Vol. 15 No. 1 (2021): 15th Anniversary Issue

Volume 15, Number 1 (Fall 2021) of The Mailer Review offers a rich collection of scholarly articles, personal memoirs, and creative works that explore the multifaceted legacy of Norman Mailer. Edited by Phillip Sipiora, this issue marks a significant moment in Mailer studies, coinciding with the publication of several major books on the author and looking forward to his 2023 centenary.

The volume features a diverse range of scholarly explorations and miscellany, including:

Literary Intersections: A previously unpublished 1988 interview with Mailer provides deep insights into his complex relationship and friendship with James Baldwin. Robert J. Begiebing presents a creative “interview” between Mailer and Walt Whitman on the tenets of American democracy, while Lawrence R. Broer compares the existential quests of Mailer and Jack Kerouac.

Thematic Analyses: Jason Mosser examines the evolution of the “White Negro” from Mailer’s hipsters to Hunter S. Thompson’s bikers, and Raymond M. Vince continues a study on the elusiveness of myth and skepticism in Mailer and Joseph Conrad.

Fictional Foundations: This issue provides a special focus on Mailer’s early work, with Phillip Sipiora analyzing early short fiction like “Love-Buds” and Gerald R. Lucas examining transitional stories from 1951–52 that acted as a proving ground for later subversive ideas.

Memoirs and Reflections: Barbara Mailer Wasserman shares a poignant excerpt from her memoir, Love of My Life, recounting a memorable dinner in Maine, and J. Michael Lennon offers a commentary on the contrasting romanticisms of Mailer and Joan Didion.

Creative and Dramatic Works: The collection includes “A Parley in Brooklyn,” a closet drama by Peter Lennon imagining a conversation between Mailer and Thomas Hardy, alongside an extensive selection of poetry and creative prose from twenty contributors.

In addition to its original articles, the volume serves as a critical resource through its comprehensive book review section, which covers new biographies of Philip Roth and James Baldwin, as well as works on cinema and trauma. It also contains a classic interpretation of The Executioner’s Song by Robert Merrill and the updated Norman Mailer bibliography for 2020.