Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal was an American writer who passed away at the age of 86 due to complications from pneumonia. He was known for his essays, novels, screenplays, and Broadway plays. Gore Vidal is related to Al Gore and a fifth cousin to President Jimmy Carter. Born 1925 in West Point, New York, his first publication was in 1946, a military novel "Williwaw," based upon his Alaskan Harbor Detachment duty. Then in 1948 Vidal published "The City and the Pillar" which book caused a furor for its dispassionate presentation of homosexuality. In 1956 Vidal was hired as a contract screenwriter for Metro Goldwyn Mayer and in 1959 he co-wrote the movie “Ben-Hur.” In 1987, Vidal wrote the essays titled "Armageddon," exploring the intricacies of power in contemporary America. He appeared in the film “Bob Roberts” as himself in 1992. In 1992, he won the National Book Award for Nonfiction for the collection United States: Essays 1952–1992 and in 2009 he won the annual Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Let