2008 Woodie Awards
PROVOCATIVE SPEAKERS SERIES: Gore Vidal: The Unconventional Life
Maggie Ownbey
Issue date: 3/29/06 Section: News
The conversation began as comfortably as sitting in the family living room, but with more than 300 audience members listening closely it was indeed a full house.
"A novelist, essayist, playwright, yes, provocateur, and certainly a person dedicated to the truth," said Marlene Share, co-chair of the Public Affairs Committee at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center. "I'm honored to present this giant, Gore Vidal."
The third installment of the Provocative Speakers Series at the VCJCC began Tuesday, April 4 as Paul Glickman, Senior News Director at KPCC, an NPR affiliate, sat center stage with Vidal engaged in a one-on-one conversation.
"At least we have freedom of speech in the Valley," said Vidal. "Let's us talk together."
Vidal and his unwavering ability to speak out for his beliefs covered topics from Harry Truman's ruling by fear during his presidency to the current immigration issues facing our country today and everything in between.
"They're getting ready for the attack on Iran - that's next on the wish list of the neo-conservatives that are running the government with the help of a bunch of gas and oil people like Bush and Cheney and pharmaceuticals like Rumsfield," said Vidal.
"It's what they call a war of choice, we choose to go to war with Iran," said Vidal. With his sharp wit and wisdom of the sages he adds, "Why? One day they might establish links to Martians and they might jointly attack Atlantic City. We've got to save Atlantic City."
It didn't use to be like this, he said, there would be voices that questioned - the media has played along beautifully with this administration, according to Vidal holding up an imaginary newspaper and saying if you shake it just right the truth would come falling out.
"9/11: a lot of warnings came in and they pretended they didn't have any information - well they did have the information: that was big lie No. 1; no weapons of mass destruction, that was big lie No. 2; and the lies go on and on," said Vidal.
"A novelist, essayist, playwright, yes, provocateur, and certainly a person dedicated to the truth," said Marlene Share, co-chair of the Public Affairs Committee at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center. "I'm honored to present this giant, Gore Vidal."
The third installment of the Provocative Speakers Series at the VCJCC began Tuesday, April 4 as Paul Glickman, Senior News Director at KPCC, an NPR affiliate, sat center stage with Vidal engaged in a one-on-one conversation.
"At least we have freedom of speech in the Valley," said Vidal. "Let's us talk together."
Vidal and his unwavering ability to speak out for his beliefs covered topics from Harry Truman's ruling by fear during his presidency to the current immigration issues facing our country today and everything in between.
"They're getting ready for the attack on Iran - that's next on the wish list of the neo-conservatives that are running the government with the help of a bunch of gas and oil people like Bush and Cheney and pharmaceuticals like Rumsfield," said Vidal.
"It's what they call a war of choice, we choose to go to war with Iran," said Vidal. With his sharp wit and wisdom of the sages he adds, "Why? One day they might establish links to Martians and they might jointly attack Atlantic City. We've got to save Atlantic City."
It didn't use to be like this, he said, there would be voices that questioned - the media has played along beautifully with this administration, according to Vidal holding up an imaginary newspaper and saying if you shake it just right the truth would come falling out.
"9/11: a lot of warnings came in and they pretended they didn't have any information - well they did have the information: that was big lie No. 1; no weapons of mass destruction, that was big lie No. 2; and the lies go on and on," said Vidal.
