What's so enjoyable about Vidal is the range of reference from the classics to popular culture, from the serious to the mocking, and the capacity to make you think again about the things you thought you knew
What a show! Gore is entertaining, eloquent, honest, glib and profound. I could listen to him for hours. What a magnificent and articulate historian and philosopher and artist he is
Vidal was a force unto himself. A reporter once asked his father what he thought of some of the things Gore was saying, writing. His father replied, "Well, one thing I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with courage; Gore doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks about him."
I've heard some great lectures IRL and on CZcams but I think this is the very best I've come across. It's said that Gore Vidal "loved to piss on his enemies, but from a great height." Leave it to Vidal to rip Abraham Lincoln to shreds while lecturing at Harvard University all the way back in 1991, not to shock and boos but rapturous applause. This was a herculean feat of persuasion and he pulled it off with astounding eloquence.
What a wonderful find! I've watched just about everything on YT featuring Gore Vidal and thought I'd seen everything, but this was new to me and such a boon!
About ten years or so ago, I knew two people both in their 50's and college educated, who had never heard of Joseph Stalin. "Are you kidding me?", I asked. They weren't, and one of them got very defensive when I suggested they read a book on Stalin.
As a former teacher, I must heartily agree with his revolutionary scrapping of the current educational system. I am Canadian, and therefore was taught something of other counties' histories. The poor Americans know very little of other nations, save that they won the war for the Allies...still trotted out in CZcams comments ad nauseum.
Unfortunately, Gore Vidal died four months before the release of Spielberg's Lincoln, one wonders what he would have thought of the film and Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal.
What's so enjoyable about Vidal is the range of reference from the classics to popular culture, from the serious to the mocking, and the capacity to make you think again about the things you thought you knew
What a show! Gore is entertaining, eloquent, honest, glib and profound. I could listen to him for hours. What a magnificent and articulate historian and philosopher and artist he is
This man truly deserved so much more respect. What a true icon.
3:32
Vidal was a force unto himself. A reporter once asked his father what he thought of some of the things Gore was saying, writing. His father replied, "Well, one thing I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with courage; Gore doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks about him."
I've heard some great lectures IRL and on CZcams but I think this is the very best I've come across. It's said that Gore Vidal "loved to piss on his enemies, but from a great height." Leave it to Vidal to rip Abraham Lincoln to shreds while lecturing at Harvard University all the way back in 1991, not to shock and boos but rapturous applause. This was a herculean feat of persuasion and he pulled it off with astounding eloquence.
What a wonderful find! I've watched just about everything on YT featuring Gore Vidal and thought I'd seen everything, but this was new to me and such a boon!
About ten years or so ago, I knew two people both in their 50's and college educated, who had never heard of Joseph Stalin. "Are you kidding me?", I asked. They weren't, and one of them got very defensive when I suggested they read a book on Stalin.
As a former teacher, I must heartily agree with his revolutionary scrapping of the current educational system. I am Canadian, and therefore was taught something of other counties' histories. The poor Americans know very little of other nations, save that they won the war for the Allies...still trotted out in CZcams comments ad nauseum.
What an amazing extemporaneous ( ! ) introduction from that gentleman!!! 😮 Who was that ?
he was so beautiful and smart.
Title should have been: Gore Vidal; all by myself
Damn, I had been a student there just a few years before this. Can't believe I missed old Gore, one of my favorites.
Great book from a great author
Vidal an American treasure 🥃
Unfortunately, Gore Vidal died four months before the release of Spielberg's Lincoln, one wonders what he would have thought of the film and Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal.
A man screaming in the wilderness.
I don’t agree with him always but I always love to listen to him
One of a kind
Are the first two lectures available too?