Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal (1925–2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for a cynical, epigrammatic wit. His novels include Burr and Lincoln, both part of his Narratives of Empire series, and Julian, about the Roman emperor who tried to restore polytheism against Christianity. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), offended conservative reviewers. Vidal also ran twice for office as a Democrat, for the House in 1960 and the Senate in 1982.