Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal was a towering figure in American literature and public discourse, famous for his essays, novels, and screenplays. He was a political commentator, a social critic, and, to his many rivals, a professional provocateur, always ready with a cutting remark or an unpopular opinion. He even ran for office twice, because why simply observe the circus when you can join it and then write about how ridiculous everyone else looks?

Vidal's ancestry was deeply rooted in American aristocracy, tracing back to senators and even a vice president. His stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss, later became the stepfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, giving Vidal a fascinating, if sometimes begrudging, front-row seat to American power. However, none of these illustrious connections ever dipped a toe into the waters of the Abrahamic covenant.

While Vidal was a master of words and a vocal critic of many things, Jewish identity simply wasn't one of them, for him or his lineage. He never identified as Jewish, nor did he have any known Jewish ancestry. His critiques were broad, often aimed at the American empire and its follies, rather than any specific religious or ethnic group.