Gore Vidal (142 page)

p. 216
:
“In the left-over”
:
M
, 9–10.

p. 217
:
“vividly engrossing”
: Eleanor Roosevelt,
New York World-Telegram
and Eleanor Roosevelt/GV, 5/10/1946. W; “I feel that”: Nin/Gentlemen, 5/nd/1946. W.

p. 219
:
“My love, To say”
: Cornelia Claiborne/GV, 7/nd/1946, W; “Mother thinks”: Claiborne/GV, 7/nd/1946. W; “Amazing what you have”: Henry Miller/GV, 5/23/1946. W.

p. 219
:
“It is too bad”
: Henry Phillips/GV, 9/26/1946. W.

p. 221
:
“in a picturesque cottage”
: Nin,
Diary
, 157; “It was her idea”:
M
, 125; “A group of us”: Nin,
Diary
, 157.

p. 222
:
“New Orleans,” he soon wrote her
: GV/Nin, nd/1946. UC; “A Palace in an ancient city”: GV/Nin, nd/1946. UC; “I was afraid to say”: Nin/GV, nd/1946. W.

p. 223
:
“This place is growing”
: GV/Gene Vidal, 11/nd/1946.

pp. 223
–
24
:
“Labor is cheap”
: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946; “The family patriarch”:
M
, 118–20; “There's a delightful”: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946.

p. 227
:
“almost complete”
: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946; “in two weeks … such pretensions”: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946.

p. 227
:
“I can't seem to stop”
: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946; “I took my time”: Nicholas Wreden/GV, 5/27/1947. W.

p. 228
:
“There are large”
: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946.

pp. 229
–
30
:
“with a beautiful”
: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC; “Everyone compliments me”: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1946; “My plans”: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC.

pp. 230
–
31
:
“under a pepper tree … for yours”
:
M
, 118–20; “a small check”: Nina Kay Gore/GV, 12/21/1946. W; “There are warm springs”: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC.

pp. 231
–
32
:
“Just had a disturbing talk”
: Nin/GV, 12/nd/1946. W; “left quite a scar”: Nin/GV, 11/nd/1946. W; “I've been a monk”: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC.

p. 232
:
“there are a number”
: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC; “The irony of it all … happy and well”: Nin/GV, nd/1946. W.

p. 233
:
“Are you coming back … a book enough”
: Nin/GV, 11/nd/1946. W; “we'll both be outcasts”: GV/Nin, 11/nd/1946. UC; “He fought for me”: Nin,
Diary
, 191.

p. 235
:
“I must construe … before the sun”
: GV/Nin, 3/nd/1947. UC.

p. 236
:
“remember that”
:
Season of Comfort
, 250.

p. 236
:
“My bitterness toward”
: GV/Nin, 6/nd/1947. UC.

pp. 237
–
38
:
“There are some intelligent”
: GV/Nin, 6/nd/1947. UC; “a better balance”: Nin/GV, nd/1947. W.

pp. 238
–
39
:
“The Gores seemed well”
: Vidal/GV, nd/1947. W; “Remember,” his father wrote: Vidal/GV, nd/1947.

p. 239
:
“we have a lousy”
: Vidal/GV, nd/1947.

p. 240
:
“how absurd to feature”
: Nin/GV, 6/nd/1947. W; “I should like it if you can”: GV/Nin, 6/nd/1947. UC; “Maybe when I come down”: Nin/GV, 6/nd/1947. W; “we will always have … would love you”: Nin/GV, 6/nd/1947. UC.

Chapter Eight

INTERVIEWS: Joe O'Donohue, 5/25/1997; Judith Jones, 12/1/1995; Robert Giroux, 4/3/1995; Katharine Vidal, 2/15/1996; Johnny Nicholson, 7/3/1997; Graham Watson, 1/19/1996.

ENDNOTES

p. 244
:
“We met,” Vidal wrote
: “The Dancer,” unpub. ms. 3. W.

p. 245
:
“It began then”
: “The Dancer,” 7–8. W

p. 246
:
“who was quite intrigued”
: GV/Pat Crocker, 10/nd/1947. W; “We stayed at home … he'd try anything”: “The Dancer,” 10. W.

p. 247
:
“My life is completely governed … I guess”
: GV/Crocker, 10/nd/1947. W.

p. 249
:
“My dear Harold”
: GV/Harold Lang, 10/7/1947. W.

p. 249
–
50
:
“But I find the theme”
: GV/Lang, 10/7/1947. W; “I seem submerged”: GV/Crocker, 1/nd/1948. W; “the dancer affair”: GV/Crocker, 1/nd/1948. W; “on the usual sharing basis”: GV/Crocker, 1/nd/1948. W.

p. 250
:
“I very much want you”
: Frederic Prokosch/GV, 2/nd/1947. W.

p. 251
:
“Having spent … yes”
: John Kelly/GV, 4/3/1947, 6/7/1947, 6/15/1947. W.

p. 252
:
“I don't need”
: Cornelia Claiborne/GV, nd/1947. W; “You have a Christ complex … a great deal”: Claiborne/GV, nd/1947. W.

p. 253
:
“I would be glad to serve”
: Orville Prescott/GV, 10/28/1947. W.

p. 254
:
“Will you just look”
:
US
, 855; “for Cecil Beaton … photographer”: GV/Pat Crocker, nd/1947. W.

pp. 254
–
55
:
“a difficult man … Hemingway once”
:
US
, 343; “
topolini”:
John Horne Burns/GV, 3/15/1948. W; “if I get a Hollywood job”: GV/Anaïs Nin, 6/nd/1947. UC.

p. 255
:
“A short to the point story”
: Felix Ferry/GV, 12/16/1947. W.

pp. 256
–
57
:
“Thank you for what”
: Christopher Isherwood/GV, 1/6/1948. W; “with your personal”: Thomas Mann/GV, 1/3/1948. W; “Already I'd heard”: Nin/GV, nd/1948. W; “in the
least”:
Prokosch/GV, nd/1948. W.

pp. 257
–
58
:
“The fan mail”
: GV/Crocker, 1/nd/1948. W; “The book sells”: GV/Crocker, 2/nd/1948. W; “flatteringly violent”: GV/Crocker, 1/nd/1948. W.

p. 260
:
“gray-faced man”
:
M
, 102.

p. 262
:
“I am writing this”
: Tennessee Williams/Donald Windham, 1/17/1945,
Tennessee Williams' Letters to Donald Windham, 1940–1965
, NY: 1976, 205.

p. 262
:
“First impressions”
:
US,
476; “In Rome whenever”:
TS
, 191–203.

p. 263
:
“I'm happy to know”
: Burns/GV, 3/15/1948. W; “Honey, you would love”: Williams/Windham, 2/20/1948, 207.

p. 264
:
“I had actually seen”
:
M
, 155.

pp. 264
–
65
:
“I particularly like”
:
US
, 1131–33; “Williams is not at all”:
TS
, 271.

p. 265
:
“Dear Blood and Gore”
: Williams/GV, 3/nd/1948. W.

pp. 266
–
67
:
“That happy picture”
: Judith Jones/GV, 3/nd/1948. W; “Write me in care”: GV/Nin, nd/1948. UC; “Tennessee Williams and me”: GV/Nina Gore, 3/nd/1948. W; “I don't think you realize … alike”:
M
, 152.

pp. 267
–
68
:
“like some large pale fish”
:
US
, 1131–32; “our barbarous presence”:
US
, 476; “were told the communists”:
US
, 467; “This country is all wrought”: T. P. Gore/GV, 2/23/1948. W; “You must be wading”: Gene Vidal/GV, 4/nd/1948. W; “are not a predatory people”:
TS
, 42–43.

p. 268
:
“the impression that”
:
US
, 419; “Santayana looked”:
US
, 423; “He wore a dressing gown”:
US
, 476–77.

p. 269
:
“at the old man”
:
US
, 1139; “He gave a sort … present”:
M
, 157–64.

p. 270
:
“Like a mafia don … novels”
:
M
, 168–69.

pp. 270
–
71
:
“I am glad you did”
: Williams/GV, nd/1948. W; “powerful play”:
M
, 169; “thrilled over the play”: Nina Gore/GV, 4/16/1948; “Bright eyes”: Williams/GV, nd/1948. W.

pp. 271
–
72
:
“I close now with”
: Williams/GV, nd/1948; “ferocious … we have”:
TS
, 247; “as the train moved”: Cameron Kay,
Thieves Fall Out
, NY: 1953, 39.

pp. 272
–
73
:
“There were a bunch … macabre”
:
M
, 176–78,
US
, 1133–34; “pronounced it the worst”:
M
, 169–70.

pp. 273
–
74
:
“forever summer”
:
TS
, 91; “I am American literature”:
M
, 185–87; “a big husky boy … started to wag”:
Christopher Isherwood Diaries, Volume One, 1939–1960
, NY: 1996, 401.

pp. 274
–
75
:
“I do think”
:
Isherwood Diaries
, 401; “I don't know when”: GV/John Lehmann, 5/21/1948. P; “very interesting and even”: Isherwood/GV, 5/6/1948. W; “If you see Truman”: GV/Lehmann, 5/nd/1948. P.

pp. 275
–
76
:
“with mischievous fantasies”
:
US
, 1143–44; “The instant lie”:
M
, 184–85; “All the writers are”: GV/John Aldridge, 5/1/1948.

p. 276
:
“insincere, extremely mannered”
: Calder Willingham/GV, 5/9/1948, W; “talked about Truman”: Donald Windham,
Lost Friendships, A Memoir of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Others
, NY: 1983, 30, 44; “that you and Tennessee”: Lehmann/GV, 2/25/1948. W; “I don't think I need”: Lehmann/GV, 5/1/1948. W.

p. 277
:
“I'm very much interested”
: Lehmann/GV, 5/18/1948. W; “Christopher came”: Lehmann/GV, 5/18/1948. W; “not very happy … practical”: GV/Lehmann, 5/12/1948. P.

pp. 277
–
78
:
“to capture as many”
: Lehmann,
In My Own Time, Memoirs of a Literary Life
, Boston: 1969, 452; “short-legged”:
M
, 182–84.

p. 279
:
“pornographic novel … Mind the step”
:
M
, 183–85.

p. 279
:
“down an empty street”
:
M
, 185; “a clever, talented”:
US
, 32; “another one of those”: GV/Lehmann, 10/9/1948. P.

p. 280
:
“nocturnal Proustian life”
:
Isherwood Diaries
, 400; “Marais looked … accent”:
US
, 1143–44.

p. 281
:
“one of the guests … all of us”
:
TS
, 27;
M
, 169–70.

p. 282
:
“Why not come …”
: Isherwood/GV, 5/17/1948. W.

pp. 282
–
84
:
“V. S. Pritchett was … plain view”
:
M
, 190–92; “very excited at”: Stanton, 177–78; “But we
have
to … disheartening”:
M
, 190–91.

p. 284
:
“Everyone mocked … queen of Spain”
:
M
, 195–97.

p. 286
:
“the streets, empty … the walls”
:
M
, 178–79.

p. 287
:
“I used him”
: GV/Lehmann, 7/30/1948. P; “Now I think”: Lehmann/GV, 7/14/1948. W; “A note to tell you”: GV/Lehmann, 8/14/1948. P.

Chapter Nine

INTERVIEWS: John Galliher, 4/29/1996; Jason Epstein, 4/25/1995, 3/6/1997; Sam Lurie, 4/1/1996; Joe O'Donohue,. 5/24/1997; Johnny Nicholson, 7/4/1997; Graham Watson, 1/19/1996; Roy Thompson, 11/28/1995, 1/8/1996; Speed Lamkin, 2/11/1997; Ned Rorem, 12/3/1996; Romana McEwen, 1/23/1966; J. Winter Thorington, 1/14/1998; Geoffrey Moore, 5/28/1997.

ENDNOTES

pp. 289
–
90
:
“Dad will never … to see you”
: Nina Gore/GV, 6/23/1948. W; “mental health … Love, Bommy”: Nina Gore Olds/GV, nd/1949. W.

p. 291
:
“considering that … treated”
: John Lehmann/GV, 9/30/1948. W; “in the midst of my”: GV/Lehmann, 8/14/1948. P; “Good God”: Lehmann/GV, 8/19/1948. W.

p. 291
:
“getting the two”
: GV/Lehmann, 10/2/1948. P; “Not much news”: GV/Pat Crocker, 11/nd/1948. W.

p. 292
:
“Truman is everywhere”
: GV/Lehmann, 10/2/1948. P; “with much fanfare”: GV/Lehmann, 11/nd/1948. P; “the way Truman would”: GV/Lehmann, 12/18/1949. P.

pp. 292
–
93
:
“I think you judge”
: Tennessee Williams/Donald Windham, 4/8/1949, 237; “By the time we arrived”:
US
, 1143–44; “uncomplimentary remarks … the ploy”: Paul Bowles,
Without Stopping, An Autobiography
, NY: 1972, 288.

p. 294
:
“You're not a poet”
:
M
, 250; “perhaps the first”: Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins,
The Power of Style
, NY: 1994, 112.

p. 295
:
“received, for the most”
: GV/Lehmann, 10/9/1948. P.

p. 295
:
“You'll like … mouth”
: Cecilia Sternberg,
The Journey, An Autobiography
, London: 1977, 313–14.

p. 298
:
“a sort of preface to Sondheim”
: Ned Rorem,
Knowing When to Stop
, NY: 1994, 253; “the most irresistibly quick”:
The Later Diaries of Ned Rorem, 1961–1972
, San Francisco: 1983, 71.