Most important, I’m grateful to Gore Vidal for suggesting, in the late eighties, that I should write this book and for introducing me to many of his friends over the years, including Alberto Moravia, Graham Greene, Anthony Burgess, Frederic Prokosch, who spoke to me frankly about Gore, with his blessing. I’m also grateful to Howard Austen, who was ever generous with his time, and as much a friend to me as Gore was. Gore has allowed me to quote from his letters and books as I liked, and that has made writing this book possible—it was written in sections over several decades, with many gaps, then completed between 2011 and 2014.
It would be impossible to thank everyone who contributed to this project, as it was under way for such a long time. I acknowledge all of those whom I interviewed in the course of the book, but I want to give special thanks to the following, who in conversations about Gore helped to shape my ideas. These include especially my editor, Gerald Howard; my wife, Devon Jersild; and my agent, Geri Thoma. Gore’s agent, Richard Morris, was unfailingly helpful along the way. But I must single out the following as well: George Armstrong, Luigi Bartolo, Ann Beattie, Richard Beswick, Derek Blasberg, Boaty Boatwright, Scotty Bowers, Carl Bromley, Gary Conklin, George B. Cotkin, Patty Dryden, Barbara Epstein, Jason Epstein, Gary Fisketjon, Judith Harris, Anthony Harvey, Shirley Hazzard, Marion Holt, Erica Jong, John Lahr, Gavin Lambert, Frank Lentricchia, Thomas Mallon, Edward Martin, Harry Mathews, Jody McAuliffe, Michael Mewshaw, Alberto Moravia, L. Jay Oliva, Donald E. Pease, Lincoln Perry, Richard Poirier, Thomas Powers, E. Barrett Prettyman, Anthony Quinn, Alastair Reid, Susan Sarandon, Burr Steers, Jean Stein, Tom Stoppard, Gay Talese, James Tatum, Michael Tyler-Whittle, Matt Tyrnauer, Edmund White, Jon Wiener, and Nicholas Wrathall.
Steven Abbott, Harry Kloman, Heather Neilson, and Will Ray read drafts of this book and offered suggestions for revisions. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their generosity, thoughtfulness, and intelligent criticism.
I must also thank Fred Kaplan. His groundbreaking work on Gore has been immensely helpful to me in writing this book. Several critics played a shaping role in my thinking, and these include Dennis Altman, Bernard F. Dick, Heather Neilson, Donald E. Pease, Catharine R. Stimpson, and Ray Lewis White. In addition, I was lucky to have in hand the bibliographical works of Steven Abbott and S. T. Joshi.