<<
Mario, ever seen Gore Vidal's comments when interviewed
for
Ken Burns' biographical documentary of Thomas Jefferson?
They're hilarious. It's pretty clear that he's still trying
to atone for switching the basic characters/personalities of
Jefferson and his megalomaniac vice president, Aaron Burr, in
his novel, "Burr," and he does that by waxing rhapsodic about
the golden qualities of our third president.>>
I saw it. Vidal thinks he knows everything. He was a soldier,
therefore he knows how the military should be run. He wrote
some scripts, therefore he knows what scriptwriters should
do, and so on. He's brilliant, but he must be taken in small
doses.
That said, his literary essays are terrific. I recall
memorable ones on Frank Baum and the Oz saga, and on Dawn
Powell (also, on Edgar Rice Burroughs). He has written some
of the funniest lines about literary critics, too.
Strange, annoying guy, but when he hits, he hits hard.
Best,
MrT
=====
"The difference between the right word and the almost right
word is the difference between lightning and the lightning
bug." Mark Twain
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