97.2

“Narrator of Mailer’s Next Novel: Jesus.” Article-interview by Dinitia Smith. New York Times, 4 February, Sec. B (“Living Arts”), p. 7. First report on Mailer’s forthcoming novel The Gospel According to the Son (97.13). In a statement quoted by Smith, Mailer says,

“ My intent is to be neither pious nor satirical; it is instead to make comprehensible for myself what Fulton Oursler called The Greatest Story Ever Told. I’m going to say no more because the book’s publication is still three months away and I don’t wish to arouse interest that cannot be satisfied at this point. ”

Carol Schneider, director of publicity at Random House, and Jason Epstein, Mailer’s longtime editor, are also quoted in this piece.