Diana Trilling, April 6, 1965

NORMAN MAILER’s Letters

142 Columbia Heights

Brooklyn 1, New York

April 6, 1965

Dear Diana,

Just a racing note. I’m arriving in England the morning of the twentieth, and my business, much as it is, will probably be done by the 27th. So the 28th would probably be better for me than the 30th for the simple reason that I may have just two weeks in Europe and so would like to visit other places. If it’s generally the same to you, I’d appreciate it then if you’d make it the 28th or the 29th, but if there’s a particular reason for the 30th, then by all means, that’s when we’ll have it. And I’ll plan to spend the night. Incidentally, I still don’t know if Beverly will be with me then. She’s going to be in Europe for a week of the two and a half weeks I’ll be there, but just which part isn’t too certain yet. If you’re thinking about seating arrangements, I suggest that you assume she’ll be with me. If she’s not, it would perhaps be possible to get some fine lady on short notice. And if not, we’ll all weather the damage.

Forgive the mechanical concentration of this, and the lack of newer news, but I wanted to get it off to you in a hurry.

Norman

P.S. If you haven’t answered Jerry Agel’s letter yet, then don’t. He puts out a monthly publisher’s newsletter which is filled with gossip, very little of it nasty or vicious, but I know for certain you would not want any answer you might give to Granville Hicks to appear there. And if you have written to him already, then drop him a line that you would not wish your letter used for publication. One thing more. Please don’t bring my name into this. Agel did a long piece on me and treated me reasonably well, and he would be hurt and probably vindictive if he knew I had warned you. But I know how much pain any remarks of yours printed in a newsletter sort of literary magazine would cause you, so I take the unnatural step of working just this much behind the man’s back.

All for now. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing you and Lionel again.

P.P.S. Tell Lionel that whether he ends up liking or not liking An American Dream, I respect him for not deciding immediately. Finally one critic has recognized that the book is not to be taken by storm and hung high or garlanded on the instant.