The Savage Poet—Unlocking the Universe with Metaphor

Abstract

Pugnacious and controversial, both as an individual and as a writer, Mailer never shied away from being unorthodox. A Fire on the Moon is strikingly different from any other book, its author referring to himself by his Aquarius star-sign throughout the unusual, provocative and often metaphysical narrative. The book reads like a novel, at turns rhythmic and lyrical and challenging. The way Mailer describes the launch of Apollo 11 is one example of his aphoristic and quirky turn of mind. The question arises as to whether Mailer’s superluminal fire has now been extinguished, and where, when, and if it might ever be rekindled.