Alan Earney, November 4, 1963

NORMAN MAILER’s Letters

142 Columbia Heights

Brooklyn 1, New York

November 4, 1963

Dear Alan,<ref> The public was informed of the novel’s title in Mailer’s final “Big Bite” column in Esquire, December 1963, which was on newsstands in mid-November before the assassination of President Kennedy. Mailer had written the column much earlier, of course, turning it in to the magazine in mid-September.<ref>

Apparently the situation is not so final as I thought when writing to you last. I was under the impression that Mayflower had bought the rights to An American Dream (which is the title of the novel under discussion) but it seems that they merely have an option to give a first bid and match any counter bid, so I don’t know that we’re necessarily closed off from one another altogether. Anyway, let’s see how the book turns out. In the meantime,

my best to you

Norman Mailer

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An American Dream Expanded.