Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal, novelist, playwright, essayist and social commentator, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. Author Chris Bram remembers his singular personality and enormous social, literary and political impact.

The author, cultural critic and sometimes actor died Tuesday at the age of 86. His passing has many trying to capture in words his remarkable life.

Vidal wrote more than two-dozen novels and an equal number of nonfiction books in a career that spanned six decades. He was also a screenwriter, playwright and political activist, and his outspoken views made him a favorite on television talk shows. Vidal, 86, died Tuesday at home in the Hollywood Hills.