Gore Vidal and giggling like a school girl

On Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to see a living legend speak--- Gore Vidal. He's a huge figure in history, politics, American culture and a rather prolific novelist and playwright. Needless to say, I was excited to have brush with greatness. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way.

Two other grad students from my dept. attended with me and we all came to the same conclusion---
Gore Vidal is just a rude, bitter, cantankerous old man. First of all, he didn't answer any of the questions the moderator posed to him; he simply made catty little comments and joked around everything, only pausing to speak about whatever suited his inexplicable fancy. Those rambling speeches consisted of: 1) insults for Southerns (of which, by heritage, he is--ironically enough) 2) insults for GW Bush, which I honestly didn't mind, and 3) lamentations about how perfect everything was in 1945 after WWII when America "had the world by the balls" and how we are now going to hell in an emperialist-shaped basket. Basically, our country sucks, we screwed it up and there's absolutely no hope of fixing it. Niiice.

Then, he proceeded to insult and/or avoid every question put to him by the audience. One woman innocently asked him why he had decided to sell his long-time Italian residence and move back to the U.S. He then answered her, "Did it ever occur to you that I never really moved away? That I was just a temporary resident? That I've always lived in the U.S?" What a jerk, right? I mean, seriously, he couldn't have done more that evening to insult and belittle people who were practically kissing his feet. It was ridiculous. I've never seen a more self-absorbed, ungrateful prat in my whole life. Aren't we supposed to get wiser and kinder as we age? Or, at least, more understanding and tolerant? In the end, I find myself still searching for that great American figure to look up to--- with nothing but disappointment to show for it.

On the upside, last night was the very first "Newbie History Geek Movie Night". Our first film--- Monty Python and the Holy Grail, of course (my personal, VHS copy 'cause I'm just that cool). It was a really fun evening. I like my fellow classmates more and more as time goes on. They are just smart, humble, funny, down-to-earth people which, in grad school, is exceptionally rare. I didn't get home until about 2am, much to my surprise. We were all enjoying ourselves so much with the movie, chatting, eating and drinking that we didn't notice at all how late it was. I found myself giggling like a little school girl seeing Monty Python again after such a long time; that good, hearty, I'm-a-dork-and-don't-care-who-knows-it kind of laughter that comes so rarely after age 12. Thank God for small miracles and good conversations....