Norman Mailer

Stupidity Brings Out Violence in Me

Authors

  • Lawrence Grobel UCLA Author

Keywords:

literary interviews, violence and creativity, masculinity and power, American literary culture, ego and authorship

Abstract

A veteran interviewer of several decades explores a range of issues in his interview with Norman Mailer, including morality, personal development, the experience of being a writer, the challenges of success, fiction vs. nonfiction, American writers, and a number of other topics.

Author Biography

  • Lawrence Grobel, UCLA

    Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for more than thirty years. He has written for numerous national magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, Newsday, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Details, TV Guide, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Penthouse, Diversion, Writer’s Digest. He has been a contributing editor at Playboy since 1980. Playboy called him “the interviewer’s interviewer” after his interview with Marlon Brando for their 25th anniversary issue. His 1985 book Conversations with Capote received a PEN Special Achievement award. Grobel’s books also include: The Hustons, Conversations with Brando, Talking with Michener, Above the Line: Conversations about the Movies, Endangered Species, Climbing Higher with Montel Williams, Al Pacino: In Conversation with Lawrence Grobel, and The Art of the Interview. He teaches a seminar on “The Art of the Interview” at UCLA.

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Published

2026-02-10

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2008): In Memorium

Section

Interviews

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