Lionel Abel, February 28, 1966
| NORMAN MAILER’s Letters |
- 142 Columbia Heights
- Brooklyn 1, New York
- February 28, 1966
- 142 Columbia Heights
Dear Lionel,[1]
Yes, it is possible my mind has gone somewhat bad over the years.[2] Yet, in consolation, my memory for titles remains intact. The American Dream, as you call it, seems actually to be An American Dream. (I was thinking you see of An American Tragedy.)[3] But, if you cannot read even the first word of my book, then it occurs to me your brain if still ready, is either unwilling or unable, dear Lionel—
- Yours,
- Mindbad[4]
- Yours,
cc: Irving Howe, Stanley Plastrick, Emanuel Geltman[5]
This page is part of
An American Dream Expanded.
An American Dream Expanded.
Notes
- ↑ Abel was a drama professor and critic who wrote for Partisan Review and moved in the same leftist intellectual circles as Mailer.
- ↑ Abel referred to Mailer in a Partisan Review essay as “Mindbad the Mailer.”
- ↑ An American Tragedy was written by Theodore Dreiser, one of Mailer’s literary heroes. He saw An American Dream as a modern extension of Dreiser’s novel and very consciously chose his title to echo it.
- ↑ Abel referred to Mailer in a Partisan Review essay as “Mindbad the Mailer”.
- ↑ Mailer was on the Board of the leftist journal Dissent with Stanley Plastrick, Emanuel Geltman and Irving Howe, who was its editor.
