As some of you old-timers may recall, the Washington Monthly used to put together a weekly syndicated radio show, hosted by then-president-and-publisher Markos Kounalakis and independent journalist Peter Laufer. As it happens, the January 13, 2008 edition of the show–broadcast shortly after the Iowa Caucuses–kicked off with an interview of Gore Vidal, whose death earlier this week has inspired all sorts of reminiscences of the greatly talented and controversial author. Vidal was at the time very exercised by the scant attention being paid to his favorite presidential candidate, Dennis Kucinich, and spent some time in the interview blasting the Des Moines Register for excluding him from a candidates’ debate. And as always, Vidal ranged across U.S. history and hurled countless thunderbolts at the corrupt corporate and empire-building forces he blamed for spoiling the American Republic.
Click here for a link to the show, and enjoy.
And whether or not you listen to the show, do check out Daniel Luzer’s extensive retrospective on Vidal’s life and career at Ten Miles Square.
