Long-Lost Lunches

In this lengthy interview with veteran book editor Pat Strachan (which I believe I found through Maud Newton's site), the anecdotes shared conjure up another world. The publishing biz is still full to overflowing with lunch dates, but it's safe to say moments like this one are fewer and farther between:

Another (memorable meeting) was with Joseph Brodsky, when he learned at lunch that I didn’t know much about classical music. He was really horrified. After lunch, he took me to a record store and bought me a basic set: Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Purcell’s Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Brahams’s Third Symphony. A few basics to get me started.