Pete Hamill, July 6, 1964: Difference between revisions

From Project Mailer
(Posted Norman's July 5th Letter to Diana Athill)
 
(Posted Norman's July 6th Letter to Pete Athill)
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::::::::::::::::::::597 Commercial Street<br />
::::::::::::::::::::597 Commercial Street<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Provincetown, Massachusetts<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Provincetown, Massachusetts<br />
::::::::::::::::::::July 5, 1964
::::::::::::::::::::July 6, 1964


Dear Diana,<ref>Mailer’s letter to Diana Athill, a British literary editor, novelist, and memoirist. Mailer complains here of the way the British edition of his novel is described in the Deutsch catalogue of forthcoming books.</ref>
Dear Pete,<ref>Mailer’s letter to Pete Hamill. Journalist and novelist Pete Hamill (1935-) has been a friend of Mailer since they met in Chicago in 1962.</ref>


On the negative side, I have only a few comments for the catalogue page. I think "evil wife" oversimplifies too much. I think "tragic, tormented, half-evil wife" or something of that ilk might be more satisfactory. Also, "sane love" with Cherry sounds hygienic. "To find some part of his dream of love" might be more what we need. Outside of that, I think it's fine. But I also think we're giving away too much by saying that ''An American Dream'' is so unlike "mannerly British fictions," for it seems to me that the virtuoso aspect of ''An American Dream'' is that it is so mannered a book. Violent people always are mannerly, or chaos would result if there were not a spectrum of manners in their dealings with each other. Now this has always fascinated the British-[Dashiell] Hammett, [Raymond] Chandler, so forth. But of course the manners they showed there were essentially false ones. The reality is curious and somehow subtler, and I was trying to get toward that reality in ''An American Dream.'' But I think it would be a serious mistake to abdicate from any claims this novel can make in the dominion of manners, because it is precisely by the play of manners that I've tried to tell the story. One could even go so far perhaps as to argue that the novel is a study of the bizarre, incisive, and very elaborate manners of some of the kinds of people who live in the social worlds and under-worlds of New York. So I think we might emphasize the book is in its way as mannered as a novel by Henry James. What creates the-it is to be hoped-fascinating confusion is that the material is closer to a Mickey Spillane.
I did something very funny with your suggestion about sending a copy of ''The Presidential Papers'' to Floyd [Patterson]. Usually certain in the old days, I would have moved fast on such a thought. But this time it just didn't feel right. I felt spooked by the whole thing, as if I wouldn't forgive myself if Floyd happened to read the piece and then lost to [Eddie] Machen<ref> Eddie Machen, the heavyweight boxer, lost to Floyd Patterson in Stockholm on 5 July 1964</ref>. Floyd's probably forgotten this, but I sent him some tearsheets of the piece when we were out in Las Vegas, and Sammy Taub<ref>Sammy Taub was a prizefight announcer.</ref> said that he delivered them to Floyd personally (which may not have been true) but I can tell you that I was glad to hear Floyd never read it, because I felt spooked by the Las Vegas fight, as if Floyd had read it, and it had gotten him thinking of other things and all of a sudden his mind was somewhere else and he walked in on Sonny at the end of the first minute in that first round. Anyway, Machen is his kind of fighter. If he's going to be able to beat him, I'm sure he'll be able to beat him without any assistance from me, and then maybe would be the time to send it to him.  


By the way, Diana, how do you all feel about the end of the book? There's been not a word about that from Andre [Deutsch] or from you. If you're unhappy, now's the time to talk, because I hope to put in about five to ten thousand words and take out a little of the old, all of this to be accomplished by Septemeber 1. Since I'm also going to do the Republican Convention, there'll be only a few weeks for this, probably from August 10 to September 1. But in the month between, there would certainly be time to get your comments. Please believe me, I'm not so delicate as to be afraid of negative comments. And this can go right down to the individual sentences. It's really a good idea to let me know now whatever bothers you and Andre. Of course, if the end is a vast disappointment to you ... But then I hope not. I was so tired by the time I finished I was willing to accept any external verdict that it was very good or very bad. The good remarks I heard were that it was very good, by then it was the agent and publisher who said that, and they're not exactly similar to the critics in their interest. At any rate, give us a reaction.
The gossip about the book and the money it's making is way off. At present there's no movie sale, just an option. And there's a good chance the option won't be picked up because Warner's wants me to change the title and I've told them I don't want to. (It seems audiences will not go to see a movie which as the word American in it. At least, that's what all the money in Hollywood has decided.) No, the book has done well, but the figure is one third as large as you've been reading, and so I'm hardly yet in the ranks of the wealthy. But still, after alimony and taxes, I ought to have at least two years free to myself in which I don't have to sweat the production of each week's bread. I think you're right about the reviews. I think they're going to be murderous, and indeed I'm already half resigned to that. If they're too bad, maybe I'll leave the country in protest, a la Henry James.
 
Actually, the idea of moving seems tough right now. I’ve got all my kids with me and we’re having a good time up here, we’re on the water, which is the place to be in Provincetown. But the thought of moving this menagerie cum factory is beyond my ambition. I may get over to England for a couple of weeks during the winter, and if I do and you’re still in Dublin, could I fly up to visit for a couple of days, maybe? I’ve never seen Ireland, and I’d like to very much I think.
 
Mike is now three and a half months old and a very cute kid, very sweet, and kind of gentle for a boy. And as I said earlier today, wouldn’t that just be the ticket if I end up with a son who’s a dove. Anyway, the Burks comes from Bev’s side, her father’s first name was just that. You can tell Ramona that Mike weighs sixteen pounds now, he’s about sixteen weeks old.
 
Finally, give my regards to J.F. Powers<ref>J. F. Powers (1917-1999), the Irish novelist, published Morte D'Urban in 1962.</ref> if you run into him. I read Morte D’Urban a couple of weeks ago, and enjoyed sheer hell out of it. He’s not a great writer, and probably never will be, but he sure is good. Also, say hello to Al<ref>Al Aronowitz was a sportswriter.</ref> when you see him. I ran into Aronowitz at a party for Gunter Grass<ref>Gunter Grass (1927-) is a German novelist.</ref> just about a month ago in New York.


::::::::::::::::::::Best for now,<br />
::::::::::::::::::::Best for now,<br />

Revision as of 20:11, 12 April 2019

NORMAN MAILER’s Letters
597 Commercial Street
Provincetown, Massachusetts
July 6, 1964

Dear Pete,[1]

I did something very funny with your suggestion about sending a copy of The Presidential Papers to Floyd [Patterson]. Usually certain in the old days, I would have moved fast on such a thought. But this time it just didn't feel right. I felt spooked by the whole thing, as if I wouldn't forgive myself if Floyd happened to read the piece and then lost to [Eddie] Machen[2]. Floyd's probably forgotten this, but I sent him some tearsheets of the piece when we were out in Las Vegas, and Sammy Taub[3] said that he delivered them to Floyd personally (which may not have been true) but I can tell you that I was glad to hear Floyd never read it, because I felt spooked by the Las Vegas fight, as if Floyd had read it, and it had gotten him thinking of other things and all of a sudden his mind was somewhere else and he walked in on Sonny at the end of the first minute in that first round. Anyway, Machen is his kind of fighter. If he's going to be able to beat him, I'm sure he'll be able to beat him without any assistance from me, and then maybe would be the time to send it to him.

The gossip about the book and the money it's making is way off. At present there's no movie sale, just an option. And there's a good chance the option won't be picked up because Warner's wants me to change the title and I've told them I don't want to. (It seems audiences will not go to see a movie which as the word American in it. At least, that's what all the money in Hollywood has decided.) No, the book has done well, but the figure is one third as large as you've been reading, and so I'm hardly yet in the ranks of the wealthy. But still, after alimony and taxes, I ought to have at least two years free to myself in which I don't have to sweat the production of each week's bread. I think you're right about the reviews. I think they're going to be murderous, and indeed I'm already half resigned to that. If they're too bad, maybe I'll leave the country in protest, a la Henry James.

Actually, the idea of moving seems tough right now. I’ve got all my kids with me and we’re having a good time up here, we’re on the water, which is the place to be in Provincetown. But the thought of moving this menagerie cum factory is beyond my ambition. I may get over to England for a couple of weeks during the winter, and if I do and you’re still in Dublin, could I fly up to visit for a couple of days, maybe? I’ve never seen Ireland, and I’d like to very much I think.

Mike is now three and a half months old and a very cute kid, very sweet, and kind of gentle for a boy. And as I said earlier today, wouldn’t that just be the ticket if I end up with a son who’s a dove. Anyway, the Burks comes from Bev’s side, her father’s first name was just that. You can tell Ramona that Mike weighs sixteen pounds now, he’s about sixteen weeks old.

Finally, give my regards to J.F. Powers[4] if you run into him. I read Morte D’Urban a couple of weeks ago, and enjoyed sheer hell out of it. He’s not a great writer, and probably never will be, but he sure is good. Also, say hello to Al[5] when you see him. I ran into Aronowitz at a party for Gunter Grass[6] just about a month ago in New York.

Best for now,
Norman
This page is part of
An American Dream Expanded.

Notes

  1. ↑ Mailer’s letter to Pete Hamill. Journalist and novelist Pete Hamill (1935-) has been a friend of Mailer since they met in Chicago in 1962.
  2. ↑ Eddie Machen, the heavyweight boxer, lost to Floyd Patterson in Stockholm on 5 July 1964
  3. ↑ Sammy Taub was a prizefight announcer.
  4. ↑ J. F. Powers (1917-1999), the Irish novelist, published Morte D'Urban in 1962.
  5. ↑ Al Aronowitz was a sportswriter.
  6. ↑ Gunter Grass (1927-) is a German novelist.
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