Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal (1925–2012) was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, and political commentator. Born in West Point, New York, he grew up in Washington, D.C., and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He gained early notice with the novel *Williwaw* (1946) and later wrote the controversial *The City and the Pillar* (1948). Vidal achieved wide fame with the satirical bestseller *Myra Breckinridge* (1968) and produced acclaimed historical novels including *Burr* (1973) and *Lincoln* (1984). A prolific essayist and public intellectual, he was also active in politics, running for Congress in 1960.