He's always kept a residence in the Hollywood area. In the 50's and 60's he had such acquaintances as Christopher Isherwood, the author of "Berlin Stories" (which became the musical "Cabaret" and the movie "I Am A Camera"). I was at UCLA and living in the Hollywood Hills (where I've returned several times, once staying at a friend's home for the summer next to Kenny Rogers house below the Hollywood Sign). I met Vidal at some house parties -- he had written "City and the Pillar" and "Julian" by that time so it was enthralling conversation. "Julian" and "Burr" are my two favorite Vidal novels.
Howard Austen, Vidal's bodyguard and longtime companion, may have had something to do with the cecision to reside in Hollywood.
If I didn't provide the link before, here it is for the PBS special:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/vidal_g.html
An very good article in LA Weekly on Vidal where the author met up with him at the Hollywood Hills mansion:
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/33/features-cooper.php
Some might take that to be a suggestion that America had it coming on September 11. So when I met up with Vidal in the Hollywood Hills home he maintains (while still residing most of his time in Italy), the first question
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It looks like he got tired of living inItaly; it may also be his age.
I don't know if we had it coming but we were dumb not to see it coming.
