Gore's rosebud

[Rodney Welch]

Murthy Yenamandra writes that Vidal's opinions "don't necessarily have 
the weight of a brialliant novelist behind them. (Now if Gaddis said that 
about TRP, then we might take it more seriously... :-)
 
Speak for yourself, Murthy, because I certainly wouldn't take it more 
seriously. It is not axiomatic that brilliant artists make brilliant 
critics. I think criticism -- really fine criticism -- takes as much time 
and energy (if not as much talent) as the writing of a fine novel. I 
don't know of many brilliant artists who make brilliant critics; I think 
they are usually one way or the other. Rushdie is a great novelist and an 
okay critic; Gass is a laborious and dull novelist and rather a sharp 
critic; George Steiner is a masterful critic who has wisely written only 
one okay novel. And then there are people like John Gardner who are 
just so-so either way. Vidal is an okay novelist and a really sharp 
critic. I don't trust him on political or cultural matters, really -- how 
could I, I'm a Christian -- but when Vidal turns his attention to books I 
often find myself wondering if anyone else (save V.S. Pritchett) should 
bother saying anything at all. He's that good.