Gore Vidal: American Prophet
2 days ago
- #political commentary
- #Gore Vidal
- #American literature
- Gore Vidal's painful death at 86, suffering from dementia and congestive heart failure.
- Vidal's controversial views on politics, including conspiracy theories about 9/11 and the decline of the US.
- His aristocratic self-image and belief in his own elitist understanding of power.
- Vidal's prolific career as an essayist, novelist, and playwright, often compared to Montaigne and Oscar Wilde.
- His contentious relationships with contemporaries like Norman Mailer, Saul Bellow, and Philip Roth.
- Vidal's failed political ambitions, including running for office and his vision for America.
- His fascination with Abraham Lincoln and admiration for autocratic leadership.
- Predictions about America's decline and the rise of populism, which he saw as inevitable.
- Vidal's belief that history is shaped by individuals, not systems, and his disdain for monotheism and academia.
- His legacy as a sharp-tongued critic and chronicler of America's transition from republic to empire.