Definitely brought a tear to my eye. Being that I'm a little "crazy" about politics... he was always one of the most well-informed people I have ever heard speak on the topic. He was a BRILLIANT mind, and there will be NO ONE who can replace him.
anything you do let it come from you and it will be new.
He was the last of the legendary "monstres sacre: Tennesse Williams, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal. from RC in Austin, Texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
I saw him last year exiting Customs at LAX - looking very frail in a wheelchair. I mustered my courage and went over to him to tell him how much his work meant to me. He smiled and said thank you. He was my hero.
He was a maddeningly uneven but often brilliant writer.
Best books you should read: JULIAN, BURR, MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, and his memoir PALIMPSEST.
RIP
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
Bumping this to tell folks about memorial service:
A public celebration will be held on Broadway to honor the literary and theatrical career of Gore Vidal from 12-1 PM on Thursday, August 23, 2012, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), currently home to the Tony-nominated revival of Gore Vidals The Best Man, which concludes its limited engagement on Sunday, September 9, 2012.
Friends and admirers from film, television and theatre will present selections of Vidals famous works, as well as share personal remembrances and stories.
The event is open to the public with seating designated on a first come first served basis.
"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"
"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter