Gore Vidal Tribute

From the Vault salutes the life and work of the great American playwright, author, actor and commentator Gore Vidal, whose unique perspective has been fully-preserved, digitized, and made publicly available by Pacifica Radio Archives for humanity’s benefit. Spanning over 40 years, nearly two dozen recordings capturing Gore Vidal in his own voice constitute one of Pacifica’s most cherished collections, and embody the full range of Vidal’s superb intelligence and keen wit.

This episode features selections from the following archival recordings:

The New Novel in the Age of Science
Gore Vidal discusses new forms of literature in this talk at Merritt College in Oakland, California in 1966. (from BB1840)

Gore Vidal: Down to the Deadline
Vidal discusses President Bush’s actions in the Persian Gulf and argues that the U.S. is a country in which representative democracy has become ornamental, with the most important decisions made by the “national security state,” in this January 12th, 1991 recording. (from KZ1591)

Gore Vidal Interviewed by Maria Armoudian / KPFK Los Angeles
From the comfort of his Hollywood home, Vidal ponders the decline of the American empire and the militarization of its economy. (from KZ3901)

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