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Honestly between this, Chris Marker, and Alex Cockburn in the span of about two weeks...

I'm seriously depressed

That one hit me like a truck. In some sense I knew Vidal was very old, but I never gave any thought to finding his obituary link in this thread. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was.

He was a fantastically amusing and entertaining and wise writer. I still periodically reread his essay on Midge Decter and her views of homosexuality, still one of my personal favourite literary eviscerations (along with Nabokov's destruction of Edmund Wilson over the latter's Eugene Onegin review). I have not read nearly enough of his novels, only one in fact, Creation, which I nevertheless thought marvelous and more fleet than large historical novels tend to be. But his gigantic essay collection, United States, is rarely in place long enough to gather dust. Let's hope the same for his reputation in the following decades.

Sadly there had been hints of Vidal's deteriorating health in the last year, beginning with appearances in a wheelchair and ending with a total cessation of public sightings. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I've never read any of his novels, but I do cherish some of his essays. In my more cynical moments, I wholeheartedly agree with his idea of barring those that belief in an afterlife from holding public office.

Mr Sausage wrote: But his gigantic essay collection, United States, is rarely in place long enough to gather dust.

That is an amazing book. Worth it's considerable weight in the precious metal of your choice.

Since I seem to be the leader in Vidal novels read, I will completely and unhesitatingly recommend any of his American Chronicles, especially Burr, Lincoln, 1876 and Empire and also the wonderful Julian, his novel about the 4th century Roman emperor who attempted to restore the pre-Christian gods to the place they held before Constantine.

Anyone care to recommend some choice Vidal essays?

Here are some that I particularly enjoyed:

Norman Mailer's Self Advertisements
The Top Ten Best Sellers
French Letters: Theories of the New Novel
The Sexus of Henry Miller
Calvino's Novels
Sex and the Law
Sex is Politics
Pornography
Pink Triangle and Yellow Star (Vidal at his witty, bitchy best)
The Birds and the Bees
Monotheism and its Discontents
West Point

Others could be added, but these are the ones that remain the most vivid for me.

Mr Sausage wrote: Pink Triangle and Yellow Star (Vidal at his witty, bitchy best)

"What are you, in real estate?"

Robert Hughes.

antnield wrote:Robert Hughes.

It's almost impossible to exaggerate the impact Hughes' TV series (and book) The Shock of the New had on me - I saw/read it circa 1983/4, i.e. precisely the point when Channel Four first launched and was cramming its schedules with documentaries about the avant-garde in all its manifestations.

I was instinctively drawn to this stuff anyway, but Hughes did a better job of clarifying and contextualising it for me than anyone else - like Pauline Kael (someone I must have discovered at about the same time), I often disagreed with him and sometimes profoundly, but his passionate enthusiasm for his subject and his fearlessness in slaughtering sacred cows was exhilarating.

In fact, I think I'm going to watch his programme on Gaudí (an extra on the Criterion DVD) right now as a tribute.

Ruggiero Ricci, violin virtuoso. I struggle to get my head around the idea that he was still performing Paganini's Caprices whilst 80 years old.

Marvin Hamlisch.

antnield wrote:Robert Hughes.

In addition to The Shock of the New, his books Barcelona, Culture of Complaint, American Visions and Goya are also essential reads. I haven't gotten to his new book on Rome yet.

tavernier wrote:

antnield wrote:Robert Hughes.

In addition to The Shock of the New, his books Barcelona, Culture of Complaint, American Visions and Goya are also essential reads. I haven't gotten to his new book on Rome yet.

And The Fatal Shore, although that's admittedly the only book on Australian history I've read so I'm not sure how it stacks up against the others.

That's too bad. I loved his score for The Informant!.

When I was about 10 or so, I had an irrational but intense dislike for Marvin Hamlisch. I think it had something to do with his appearance on The Great Space Coaster. He wrote a lot of really corny music, but his kind of film music is really missed these days (it's all so damn serious and somber). And he was an EGOT.

MichaelB wrote:

tavernier wrote:

antnield wrote:Robert Hughes.

In addition to The Shock of the New, his books Barcelona, Culture of Complaint, American Visions and Goya are also essential reads. I haven't gotten to his new book on Rome yet.

And The Fatal Shore, although that's admittedly the only book on Australian history I've read so I'm not sure how it stacks up against the others.

I learned a lot from his art criticism, but The Fatal Shore remains my favorite book of his. Utterly compelling and a fascinating story. He'll be sorely missed.

The Narrator Returns wrote:That's too bad. I loved his score for The Informant!.

Yeah, he managed a swan song of quality few ever do.

Judith Crist.

Chavela Vargas, Mexican folksinger whose songs appear in many an Almodovar film and who also appeared in Frida.

GaryC wrote:Mary Tamm, at one point tipped for major stardom due to her role in The Odessa File but probably best remembered in a long career as a one-season Doctor Who companion.

Tragically followed by her husband Marcus Ringrose, of a suspected heart attack just hours after giving her eulogy - here.

Kurt Maetzig, at 101.

Mark O'Donnell.