[jack]

gore vidal, the iconic man of letters,died today (july 31) at the age of 86. When he was a young serviceman he attended a hollywood party and said"frank sinatra was the only one there who sat and talked to me." he also once said sinatra was a great contributor to the world's population because so many children were conceived when his records were being played.

[irene soggia]

Jack, thanks for pointing out a great writer.

Vidal with his novels, short stories and essays have always offered an unconventional and bold vision of the world at age 22, had begun to impress the American literary community with his novel "The Statue of Salt."
Rest in peace!

[BrianFStevenson]

A mighty man of letters that seemed comfortable in so many different writing genres. It's a while since I read it, but his historical novel Lincoln was a very rewarding read.

If he gets to have a conversation with Norman Mailer in the afterlife, I for one would love to listen in!

[Joe Szulczewski]

He'll be missed. Surprisingly enough, many of the things he attacked in his writings are still going on today. Like FDR, he was branded a traitor of his class. He was brave enough to point out that the "class" that he was traitor to was the one causing the woes besetting our country at the time. those writings still ring true today. Rest in Peace.

[sschweiger]

He was one of the most unique men of letters this country has ever produced! When he appeared on David Susskind's show, I would hang on his every phrase! There's a very fine production of "The Best Man," now running on Broadway. And, how ironic, that we would be heading to Venice, where he lived for many years!

Rest In Peace, Mr. Vidal! You wrote with the best of them!

[Marty]

a light has truly gone out in the world

a delightfully acerbic, irreverent light

[Nancy]

A very interesting fellow and I have to wonder what he was like when he was a little kid. Sleep warm, sir.

[johnofphilly]

Rest in Peace, Mr. Vidal.

When television was relatively new, its first dozen years or so, many people from the WWII vet generation became a common database for everyone's frame of reference in the consumer world.

Now we are at the point in historical playout when hardly a day passes, but what another personality from this black & white TV database also passes.

The world since, the advent of color TV, only watered down the contrast and impact of the medium. The barrage of younger "celebrities" since has diminished each of their individual impressionable potentials. Not unlike how dedicated 50s jazz aficionados sneer at "smooth" jazz which came about two scores later.

It could be that media, itself, has outdone itself.

[Dina]

He was a witty and outspoken person and, an extremely talented and prolific writer. Rest in Peace, Mr. Vidal.

[sschweiger]

Mr. Vidal and his contemporaries -- Buckley, Mailer, Capote & Updike -- were not only talented writers -- they were TV savvy: smart, entertaining guests, who made the Cavett, Carson, & Griffin Shows come alive with their personalities, opinions, and passions!

Boy, are those days gone!

[johnofphilly]

Originally Posted by sschweiger

-- they were smart...Boy, are those days gone!

You can thank Leno for that. He babbles in like-like ("imlike, iwuthlike"). That takes the substantial air out of the tires, debasing any conversational depth. If you gear your talk show dumbed-down to the vernacular pattern of a runny-nosed twelve year old child, that's what you'll get.

Just imagine the intense pleasure you'd get from throwing someone who talks like that in front of a truck, headsplat like a water balloon.

[ARIES3032]

Mr,
Vidal, Rest in peace. You will be remembered.

[Savatri]

Originally Posted by johnofphilly

You can thank Leno for that. He babbles in like-like ("imlike, iwuthlike"). That takes the substantial air out of the tires, debasing any conversational depth. If you gear your talk show dumbed-down to the vernacular pattern of a runny-nosed twelve year old child, that's what you'll get.

Just imagine the intense pleasure you'd get from throwing someone who talks like that in front of a truck, headsplat like a water balloon.

You give Jay Leno too much credit, John. I doubt that he is persuasive enough to change how others in the business conduct themselves. Their main preoccupation now is to let their guests sell their wares. I can't understand why anyone would want to watch something like that.

[Nick_Bradley78]

Cracking bit of Vidal, aged about 300 deflating the BBC pomposity of Dimbleby. I don't agree with much of what he says, but like his style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_3qFpi4ooU There won't be his type again.

[Kevin Frost]

In an interview with The Irish Times a few years ago Vidal said Sinatra was the only man that never ceased to impress him. High praise indeed, from a great man.

[MDH-IV]

That is high praise from Vidal. He lambasted just about everyone and everything, especially in the last ten years or so.