Alexander Stuart

Gore Vidal, left, with Federico "Fred" Fellini. Photo courtesy Guardian/AP. I cannot let Gore Vidal's  passing go without a brief mention of the huge influence he had on me as a writer, both in terms of encouraging me to love the written word and subversive wit, but also to believe that the writer has a role to play in society as a public provocateur and commentator, both of which Vidal did with vast intelligence, grace, and acerbic, often unforgiving humor. I had the immense good fortune to meet Mr Vidal a couple of years ago at a Hollywood Hills party, thrown by our wonderful British friend, Stephen Fry , and there was not the slightest disappointment - quite the reverse: I was somewhat terrified of what to say, to avoid appearing foolish. Gore was in a wheelchair and rather frail, yet still he held court with a kind of imperial glee, very much the man once quoted as saying, "There is not one single human problem that could not be solved if people would s