walter. You probably don’t know the name, but you’ve almost surely seen her. She’s had a bunch of TV and movie roles and even starred in her own sitcom for 18 episodes. We used to go out dancing whenever she was in town. I was single at the time, but alas, she was married, or else I might have a better story to tell.
I haven’t been in touch with her for years, but I have no doubt that if I contacted her today she would greet me like an old friend.
Oh, and there’s also Harry Teinowitz, a name some Chicagoans might know. He’s one of the hosts of a popular sports radio show. I still talk to Harry every now and then.
I don’t know this person, but I did have a very pleasant exchange of emails with this chap, who was a former LA DJ, and did tons and tons of TV announcing jobs thru the 1960s and 1970s.
I’m friends with an actor who is currently starring as the title role in a world-famous hit Broadway show. In fact, just last night we drove home from an event together.
I’ve been good friends with Tim Page since I was a kid. The Pulitzer winning music guy, not the Vietnam guy.
Denise Merrill was in my dad’s aerobics class for years, and is married to my former physician.
I’ve never emailed him (usually communicate with his daughter) but I’m sure I could send my uncle a message if I had anything to tell him.
I e-mail and have had dinner at the home of a couple of Montreal radio personalities.
And CJAD listeners out there?
I don’t live in Montreal, but Bob Gainey would respond to me.