Gore Vidal, died on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, where he moved in 2003, after years of living in Ravello, Italy. He was 86. Gore was a crazy guy. There is no other way to describe him. He could write anything. He wrote Ben Hur, or at least made it watchable. It went on to win Best Picture. He wrote a Tony Award winning play. He was among the first people to have openly gay characters in books. If you have never read The City And The Pillar you should. He wrote it in 1948 and the world just about freaked. He was also on The Simpsons. Just an all around do everything kind of guy. Not to say that he could not be an a-hole, because he could be the biggest one in a room. Still though, a very very interesting guy.
The video below is him fighting with William Buckley in 1968. They hated each other.
The video below is Gore Vidal fighting with Norman Mailer. They hated each other.