I've met Bob Dylan twice for about 10 minutes each time...I'd really like to have dinner and a discussion with him and some of my inner circle of friends...Mark Cutler,Mike Tanaka, Darren Hill and Scott Duhamel.
Sopranos, Scrubs, My Name is Earl
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving did allot for me. I like James Joyce, but he's hard to get until you get practice reading his style, same with William Falkner...also Truman Capote is great. But my first favorite author as a kid was Samual Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and Herman Melville.
If he was just a man, Jesus. If he was the massiah, then hero is too little a word. My wife and family and friends are ALL my heros.