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    What do you know about Gore Vidal, the writer that just died at 86. & what did you think of him?

    0  Views: 697 Answers: 1 Posted: 11 years ago

    1 Answer

    Sorry, even after checking on him, I don't recall hearing of him. 


    Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( /???r v??d??l/;[1][2] October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer known for his essays, novels, screenplays, and Broadway plays. He was also known for his patrician manner, Transatlantic accent, and witty aphorisms. Vidal came from a distinguished political lineage; his grandfather was the U.S. Senator Thomas Gore of Oklahoma.
    Vidal was a lifelong Democrat; he ran for political office twice and was a longtime political commentator. As well known for his essays as his novels, Vidal wrote for The Nation, the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books and Esquire. Through his essays and media appearances, Vidal was a longtime critic of American foreign policy. In addition to this, he characterised the United States as a decaying empire from the 1980s onwards. Additionally he was known for his well-publicized spats with such figures as Norman Mailer, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Truman Capote.
    Vidal's best-known novels fell into two distinct camps: social and historical. His most widely regarded social novel was Myra Breckinridge; his best known historical novels included Julian, Burr, and Lincoln. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged conservative critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality. Vidal always rejected the terms of "homosexual" and "heterosexual" as inherently false, claiming that the vast majority of individuals had the potential to be pansexual. His screenwriting credits included the epic historical drama Ben-Hur (1959), into which he claimed he had written a "gay subplot." Ben-Hur won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
    At the time of his death he was the last of a generation of American writers who had served during World War II, including J.D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer, and Joseph Heller. Perhaps best remembered for his caustic wit, he referred to himself as a "gentleman bitch" and has been described as the 20th century's answer to Oscar Wilde.[3]

    tabber

    Thanks Colleen. He seemed like a true American wit with a gift for debate, which I love. Charlie Rose did a salute type show on him last night, facinating. I got one of his essay books out of the library yesterday. Thanks again for the info on him.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    There's more about him on wiki-pedia. I just brought this bit over for anyone who might have been trying to place him.

    Here's the rest > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore_Vidal


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