Gore Vidal, and taking other peoples pictures

There are two kinds of writers--writers who take pictures of other people and writers who take pictures of themselves.

Most writers I know are poets or poets who became short-story writers or novelists, and poets write almost exclusively about themselves.

I admire Gore Vidal as a writer, especially his essays about politics and history--the call for a Constitutional Convention, the guts to go on record suspecting the US manufactured its entrance into WW2 (long before Nicholson Baker's Human Smoke made similar claims regarding WW1), the early calling-out of the militarization of our culture. Only Garry Wills and the late Tony Judt come close to ringing the  bell as clearly.

I met Gore Vidal once, 2002 or 2003. We were both at the bar, waiting for a table at Musso & Franks in Hollywood. It was one of those nights that can only happen in LA. I'd gone to a gallery opening at Kiyo Hiygashi's in West Hollywood. She was showing Larry Bell if I'm not mistaken and the gallery was packed. I nodded to the late Warren Christopher and his wife and they nodded back, looking at each other after they nodded as if to say, 'do you know that guy?', and had a long bizarre conversation with Artie Shaw. Then we drove up to Musso's on a whim.

Mr. Vidal was dressed in a coat and tie. There was a barstool next to him and I asked if I could have a seat. "Of course," he said. We talked a little about the food at Musso's. "It's terrible, isn't it," he said.  I told him that the last time I'd eaten at Musso's I'd found an earwig in my Caesar salad, but that it was a proper Caesar and earwigs were full of protein so I hadn't made a big deal out of it. "You're a brave man," Mr. Vidal said.

The maitre'd came to the bar and told Gore his table was ready. We shook hands and I told him how much I admired his writing and thanked him for being around. Then he--and his friend--disappeared into the dining room.

I wish there were more writers who could take pictures of other people as well as Gore Vidal. There might be someone out there who does who I don't know about. Please let me know if there is.