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If you know me you know I am Gore Vidalâs number one fan but for somebody who was known for being so coldly and precisely self-aware, he was often simultaneously totally lacking in self awareness. He created elaborate copium narratives about himself just as much as if not more than the people he accused of doing so and seemed to exist in a perpetual and unyielding state of self-deception and repression, with a very interesting definition of what it means to be truthful. Thatâs a major part of what makes him so fascinating to me.
I love his hateration towards Henry Miller because half of it is real and accurate and half of it reads like narcissistic projectionâcritiquing Miller for his arrogance and elaborate self-mythologizing when his own biography ended up being entitled Empire of the Selfâand all of it is hilarious and cutting in his typical fashion.
âYet Henry never seems to do anything for anyone, other than to provide moments of sexual glory which we must take on faith. He does, however, talk a lot and the people he knows are addicted to his conversation. âDonât stop talking nowâŚplease,â begs a woman whose life is being changed, as Henry in a manic mood tells her all sorts of liberating things like âNothing would be bad or ugly or evilâ if we really let ourselves go. But itâs hard to make people understand that.â To which the only answer is that of another straight man in the text who says, âYou said it, Henry. Jesus, having you around is like getting a shot in the arm.â For a man who boasts of writing nothing but the truth, I find it more than odd that not once in the course of a long narrative does anyone say, âHenry, youâre full of shit.â It is possible, of course, that no one ever did, but I doubt it.â
Feb 12, 2025
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I love the synergy of seeing this Rec while Live from Golgotha is literally laying on my chest waiting for me to get off my phone and finish reading it.
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Hands-down the most deranged and hilarious book Iâve ever read. Vidalâs style and his mind are unmatched! Structurally itâs very unique and he called it âaprès post-structuralismâ
Dec 21, 2024
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Timothy McVeigh wrote to Gore Vidal after reading his 1998 Vanity Fair essay on the erosion of American civil liberties; they engaged in ongoing written correspondence for three years and Vidal was one of three âfriend witnessesâ invited by McVeigh to attend his execution.
I was asked for a recommendation of an exemplary Gore Vidal essay for someone whoâs never read his work. I feel obliged to share this piece he wrote for Vanity Fair about Timothy McVeigh with everyone as it would be the perfect starting point to get a sense of his beliefs + his inimitable style, wit and wisdom⌠đ
May 21, 2024
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a book of his journals and writing about writing. every page is an opus and he captures what itâs like to be an artist and distills these instincts / urges, struggles of fitting into the ârealâ world etc. with language that examines the journey through the psyche
Sep 26, 2024
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My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyâbe it a relative or one of my best friendsâwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too đ
Feb 23, 2025
Schedule sent my resignation email for the morning, effective immediately â
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Feb 27, 2025
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Iâve been thinking about how much of social media is centered around curating our self-image. When selfies first became popular, they were dismissed as vain and vapidâa critique often rooted in misogynyâbut now, the way we craft our online selves feels more like creating monuments.
We try to signal our individuality, hoping to be seen and understood, but ironically, I think this widens the gap between how others perceive us and who we really are. Instead of fostering connection, it can invite projection and misinterpretationâpreconceived notions, prefab labels, and stereotypes. Worse, individuality has become branded and commodified, reducing our identities to products for others to consume.
On most platforms, validation often comes from how well you can curate and present your imageâselfies, aesthetic branding, and lifestyle content tend to dominate. High engagement is tied to visibility, not necessarily depth or substance. But I think spaces like PI.FYI show that thereâs another way: where connection is built on shared ideas, tastes, and interests rather than surface-level content. Itâs refreshing to be part of a community that values thoughts over optics.
By sharing so few images of myself, Iâve found that it gives others room to focus on my ideas and voice. When I do share an image, it feels intentionalâsomething that contributes to the story I want to tell rather than defining it. Sharing less allows me to express who I am beyond appearance.
For women, especially, sharing less can be a radical act in a world where the default is to objectify ourselves. It resists the pressure to center appearance, focusing instead on what truly matters: our thoughts, voices, and authenticity. Iâve posted a handful of pictures of myself in 2,500 posts because I care more about showing who I am than how I look.
In trying to be seen, are we making it harder for others to truly know us? Itâs a question worth considering.
Dec 27, 2024