Essays
Since 2006, Truthdig has been proud to publish the essays of Gore Vidal.

America the Great ... Police State

July 28, 2009

Let us accept the facts staring us in the face—that demonstrably we are no longer a republic. We are no longer governed by laws, only by armed men and force. This is just like the days of Billy the Kid. You have an armed man going down a dusty street and that is authority. And it has come to this for us.

Gore Vidal Blasts Racism Claim

Nov. 10, 2008

Gore Vidal, racist? Au contraire, the renowned author asserts in this response to a recent piece on The Huffington Post that claimed Vidal had a problem with Barack Obama’s bid for the White House because of the president-elect’s race.

John McCain in the Echo Chamber

Oct. 27, 2008

October proved to be the cruelest month, for that was the time that Sen. McCain, he of the round, blank, Little Orphan Annie eyes, chose to try out a number of weird lies about Barack Obama ostensibly in the interest of a Republican Party long overdue for burial.

Gore Vidal’s Article of Impeachment

June 11, 2008

On June 9, 2008, a counterrevolution began on the floor of the House of Representatives against the gas and oil crooks who had seized control of the federal government. This counterrevolution began in the exact place which had slumbered during the all-out assault on our liberties and the Constitution itself.

Gore Vidal Speaks Seriously Ill of the Dead

March 20, 2008

The iconic author objects to Newsweek’s obituary of his onetime rival, William F. Buckley, a “knightly man,” as described by the magazine, who stood up to “bullies” like Gore Vidal ... by gay-bashing him on national television.

Gore Vidal on the Democratic Debate Debacle

Dec. 18, 2007

Whither Dennis Kucinich? If the powers that be at CNN and a certain Iowa news outlet (attention: Des Moines Register) thought that elbowing Kucinich out of the most recent Democratic presidential debate would slip by unnoticed, Gore Vidal is more than ready to disabuse them of that notion.

Growing Up with Gore Vidal

Nov. 13, 2006

In this Truthdig exclusive excerpt from his just-released book, “Point to Point Navigation: A Memoir,” National Book Award-winning author Gore Vidal recounts Depression-era episodes of his life involving his grandfather, T.P. Gore, the blind senator from Oklahoma, along with a political, economic and existential awakening that followed young Vidal’s viewing of “The Prince and the Pauper.”

Gore Vidal: Reflections on 9/11

Sept. 19, 2006

The legendary man of letters sees echoes of Rome’s devolution from republic to empire in America’s imperial misadventures since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Gore Vidal: America and Empire 

April 14, 2006

The celebrated man of letters charts the course of American post-WWII hegemony in this concise original essay written as a foreword to Robert Scheer’s new book, “Playing President.”

President Jonah, Meet Oliver Cromwell!

Feb. 7, 2006

Building on his “President Jonah” theme, Gore Vidal offers another angle on George W. Bush’s presidency, illuminated by the recent spate of wildfires in Southern California.

Hail and Fairwell, Gore Vidal
Truthdig Managing Editor Peter Scheer on his memories of Gore Vidal:

I remember Gore Vidal like a Bond villain. He was sitting on the edge of his bed in that same big house in the Hollywood Hills where he died Tuesday night. Holding on to a glass of whiskey with one hand, he used the other to stroke a giant white cat with an angry mouth and a cloudy gray eye. He called it “pussy.” Of course he did.

I was there to record the great man with the booming voice while he read his latest Truthdig essay. We had done this before, but I got the impression that my arrival had disturbed him and I was anxious as I fumbled with my equipment. He was a pro with Southern grace and diction that could dent a microphone, but he chose that day to fuck with me. Rather than read his own words as written, Gore kept going off script, eyeballing me and smiling every time I ruined the recording by laughing nervously at his improvisations. The audio was unusable, but the great man had his fun and that mattered much more to him than the godforsaken hits we might generate with a podcast. That was four years ago.

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Multimedia

A Tribute in Photos:

In memory of the renowned author and social critic, Truthdig presents a set of unreleased photographs of Gore Vidal taken at his home during an interview in January 2006.

View photos

Gore Vidal on the American Empire:

Gore Vidal reads from his essay, “Hail and Farewell: the End of the American Empire, in which the iconic author, historian and patriot suggested that perhaps there was a more sinister explanation for the president’s fiascoes than mere incompetence: He was out to destroy the American empire.

LISTEN NOW

Gore Vidal on Campaign ’08 and America’s Future:

Robert Scheer sits down with Gore Vidal to hear his take on the upcoming presidential campaign, religion and the future of the American empire in this first installment from Truthdig’s series of interviews with the iconic author and historian.

Read the transcript