Gore Vidal refers to this memoir of his first 39 years as a "palimpsest", pointing out how remembrances are shaped and reshaped with time. From the vantage point of his villa on the Italian coast, Vidal tells of his life as a novelist and dramatist, politician and critic, and discusses the figures he has known, including the Kennedys, Tennessee Williams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jack Kerouac, Amelia Earhart, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Woven throughout are meditations on writing, history, acting, politics, and love. 91 photos.