They sprout, grow and bloom in unexpected places, around glittering new skyscrapers, in subway tunnels and in parks.

CNN: April 10, 2012 -- Updated 1353 GMT (2153 HKT)

Mr Vidal seems always to have lived in the utmost luxury, in beautiful places, surrounded by talented, affectionate and often famous friends, from Princess Margaret and Claire Bloom to Christopher Isherwood and Tennessee Williams.

ECONOMIST: American literature