Topics of Conversation I’m Generally Happy to Engage In:
*keep all topics brief until one seems to gain momentum
Weather
Esoteric trivia
Authors and their books (including graphic novels)
Favorite media (TV, Movies, Music)
Obnoxious celebrity gossip
Yourself
Mutual friends/acquaintances (not gossip-y, more like, “Have you heard from Jane lately? I hear she just got a new job.”)
Recipes and flavors
Cooking and baking techniques
Food and drink adventures (restaurants, bars, home cooking)
Fine beer, wine, and spirits
Travel
Art
Iron Head Jane 
This is a good list. B and I were just discussing how meeting people is terrible because we have nothing to talk about. And they have nothing to talk about that we want to talk about. We need to work on a list.