Eugene Luther Gore Vidal was an American writer and public intellectual who lived from 1925 to 2012. He was known for his cynical epigrammatic wit and produced novels and essays that criticized the social and sexual norms he perceived as driving American life. Vidal was heavily involved in politics throughout his career. He unsuccessfully sought elected office twice as a Democratic Party candidate: first in 1960 when he ran for the United States House of Representatives, and later in 1982 when he ran for the United States Senate.