The H ISSU
Writing about difficult subjects helped turn Norman Mailer into a literary star. Rodge Glass analyses his career and believes only he could have broken the final taboo
few months ago .-\ndrew ()‘Hagan ga\e
a talk in (ilasgow‘ to a group of new
writers. In it. he encouraged them to be ambitious with their subject matter. and compared the state of fiction in Britain toda} to that in North America. He lamented how man} writers on this side of the Atlantic are sh} abotit tackling big issues. and joked about how lied recently got into trouble for sa_\'ing on Radio 4 that ‘e\er_\ no\'elist in Britain toda} is writing
about their iii;iiiiiii_\‘. He then gaxe examples of
great past writers who had been unal‘raid. (‘harles Dickens. he said. would not ha\'e baulked at the idea of setting a scene in. sa_\. ll) Downing Street. e\cn though he hadn't been there. In his writing he simpl} trusted his instincts and Used his imagination; w h} were modern writers so afraid to examine their societ} as Dickens did'.’
Hi we look at current authors across the water. it can be argued that the most inspired and most experimental are the most experienced. (‘huck‘ l’alahniuk‘s RUN]. a da//ling lake biograph} in a documentary st_\le. is his tenth book and arguabl} his best. Philip Roth has nearl} 4t) )ears e\perience now and his hugeI} popular recent no\el The Plot stators! America changed one ke_\ detail of histor_\ and ran with it.
.-\nd Iltc‘ll there is Norman Mailer. TU read Maidens books is to comince _\ourselt he has ne\ er been ali‘aid ot tackling aiwthing. Since his
thhUl 'Hh' .\'(l/\('(/ (Uli/ I/Ic' “('ili/ (11H account Uli
his serVice as a rilleman in the South Pacific during the Second World War) became a bestseller in N48. he has dealt with the subjects sociei} is most sensitix'e about. consistenil} cari'}ing trouble with him for nearl} (it) wars. tackling e\er} known literar} form that exists with radical. reckless bra\er_\ along the w a}. Mailer spent time in Hollywood writing screenplays. has been interx'iew ed as much as an} writer in modern histor}. contributed brilliant journalism and ess;i_\s to nearl} ltltl publications. adxised sexeral American presidents and has e\en min for office himself. in
12 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE :i .\
New York. His personal life is etpiall} aina/ing: the w i\cs. nine children. tcn grandchildren.
.-\ small sample of titles of \oi'iiiaii \lailer's works demonstrates his incredible range. l‘ew others would e\en attempt aii_\tliing like (Hunt/Nils (lilt/(l/ll'{i\[/'(1II\. ll /1\ .lrt' lit in \.I'('III(1HI.‘. '/’/ii' l’l'lwitllt r of Sci. l’orii'iiil of it'll/1': .llii/i oi” 'l'lit' (ills/ic/
I)I.('(1\\() (1\
gluon/iii: Io I/It' Son. \o writer alwa_\s produces
works of genius. but this last title tells us that. as well as dealing with current concerns. \lailer
does not llincli at stepping into the minds ol some ol liistor} is most lamous characters. .\t the age of S4 he remains as i'e|e\ant as act. and with The ('mi/i' iii l/lt' l-orm/ he has chosen to break one more huge taboo.
l'Hl‘ in} MM trick. he sa}s to his readers. I will make _\ou s_\ttip;itltise with .\doll llitler. Some belie\e there is little left [U sa_\ about hill] and a quick scan at Mailer’s \ast bibliograph} ol hundreds of \olunies on the man suggest that might be true but in this astonishing niwel he