“It Might Not Be Unpleasant to Live”

The Transitional Short Fiction of Norman Mailer

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.68910/8y6tn880

Keywords:

short fiction, psychic outlaw, Advertisements for Myself, "The White Negro"

Abstract

Mailer’s conviction to become a “psychic outlaw” has its genesis in his negative experience publishing The Deer Park, but his thoughts were leaning in this direction even before: specifically in his transitional short fiction that acts as a proving ground for ideas he workshopped in Lipton’s Journal and published in Advertisements for Myself—specifically in “The White Negro.” The group of short stories dating from the winter of 1951–52 allowed Mailer a space to explore the subversive ideas that would characterize his work after Advertisements for Myself.

Author Biography

  • Gerald R. Lucas, Middle Georgia State University

    Gerald R. Lucas, Ph.D., is Professor of English at Middle Georgia State University and the editor of Project Mailer. He specializes in blending literary studies with emerging technologies, having conceived and built numerous digital scholarly projects. Jerry has published widely on contemporary literature, media studies, and the works of Norman Mailer, co-editing several books, including Lipton’s: A Marijuana Journal, 1954–1955 and Norman Mailer: Works and Days. He currently serves on the Editorial Board and as the Editor of The Mailer Review. Jerry is a devoted Wikipedian and audiophile.

The Mailer Review v.16: 20 Years of the Review

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Published

2026-11-04

Issue

Vol. 16 (2026): Special Edition: 20 Years of the Review

Section

III. Genre, Form, and Method

How to Cite

Lucas, Gerald R. “‘It Might Not Be Unpleasant to Live’: The Transitional Short Fiction of Norman Mailer”. The Mailer Review, vol. 16, no. 1, Nov. 2026, pp. 89–114, https://doi.org/10.68910/8y6tn880.

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