Gore Vidal (1925-2012)

Eugene Luther Gore Vidal was an American writer and public intellectual known for his cynical epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays criticized the social and sexual norms he perceived as driving American life. Vidal was heavily involved in politics, and unsuccessfully sought office twice as a Democratic Party candidate, first in 1960 to the United States House of Representatives, and later in 1982 to the United States Senate.

Quotes

It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.

Failure
There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.

Advice
Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so.
Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can't read them either.

Speech
Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn.
Whenever a friend succeeds a little something in me dies.
Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.
For certain people after 50, litigation takes the place of sex.
It is not enough to succeed; others must fail.
Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.
For certain people after fifty, litigation takes the place of sex.
Television is now so desperately hungry for material that they're scraping the top of the barrel.
I'm a born-again atheist.

Atheism
I don't want prizes. I turned down the National Institute of Arts and Letters when I was elected to it in 1976 on the grounds that I already belonged to the Diner's Club.
Young people are more hopeful at a certain age than adults, but I suspect that's glandular. As for children, I keep as far from them as possible. I don't like the sight of them. The scale is all wrong. The heads tend to be too big for the bodies, and the hands and feet are a disaster. They keep falling into things. The nakedness of their bad character! We adults have learned how to disguise our terrible character, but children, well, they are like grotesque drawings of us. They should be neither seen nor heard, and no one must make another one.
I might be President by now if it weren't for this 'queer' thing
I can understand companionship. I can understand bought sex in the afternoon. I cannot understand the love affair.
Never have children, only grandchildren.

Children
Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.

Americans, Journalism
Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. … I have 10 or so, and that's a lot. As you get older, you become more skillful at casting them.