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Norman Mailer’s Seventh Seal

R.I.P Norman Mailer

The co-founder of New Journalism and The Village Voice, Norman Kingsley Mailer has died at age 84, leaving us memories of an extraordinary career and a body of work.

The following was published on The List by Rodge Glass a mere two month ago:

To read Mailer’s books is to convince yourself he has never been afraid of tackling anything. Since his debut The Naked and the Dead (an account of his service as a rifleman in the South Pacific during the Second World War) became a bestseller in 1948, he has dealt with the subjects society is most sensitive about, consistently carrying trouble with him for nearly 60 years, tackling every known literary form that exists with radical, reckless bravery along the way. Mailer spent time in Hollywood writing screenplays, has been interviewed as much as any writer in modern history, contributed brilliant journalism and essays to nearly 100 publications, advised several American presidents and has even run for office himself, in New York. His personal life is equally amazing: five wives, nine children, ten grandchildren.

A small sample of titles of Norman Mailer’s works demonstrates his incredible range. Few others would even attempt anything like Cannibals and Christians, Why Are We in Vietnam?, The Prisoner of Sex, Portrait of Picasso as a Young Man or The Gospel According to the Son. No writer always produces works of genius, but this last title tells us that, as well as dealing with current concerns, Mailer does not flinch at stepping into the minds of some of history’s most famous characters. At the age of 84 he remains as relevant as ever, and with The Castle in the Forest he has chosen to break one more huge taboo.

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• New York Times: Reviews of Mailer’s Books
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