This Day in Blogistery, by Michael A. Stusser:

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“Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.”

Will Rogers (1879-1935)

Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Michael Stusser, a columnist for mental_floss magazine, ParentMap, and author of The Dead Guy Interviews, Conversations with 45 of the Most Accomplished, Notorious and Deceased Personalities in History – my first book.

The genesis of The Dead Guy Interviews came about after running into Beethoven at a RiteAid. I was trying to use one of those damn photo machines (straightforward my ass) and the Boy Genius was refilling the batteries in his hearing aid. Well, it looked like Beethoven, anyway (must have been the ruffled collar and bouffant that threw me off…). Point is, it got me to thinking: what if I could track down the most famous folks in history and ask obnoxious and intrusive questions about their lives: Did Napoleon really have a complex, or was he just French? What was up with Thomas Jefferson’s hypocritical stance on slavery (not to mention the DNA tests), and did Washington inhale? Might Frida consider a brow wax or J. Edgar Hoover a bigger bra size? And what the hell was Van Gogh thinking with the whole ear episode? Edutainment, you might call it, but with a little theatre and pop-off pop-culture thrown in for good measure. If you ever wondered what it would be like to have dinner with anyone in history – now you’ll know.

I’ve been asked by the good folks at Penguin to write a blog (please not another blog…a new one debuts every 1.4 seconds which might complement the book – and keep folks informed of important historical landmarks they may have left off their DayPlanners. Sadly - when it comes down to it - we’re just not all that “book-smart.” We’re fuzzy on the facts. We have trouble telling the Bill of Rights from a Bill of Lading, astronomy from astrology, or Madonna from, well, Madonna. Most people think Hercules is a pro wrestler, and Descartes a snail or dessert wine. While people love to feel smart, they’d prefer not to have to work for the knowledge. There’s a good reason we like History for Dummies, bulleted summaries, and the Biography Channel; we’re active people without a lot of time on our hands. It’s the same reason fast food, insta-photos and dry cleaning are so damn popular. We want it all, we want it quickly, and - if possible - we’d like it supersized (no mayo). That’s why I came up with “This Day in Histor-Bloggery.”

We’ve all seen those “This Day in History” websites and calendars that let us know when Pearl Harbor hit, Michelangelo bit the dust, or the joyous day Paris Hilton was brought into this world. The object of “This Day in Histor-Bloggery” is to put a wicked (yet still educational!) spin on the genre, giving you the impressive Cocktail Party knowledge you desire, along with some modern-day commentary to go along-side it. Sure it’s nice to know when super inventor Nicola Tesla was born (July 10, 1856), but wouldn’t it be MORE interesting to know his thoughts on the iPhone which he came up with 150 years before Steve Jobs? (Too bad the technology of the day didn’t allow him to build the damn thing…) And forget Darwin’s Theory on Evolution, let’s chat about the pro/con list he made up to decide if he should marry. (For the record: 17 pro, 15 con.) Picasso’s birthday may be interesting, indeed, but not nearly as interesting as his birth name: Pablo Diego Jose Santiago Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispin Crispianiano de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso. (One too many Crispins, to say the least…)

And, while significant dates for the likes of the great Winston Churchill or George Bernard Shaw might be fab for Trivial Pursuit or your history term paper, they’re not nearly as fascinating as the tiff the two had on Shaw’s opening night, 1939: “Have reserved two tickets for the first night of my new play,” telegrammed Shaw. “Come and bring a friend if you have one.” Ever the comeback king, the Prime Minister replied, “Impossible to come first night. Will come second night, if you have one.”

“This Day in Histor-Bloggery” will give you the low-down on milestones and events of yesteryear, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at invasions, inventions, overthrows and anniversaries. And, every once in a while, we’ll have a birthday party for a famous (and deceased) historical figure and ask ‘em the tough questions: Who would Cleopatra prefer play her in the movie version? Might Henry XIII ( give us some on-line dating tips? And perhaps Nostradamus could share those winning lotto numbers…

Like I’ve always said, “Those who forget history are doomed to…” Well, the rest of the phrase slips my mind for the moment, but I’ll Google it and get back to ya. Stay tuned – you just might learn something.

“This Day in Histor- Bloggery” will run for the week of October 1^st (and then you can seek out his insane bloggery on his MySpace page.

View Michael A. Stusser's webpage here.

View more information on Michael A. Stusser's The Dead Guy Interviews

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