Clouds and Eclipses: The Collected Short Stories Book

"Gore Vidal is less known for his exquisitely crafted short fiction," says the back book cover blurb. And there is a very good reason why: "exquisitely crafted" is an overstatement. A massive one. A humdinger, shall we say. A bigly monstrosity of untruthiness. I've read several of Vidal's novels, and I'm searching as to why he was thought of as a great writer, even winning the National Book Award at one point. But there is one good story here: "Erlinda and Mr. Coffin" which is prime Southern Gothic and it does touch the hem of Capotes trousers, just barely. And just so you know, most of these stories have gay themes and were probably considered edgy when 7 of the 8 appeared in 1956. Vidal had improved by this point over his 1940's gay novel, "The City and the Pillar" in which he unforgivably trashes Capote, no doubt jealous of a true genius of literature. Vidal/Capote/Williams: read all about that catfight in "The Pink Triangle" which has more bitch-slapping than about anything I've ever read.