Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Sebastian Arcos started to turn against the Castro regime in his late teens. His family, including his internationally noted dissident father, became targets of the government. For the 99th dinner interview, in Miami in July 2017, Sebastian told me about his eventual move to…

Broadway fans may appreciate the 98th meal with a stranger, which was actually two strangers — Tony Award-winner Santino Fontana and his wife Jessica. Both actors, they didn’t know each other when they moved to New York to pursue their careers on stage, but eventually they met and were married…

The 97th dinner with a stranger took place in February 2017 with Jim Obergefell. He was the lead named plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that led to the 5-4 ruling in June 2015 finding the Constitution guarantees the right of same-sex couples to marry across the United…

My 96th dinner interview took place on a cruise ship somewhere in the Caribbean back in January 2017. That’s when I met Matt Yee, who at the time was a mainstay on gay and straight cruises, and also in high demand on land, for his drag cabaret show. Over a…

For the 95th dinner interview in December 2016, I met W. Ralph Eubanks. He’s a researcher, writer and more and a self-described “light-skinned” African American who spent his childhood growing up among the racial strife of the civil rights era in Mississippi. Since then, he’s had an extensive career both…

In September 2016, I offered dinner with me as a prize in a silent auction for a fundraiser, after being contacted by the organizers who were hosting the auction for charity. David Stivaletta, an accountant in Washington, DC, bid the winning amount. That’s how we came to meet for Italian…

Brad Rushing is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer who has enjoyed great success in charge of photography for movies, music videos, commercials, and more. During a visit to DC in September 2016, he met me for the 93rd dinner with a stranger to talk about how he got into the industry…

Former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD) is concerned about the state of politics, fearing it’s become so bitter and broken that it’s impossible to advance good laws. Now out of Congress and officially an independent, he told me about his one-man bid to save democracy — and also about his…

In June 2016, I met youth advocate and artist JR Russ in Arlington, Virginia, for the 91st meal with a stranger. JR told me how he loves the world of theater and dance, and has since he was a child. But these days he finds his passion for the arts…

Eleanor Clift never imagined being a famous political reporter in Washington, DC. For the 90th dinner interview, in June 2016, she told me how her early goal of being a secretary who would be able to type up interesting notes led to a career that has seen her cover every…