National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
United States: Essays 1952-1992
by Gore Vidal
Summary
A monumental gathering of four decades of Vidal's essays on American politics, literature, and sexual mores, organized into sections on state, letters, and self. The collection ranges from acid takedowns of presidents to appreciations of Henry James and Italo Calvino, displaying Vidal's range as critic, historian, and provocateur. It functions as an unofficial intellectual autobiography of postwar America.
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Historical Context & Significance
Vidal was famously acerbic; this win was seen as a lifetime achievement award for a man who spent 40 years as America's unofficial "literary conscience."