Well, my computer tells me that Normal Mailer is dead, and I’m sorry to see it. He was a good writer; maybe not as great as he imagined himself but certainly top shelf. A lot better than yours truly, and frankly that is saying something. I mean, I’ve got some game. But this post is about Mailer.

I was introduced to his writings in college. I took a course in his work. A whole semester of his moderately self-absorbed, sometimes violent and misogynistic, occasionally onanistic stuff. I was impressed, if not well entertained. He was insightful, prolific, and courageous with words. What’s more important, he was idiosyncratic – a real individualist. You could tell that he wrote what he wanted to, as he wanted to, critics be damned. And in my book, that counted for a lot.

It counts for even more now, in our troubled times, when we are under the power of men who are at once moral relativists and fascists. We need more writers like Normal Mailer.