Who is Norman Mailer?
Norman Mailer has been described as the best journalist in America. His prolific literary career has spanned 50 years, and at times his private life has overshadowed his literary efforts. Forever in search of the Great American Novel, Mailer’s fictional output has had its fair share of both detractors and fans. Born in 1923 in the tough borough of Brooklyn, New York, Norman Mailer would first show his literary talent at Harvard. In 1943, Mailer joined the army. Although he saw more combat with his supervisors than with the enemy, he used his experiences to become a best selling author. The Naked and the Dead is a fictionalized account of a Pacific battle. It was a huge success and turned Norman Mailer into a celebrity almost overnight. Mailer’s second book was not as well received. Barbary Shore, published in 1951, depicts the conflict between a federal agent and a former radical. The book flopped and the critics sharpened their knives. The rumors circulated that Norman Mailer was just
