RIP Gore Vidal

**rb336** · August-01-12, 08:44 AM

Remember when writers had real wit? When a novelist could go on a talk show and beat the comedians at their own game? Remember the feud with that archetype of the conservative commentator, William F Buckley [[the guy whose every comment inevitably degenerated into ad hominem attacks)?

Remember Myra Breckenridge, 1876, Burr, Caligula, etc. etc.

**noise** · August-01-12, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Remember when writers had real wit? When a novelist could go on a talk show and beat the comedians at their own game? Remember the feud with that archetype of the conservative commentator, William F Buckley [[the guy whose every comment inevitably degenerated into ad hominem attacks)?

Remember Myra Breckenridge, 1876, Burr, Caligula, etc. etc.

RIP. My days are just a shade darker.

**Jimaz** · August-01-12, 02:50 PM

From about five years ago: TOTALLY OFF COURSE

**JBMcB** · August-02-12, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

Remember the feud with that archetype of the conservative commentator, William F Buckley [[the guy whose every comment inevitably degenerated into ad hominem attacks)?

Er - Vidal kept calling Buckley a Nazi, IIRC. Neither man was very civil to each other. Buckley sued Esquire for libel over an article about him that Vidal wrote and won, twice [[they published it twice.) Vidal wasn't really a nice guy, especially later on in life. Vidal on Roman Polanski's rape case: "Look, am I going to sit and weep every time a young hooker feels as though she’s been taken advantage of?" Classy! In any case, he was a damn fine writer.

**rb336** · August-02-12, 09:06 AM

Buckley called Vidal a Nazi first, to which Vidal responded that the only crypto-Nazi there was Buckley

actually, the case was dropped, twice. No one ever claimed Gore Vidal was a nice guy. Least of all Gore Vidal, who said something along the lines of "once you break through my icy facade, you will find a soul of ice water"

**rb336** · August-02-12, 09:19 AM

Any cartoonists out there:

I would love to see a cartoon of Buckley and Vidal surrounded by the fires of hell, with the devil off to the side, beseeching heaven with "God, what did I do to deserve this?"

**Patrick** · August-02-12, 10:53 AM

Julian was Vidal's best work, at least that is what I thought. With regards to the Buckley feud...is it me, or does William F. Buckley have to most annoying accent? Guy sounds strange when he speaks...