97.7

“The Gospel of Mailer: Hubris, but without Limits.” Article-interview by Bruce Weber. New York Times, 24 April, Sec. A (“New York Report”), p. 21. Mailer, after discussing chutzpah as a “vulgar and endearing” quality that is “very much a part of New York,” goes on to “assure the New York world—the rest of America will never believe me—that I do not think of myself as Jesus Christ.” The piece also reveals:

1. that Mailer had originally wished to publish 97.13 anonymously, but Random House demurred because of problems encountered by Joe Klein when he published Primary Colors anonymously; and
2. that Random House would publish a literary retrospective of Mailer’s work of about 1,500 pages to commemorate his 75th birthday and the 50th anniversary of The Naked and the Dead (48.2) on 6 May 1998.

The Time of Our Time (98.7) did appear on this date. Accompanied by 97.8. Weber’s article appeared in truncated form in at least two other newspapers: Oakland Tribune (5 May) and Tampa Tribune (10 May).