Every summer I read a different book by Gore Vidal when I go to Lake Chelan for my family vacation. Besides the lucid wit and vivid description, Gore Vidal's calm tone and uncompromising voice make it easier to put the family dramas that sometimes occur at a necessary distance.
This year I brought Point to Point Navigation, his second (final) memoir,which I'll be finishing up in a few days.
It's pretty astonishing how many influential 20th century figures he crossed paths with over the years. A few examples include Jackie Kennedy, who he shared a step-father with; Eleanor Roosevelt, who he admired and sought political advice from; Jack Keroauc, who he slept with; and Greta Garbo, who shared his early morning dog-walking duties for a spell....in general he hung out with lots of politicians, hollywood and tv people, novelists, playwrights, historians, artists and a fair number of hot ballet dancers...not to mention Princess Margaret.
Here's one I was surprised to discover: Amelia Earhart and his father were very close at the time of her death, and as a child he wished she would become his step-mother.
Who wouldn't want that?!!
5 comments:
It's not surprising then that the main character of his book "Kalki" -Teddy Ottinger- is an airplane pilot who considers Amelia Earhart her hero.
Moreover, in the book he puts something of that child's wish, when Teddy explains that his father was a friend of Amelia; they worked together and he was in love with her but she politely said no to him...
Teddy is such a cool character, I had a lot of fun reading that book.
hi Mabel! Did you move to Madrid yet? Are you a librarian now? Welcome to the Bumpidee Reader. I am curious--did you read Kalki in English or Spanish? I actually didn't know about this book until now. I will seek it out in a few months when I am done with all my summer reading. I hope you are well. Please post and let us know what you've been reading! xo xo Tobi
hi Tobi. Yes, I'm in Madrid.
I read Kalki in Spanish, most of Gore Vidal's books are translated here. I know I'm being lazy, but when it comes to fiction i usually go for the Spanish version if there's one available.
oh, that's cool that it's available in Spanish, I'm actually having a hard time finding a copy in English....it's hot here today...you should come visit again, how is hello cuca? xo xo tv
I hope I can visit soon.
About Hello Cuca, things go slow, but we would like to record a new 7" sometime during the next months. I'll let you know.
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