Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

Boots!

Where would we be without books?

Where would we be without good?

No, Tender.

It's a rhetorical question, sir, but where would we need without books?

Before we start the program today, I'd like to take a moment to salute a dear departed friend.

When I learned of the death of Gorvidal, I saw myself 20 years ago, pacing awkwardly outside Gorvidal's room, waiting to meet him.

Gorvidal, the essayist, novelist, playwrights, screenwriter, and talk show regular.

Gore Vidal, easily the most articulate of his generation, who could make John Updike, Truman Capote, and even Susan Sontag cower.

What would Gore do with this radio man? Maybe eat me for breakfast?

Gore had exercised the right of the famous. He didn't know me, had never heard of bookworm.

Surely we would be willing to come to his hotel room

to do the interview. Like children waiting for an appointment with the school principal, my then

co-producer and engineer and I cringed until an irate Gorvidal opened his door. We knew we were

in for it, my quaking colleagues and I, but I didn't know that

what we were in for was a life-altering experience. That interview can still be heard on the

KCRW archive. What you can't hear is Gore's response afterwards, one of the weirdest

feelings of relief I can remember.

"'The recording done, Gore looked grave.

"'You have asked me,' he intones slowly,

"'some questions I have heard before.

...