Chapter One

  INTERVIEWS: Katharine Smith (Mrs. Katharine Vidal), 2/15/1996; Margaret (Vidal) Sutton, 3/29/1996, 3/31/1996; Sally Vidal (Mrs. Felix Vidal), 3/28/1996; Susan Milstead, 3/29/1996, 3/31/1996.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 3: Certificate of Holy Baptism, Washington Cathedral, 2/5/1939. W.

  p. 5: “If a snake”: Mary Gore Cooper, “History of the Gores in Webster County, Mississippi,” unpub. typescript, 7. W.

  p. 6: “The next day”: Mary Gore Cooper, “History of the Gores in Webster County, Mississippi,” unpub. typescript, 4. W.

  p. 7: “as far as he knew”: BBC Omnibus, 1995.

  p. 8: “That in order”: The History of Webster County, 23.

  p. 8–9: “Somebody who loved”: T. P. Gore, unpub. Autobiographical Fragment, nd. 2; “I dreamed I was blind”: Gore, Autobiographical Fragment, 4. W.

  p. 10: “A good many evenings”: Autobiographical Fragment, 16. W.

  p. 11: “until and unless”: Autobiographical Fragment, 23. W.

  p. 12: “I fell in love”: Autobiographical Fragment, 31. W.

  p. 15: “Jewish origin”: Professor Samuel G. Armistead (Department of Spanish, University of California, Davis) concludes his detailed three-page scholarly survey of the history of the name Vidal and of Gore Vidal’s Vidal-family ancestors: “There is, I believe, a very, very good chance that the Vidals were originally Jewish. With such a name and such an ancestor (Casper Vidall), in such a time and place, it would be very strange indeed if they were not.”

  p. 15: “sold Vidalhaus”: Feldkircher Anzeiger, “The Farewell to the Old Building of the Chamber of Commerce on the Schlossergasse.” W.

  pp. 22–23: “engineer’s college course”: The Coyote [University of South Dakota yearbook], “The College of Engineering,” 1917; “the best all round”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1916.

  pp. 23–24: “Local boy”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1914; “vigorous plea”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1916; “demon on the gridiron”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1916; “largest crowd”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1916; “some technical school”: unidentified newspaper clipping, 1916. WY.

  p. 25: “attended by four”: unidentified newspaper clipping, Washington, January 1922. W; “Mr. Gore and”: unidentified newspaper clipping, Washington, January 1922. W; “severe bruises”: Sioux Falls Press, 1/12/1992. W; “where Lieut. Vidal”: unidentified newspaper clipping, Washington, January 1922. W.

  p. 26: “She wants to be”: reported by Gore Vidal as a remark made about Nina to him.

  Chapter Two

  INTERVIEWS: Roy Thompson, 11/28/1995, 1/8/1996, 3/26/1996; Wilson Hurley, 12/13/1995; James Tuck, 5/27/1997; Janet Bingham, 10/28/1995; Robert Taylor, 3/1/1997; Katharine Smith (Mrs. Katharine Vidal), 2/15/1996; Margaret (Vidal) Sutton, 3/29/1996, 3/31/1996; Sally Vidal (Mrs. Felix Vidal), 3/28/1996; Susan Milstead, 3/29/1996, 3/31/1996.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 30: “recurrent dreams”: M, 42–43; “The child”: The Season of Comfort (New York, 1949), 24.

  p. 32: “After I nominated”: US, 723–24.

  p. 33: “alleged attack”: Billington, 65–66; various Washington and Oklahoma newspaper accounts. W; “Senator Gore and his wife”: Oklahoma State Sentinel, 2/19/1914. W.

  p. 37: “in a very loud voice”: SH, 6.

  p. 37: “the lurid flames”: US, 1061.

  pp. 40–41: “in the bathroom”: TS, 241–43; “never have”: TS, 241–43; “central to”: Robert J. Stanton and Gore Vidal, Views from a Window: Conversations with Gore Vidal, 1980, 60; “Milton’s daughters”: GV/from unpub. draft of “On Rereading the Oz books.” W; “amusing tyrant”: ibid.

  p. 41: “I can still remember”: GV/from unpub. draft of “On Rereading the Oz books.” W; “Baby Gene”: Capital Capers by George Abell, Washington Post, 5/5/1931. W; “passionate sightseer”: US, 1057.

  p. 42: “sick to his stomach”: Season, 82; “as we came downstairs,” GV/Fred Kaplan, 9/15/1995; “an ancient Quaker”: US, 994–95.

  p. 43: “until blood came”: Season, 83.

  p. 44: “I used to build”: M, 43–44.

  pp. 46–47: “white skylights”: Season, 30–31; “this boy is nekkid”: US, 1060; “a nymph”: from unpub. draft of “On Rereading the Oz books.” W.

  p. 48: “white skeletons”: SH, 19–21; “Before we could pass”: SH, 19–21.

  p. 50: “If he reported”: unpub. interview with Gene Vidal, 9/1/1966. W.

  p. 54: “We are all very grateful”: Amelia Earhart/Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, telegrams 9/15 and 9/17/1936. W.

  p. 56: “tremendous pile”: Season, 85.

  p. 56: “the Gores”: Vidal/Patrick Hurley, 9/27/1933; Vidal/Mrs. Oscar Coolican, 10/5/1933. WY; “Capital’s Beauty”: Washington Post, 11/8/1933. W.

  p. 57: “We have not had”: Frank Lincoln/Gene Vidal, 4/16/1934. W.

  p. 59: “that all these”: Season, 93–95.

  p. 60: “He had been exceedingly”: Vidal/Arthur H. Moll, 2/21/1935. WY.

  p. 61: “to consider St. Albans”: James Henderson/Vidal, 4/29/1934. WY; “I believe it would be”: Vidal/Henderson, 5/4/1934. WY.

  p. 63: “for her own use”: divorce agreement, 5/16/1935. WY.

  pp. 64–65: “She had been told”; “Nina was,” etc.: Season, 98–101; “I said no”: M, 14–15.

  p. 66: “Mrs. Vidal was recently reported”: Associated Press, 7/3/1935.

  p. 66: “Gene politely agreed”; “theirs would be”: M, 13–14.

  p. 67: “The announcement comes”; “the bride wore”: Washington Post, 10/16/1935. W.

  Chapter Three

  INTERVIEWS: Hugh [Yusha] Auchincloss, 6/6/1996; Wilson Hurley, 12/13/1995; James Tuck, 5/27/1997; Alfred True, 6/13/1995; Wallace Ragan, 6/13/1995; John C. Davis, 6/13/1995; James Birney, 11/10/1994; Barrett Prettyman, 11/2/1994; Sally Vidal (Mrs. Felix Vidal), 3/28/1996; John Hanes, 5/8/1997; Ruth Sewell, 4/15/1997; Lee Barlow, 3/25/1997.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 68: “to the swift”: M, 35.

  p. 72: “inventing stories,” M, 82–83; “was of a stupidity”: SH, 38–39; “made an insufficient offer”: SH, p. 15.

  pp. 72–75: “We want to find out” to “stardom”: US, 1062–65.

  p. 75: “relief check”: US, 743–44; “convinced that FDR”: US, 724.

  p. 76: “the old lady,” “myriad of”: SH, 65–71.

  p. 77: “drop out here”: James Henderson/Gene Vidal, 4/4/1935; “as soon as he returns”: Vidal/Henderson, 7/2/1935. WY.

  p. 80: “the Living Statues”: SH, 15.

  p. 81: “always islands”: US, 1075–76.

  p. 84: “Miss Martin”: An Illustrated History of St. Albans School, ed. Smith Hempstone. Washington: 1981, 61.

  p. 84: “gentle grave manner”: M, 82–83

  p. 87: “We declare ourselves”: “Declaration of Independence,” unpub. ms., nd. W.

  p. 90: “in the woods above”: M, 32, 84.

  p. 91: “kingdom of heaven”: SH, 27.

  p. 91: “the red-faced”: SH, 40–41.

  pp. 95–96: “fascist guards”: US, 413–14; “almost as worried as”: M, 36, SH, 52.

  pp. 96–97: “That jaw … combinazione”: Stanton, 60–61; “fascinating primitive … driven off: M, 86–87.

  p. 97: “Longboats”: M, 87.

  Chapter Four

  INTERVIEWS: Wilson Hurley, 12/13/1995; Oscar Steege, 10/11/1995; Alan Meyer, 11/22/1995; Sally Vidal, 3/28/1996; Katharine [Kit] Vidal, 2/15/1996; Hugh [Yusha] Auchincloss, 6/6/1996; Hamilton Bissell, 10/12/1995; Ransom Lynch, 10/12/1995; A. K. Lewis, 10/4/1995; Tish Baldrige, 7/nd/1996; Edes F. Talman, 6/nd/1996; Michael Dorn, 4/23/1996.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 99: “boys became men”: When Los Alamos Was a Ranch School. Los Alamos Historical Society, 1974, 9.

  p. 103: “The desert suddenly gave … sage-scented”: GV, The Smithsonian Institution, 1998, 65.

  p. 105: “T. recognized”: Smithsonian, 75.

  p. 106: “I am proposing”: T. P. Gore/GV, 5/4/1950. O.

  p. 109: “Intense blue sky”: Smithsonian, 61; “Walking”: Harper’s Bazaar, 10/1945.

  p. 113: “Aeronautic Consultant and New York Girl”: New York Herald Tribune, 12/15/1939. WY.

  p. 118: “He’s the only person”: GV, “H. L. Mencken The Journalist,” US, 761–62.

  p. 120: “Exeter Fair … there are no rules”: The “E” Book of Phillips Exeter Academy, XLVI, 1942–43, 61.

  p. 121: “looks 80 … get out”: Otis Pease, excerpts from unpub. Diary, in Exeter 1943, Fifty Years 1993. 10/7/1940–10/13/1940, 175.

  p. 123: “been elected to”: Luther Hill/GV, nd/1940. W.

  p. 124: “would pull”: SH, 60.

  p. 124: “Soldiers of America”: John Hale Stutesman, “The Saga of the Veterans of Future Wars,” The Nassau Sovereign, 4/1941, 9; “Communists because”: ibid, 28.

  p. 126: “I am crazy about … divine looking”: Rosalind Rust, unpub. Diary, 1/11/1941, 1/19/1941.

  p. 128: “there are, however”: GV/“Communication”/editors of the Exonian, nd/1941. W.

  p. 132: “Go on upstairs”: M, 67–71.

  Chapter Five

  INTERVIEWS: Wilcomb E. Washburn, 10/10/1995; A. K. Lewis, 10/4/1995; Thomas McFarland, 12/6/1995; Nathaniel Davis, 9/22/1997; John Knowles, 7/22/1995; Tommy Auchincloss, 3/25/1997; Richard Poirier, 7/1/1996; Katharine Vidal, 2/15/1996.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 135: “about ten speeches”: GV/T. P. Gore, 10/17/1941. O.

  p. 136: “regardless of everything”: GV/Gore, 10/17/1941. O.

  p. 136: “Exeter commences”: GV/Gore and Nina Kay Gore, 4/23/1942. O.

  pp. 137–38: “denouncing that Jew”: US, 929, 1087; “a dream showing”: Wilcomb Washburn, unpub. Diary, 5/3/1942.

  pp. 138–39: “to stop all outside … wonderful”: GV/Gore and Nina Kay Gore, 4/23/1942. O; “These poems”: Nat Davis, “Introduction” to GV, unpub. ms., Litany for the Living and Other Poems, 1942; “Putnam would probably”: Washburn, Diary, 4/19/1942.

  p. 139: “packed and sweltering”: Pease, 182.

  p. 140: “My wonder that”: Washburn, Diary, 3/18/1942; “went over to”: Washburn, Diary, 5/17/1942; “Instead of studying,” Washburn, Diary, 5/31/1942.

  p. 141: “Vidal stood out”: Pease, Diary, 182; “picked up”: Washburn, Diary, 6/5/1942.

  p. 142: “busy inventing”: M, 91.

  p. 143: “The country is really”: Nina Gore/GV, nd/1942. W.

  pp. 143–44: “I’ve been doing”: GV/Gene Vidal, 9/nd/1942; “That was no pose”: Washburn, Diary, 11/4/1942; “Gave a speech”: GV/T. P. Gore and Nina Kay Gore, 11/22/1942. O; “Vidal more bombastic”: Washburn, Diary, 1/17/1943; “Isn’t it amazing”: Washburn, Diary, 12/6/42.

  pp. 144–45: “There never would be”: Washburn, Diary, 11/19/1942; “to lead the opposition”: The Exonian, 10/28/1942; “At heart”: Washburn, Diary, 2/8/1943; “a congenital idiot”: GV/Gore and Nina Kay Gore, 11/22/1942. O.

  p. 145: “Vidal has long talk”: Washburn, Diary, 2/16/1943.

  p. 146: “the best thing is”: GV/Gene Vidal, 11/22/1942.

  p. 147: “Vidal tremendously worried … gusto”: Washburn, Diary, 12/9/1942.

  p. 148: “We went downstairs”: M, 32–35.

  p. 149: “I cannot choose”: Gore/GV, 12/10/1942. O.

  pp. 150–51: “Vidal has a little X”: Washburn, Diary, 3/1/1942; “Vidal said that either”: 12/15/1942; “Instead of cleaning”: Washburn, Diary, 2/3/1943; “It’s funny how”: Washburn, Diary, 4/19/1943; “I wonder if”: Washburn, Diary, 11/29/1942.

  p. 151: “What are you doing … happiness”: Washburn, Diary, 12/17/1942.

  p. 153: “apparently strained”: Washburn, Diary, 2/2/1943.

  p. 156: “will definitely graduate”: GV/Vidal, nd/late 1942 or early 1943.

  p. 159: “pitied the fact”: Washburn, Diary, 1/6/1943; “Because he’s just”: Washburn, Diary, 4/29/1943.

  p. 161: “Those attending”: The Exonian, 3/10/1943.

  p. 162: “very effectively”: Otis Pease, Diary, 189.

  pp. 163–64: “a jealous inspiration … why I do it”: Nina Gore/GV, nd/1943. W; “onto an ancient train”: M, 93–94; “now a goddamned engineer”: GV/Vidal, 9/nd/1943.

  pp. 164–65: “I compose sonnets”: GV/Vidal, 9/21/1943; “having a fine time”: GV/Vidal, 9/nd/1943.

  p. 165: “I always seem to catch”: GV/Vidal, 9/21/1943; “very unpleasant … a term”: GV/Vidal, 10/nd/1943; “Maybe I should have”: GV/Vidal, 10/nd/1943.

  Chapter Six

  INTERVIEWS: Sally Vidal, 3/28/1996; Jean Stein, 6/4/1996; John Tebbel, 11/13/1995; Wilcomb Washburn, 10/10/1995; Katharine Vidal, 2/15/1996; Betty Pollock, 3/5/1997; Carrington Tutwiler, 9/26/1996.

  ENDNOTES

  pp. 167–68: “Uncle Pick”: GV/Gene Vidal, 11/nd/1943; “I couldn’t be more upset”: Nina Gore/GV, nd/1943. W.

  p. 168: “human again”: GV/Vidal, 11/nd/1943.

  p. 169: “confident that he will like it”: GV/Vidal, early/nd/1944.

  p. 169: “I’m really going … unique”: GV/Vidal, 12/nd/1943.

  p. 171: “When I was CQ”: M, 94.

  p. 171: “a wonderful trip … in time”: GV/Vidal, early/nd/1944; “after I get”: early/nd/1944.

  p. 173: “met everybody”: GV/Vidal, early/nd/1944.

  pp. 174–75: “Smokey, raw-wood”: M, 95; “sunny Alaska”: GV/Vidal, 12/28/1944.

  p. 175: “a frontier town”: GV/Vidal, 1/12/1945; “either (a) in command … coasting along”: GV/Vidal, 1/12/1945; “Am getting to work”: GV/Vidal, 1/12/1945.

  p. 176: “which is remote”: Eugene Walter, unpub. ms. nd. W; “we soldiers were briefed”: SH, 41–42.

  pp. 176–77: “a fine fellow … a few feet away”: GV/Vidal, 1/26/1945; “it has been extremely”: GV/Vidal, 2/3/1945.

  pp. 177–78: “When the weather”: GV/Vidal, 2/10/1945; “In fact—now … one hell of a game”: GV/Vidal, 2/10/1945; “in for OCS”: GV/Vidal, 2/3/1945; “I continue to discharge”: GV/Vidal, 2/22/1945.

  pp. 178–79: “it’s good to hear”: GV/Vidal, 2/10/1945; “Give [Kit] my best”: GV/Vidal, 2/22/1945; “In another 2 months … on a run”: GV/Gene, 3/nd/1945.

  pp. 179–80: “In fact, I’m apt to be”: GV/Vidal, 3/30/1945; “They’ve been testing”: GV/Vidal, 4/3/1945.

  p. 180: “It seemed impossible”: SH, 72; “I thought your comment”: T. P. Gore/GV, 5/15/1945. W.

  p. 185: “I’ll never forgive myself”: M, 37.

  p. 186: “who looked more like”: US, 414–15.

  p. 187: “early adolescent self”: US, 419.

  p. 188: “And so to bed”: M, 104.

  p. 189: “richer than yours”: M, 105.

  p. 190: “So Boris Karloff”: SH, 96.

  p. 192: “should be finished”: GV/Kimon Friar, 10/19/1945. P.

  p. 193: “I envision a collection”: GV/Friar, 10/19/1945. P.

  p. 196: “I sit with Dah”: M, 60.

  p. 201: “You look dramatic … sensual mouth”: The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume Four, 1944–1947, ed. Gunther Stuhlmann, NY: 1971, 104.

  Chapter Seven

  INTERVIEWS: John Tebbel, 11/13/1995; Judith Jones, 12/1/1995; Carrington Tutwiler, 9/16/1996; John Macrae, 6/4/1995; Dominick Dunne, 6/19/1996; Mary Stevens, 10/20/1995.

  ENDNOTES

  p. 203: “Since our last”: GV/Kimon Friar, nd/1945. P.

  p. 203: “I think that Dutton”: GV/Friar, 12/nd/1945. P; “He has great assurance”: Anaïs Nin, Diary, 105–6.

  p. 204: “I do not want”: Nin, Diary, 106.

  p. 205: “his desperate need … fear of women”: Nin, Diary, 125–26.

  p. 206: “What I see in the”: Nin, Diary, 125–26; “I have been busy”: GV/Carrington Tutwiler, 1/nd/1946.

  pp. 206–7: “It’s based on”: GV/Tutwiler, 1/nd/1946; “I am very happy”: GV/Tutwiler, 2/nd/1946; “Coming down the road”: Nin/GV, summer/1946, “Under the Star of Writing, Letters about and to Gore Vidal, 1946–1961,” Anaïs, An International Journal, vol. 14 (1996), 43.

  pp. 207–8: “My terminal leave”: GV/Tutwiler, 2/nd/1946; “in civilian clothes … to die”: Nin, Diary, 121.

  p. 208: “Being an editor”: GV/Tutwiler, 2/nd/1946; “vivid creature”: M, 112–13.

  p. 210: “My third book”: GV/Tutwiler, 2/nd/1946.

  p. 211: “How does it feel?”: M, 100–111.

  pp. 212–13: “pastry-pale”: M, 114; “You can’t be”: M, 114.

  p. 214: “Gore and I decided”: Nin, Diary, 135; “If only my grandmother”: M, 113.

  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.