Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidalwas an American writerand a public intellectual known for his patrician manner, epigrammatic wit, and polished style of writing...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth3 October 1925
CityWest Point, NY
CountryUnited States of America
abandonment attainment absolutes
The only absolute attainment is absolute abandonment.
invention process equal
Nothing that Shakespeare ever invented was to equal Lincoln's invention of himself and, in the process, us.
mistake hero thinking
Don't ever make the mistake with people like me thinking we are looking for heroes. There aren't any and if there were, they would be killed immediately. I'm never surprised by bad behaviour. I expect it.
like-being-alone guests host
I'm a much worse guest than I am a host, and I'm not an awfully good host either. I really like being alone.
savages
Vitriolic really is personal. I am vitriolic. I am savage.
politician believer improvisation
In a society like ours, politics is improvisation. To the artful dodger rather than the true believer goes the prize.
pointless-things things-to-do pointless
Vitriolic is a needless and malign attack on something, excessive attack on something. It is a rather pointless thing to do.
envy facts american-life
Envy is the central fact of American life.
dismiss entirely politics
We are pleased to dismiss politics as entirely corrupt, if not financially, intellectually.
authority control created food human necessary power preserve purify society
To preserve the human race, it is now necessary to reorganize society. To this end, an Authority must be created with the power to control human population, to redistribute food, to purify air, water, soil, to re-pattern the cities.
blowing case cause country great knew negligence night ownership pay people
The ownership of this country has usually been pretty shrewd. They knew what they wanted. They don't want to pay taxes, certainly. They don't want people blowing them up in the night like 9/11. And if there ever was great cause for impeachment it would be over 9/11. Never been a case of negligence like that.
roosevelt
When I say 'president,' I still mean Roosevelt - wisely, I think.
human ought time
The human race is plainly nothing in eternity, but to us, in time, it is everything and ought not to die.
fascinated
I cannot remember when I was not fascinated by Henry Adams.