An Assassin's Diary
Encyclopedia
An Assassin's Diary is the title of a book released in 1973 which was based on part of the diary of Arthur Bremer
, the would-be assassin
of Alabama
Governor
George Wallace
. Bremer shot Wallace at a shopping mall in Laurel, Maryland
, while Wallace was making his third campaign for President
on May 15, 1972.
In the book, Bremer states that he was not particularly opposed to Wallace's political agenda, which many had branded as white supremacist, but that his primary motive was to become famous, and that he had also stalked President Richard M. Nixon.
Paul Schrader
was partly inspired by Bremer's diary when he wrote the screenplay for the 1976 film Taxi Driver
, directed by Martin Scorsese
. Peter Gabriel's 1980 song "Family Snapshot
," from Peter Gabriel (III)
was inspired by An Assassin's Diary.
essay titled "The Art and Arts of E. Howard Hunt," Vidal assesses Bremer's writing style and notes the apparent contradiction between Bremer's lucid prose and his characterization as a person with a mediocre intellect. Vidal's essay juxtaposes the arrival of CIA
agent and hardboiled
novelist E. Howard Hunt
at Bremer's apartment within hours of Wallace's assassination to the "avant-garde" prose later found in Bremer's diary. Vidal's loose hypothesis is that Bremer's writing was too good for a janitor with an average I.Q., but not beyond the skill of a writer such as Hunt. Vidal concludes that Bremer's diary had many uncharacteristic signs of professional writing, such as heavy use of irony.
Arthur Bremer
Arthur Herman Bremer is an American convicted for an assassination attempt on U.S. Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace on May 15, 1972 in Laurel, Maryland, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life...
, the would-be assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
. Bremer shot Wallace at a shopping mall in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
, while Wallace was making his third campaign for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on May 15, 1972.
In the book, Bremer states that he was not particularly opposed to Wallace's political agenda, which many had branded as white supremacist, but that his primary motive was to become famous, and that he had also stalked President Richard M. Nixon.
Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and former film critic. Apart from his credentials as a director, Schrader is most notably known for his screenplays for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Raging Bull....
was partly inspired by Bremer's diary when he wrote the screenplay for the 1976 film Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
, directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
. Peter Gabriel's 1980 song "Family Snapshot
Family Snapshot
"Family Snapshot" is a song written and performed by British musician Peter Gabriel, appearing on his third eponymous album. The song was inspired by An Assassin's Diary, published in 1973 and written by Arthur Bremer, who attempted to assassinate George Wallace, a politician who supported racial...
," from Peter Gabriel (III)
Peter Gabriel (III)
Peter Gabriel is Peter Gabriel's third album. The album contains two of Gabriel's most famous songs, the U.K. Top 10 hit "Games Without Frontiers" and the political song "Biko", about the late anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko...
was inspired by An Assassin's Diary.
Debate over authorship
In Gore Vidal'sGore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
essay titled "The Art and Arts of E. Howard Hunt," Vidal assesses Bremer's writing style and notes the apparent contradiction between Bremer's lucid prose and his characterization as a person with a mediocre intellect. Vidal's essay juxtaposes the arrival of CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent and hardboiled
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
novelist E. Howard Hunt
E. Howard Hunt
Everette Howard Hunt, Jr. was an American intelligence officer and writer. Hunt served for many years as a CIA officer. Hunt, with G...
at Bremer's apartment within hours of Wallace's assassination to the "avant-garde" prose later found in Bremer's diary. Vidal's loose hypothesis is that Bremer's writing was too good for a janitor with an average I.Q., but not beyond the skill of a writer such as Hunt. Vidal concludes that Bremer's diary had many uncharacteristic signs of professional writing, such as heavy use of irony.
External links
- Portrait of an Assassin: Arthur Bremer, with quotes from his diary