71.14a

Letter to the editor of Monocle Magazine, reprinted, with an introduction by Marvin Kitman, in The Antioch Review, spring 1971, 92. Mailer, along with 14 others (including Julian Bond, Willie Morris, Russell Baker, Dwight Macdonald, and Seymour Krim) writes in response to the question, “Why did you (or did you not) sell out?” Mailer, whose invitation to respond was mailed to “Normal Mailer,” answers as follows:

“ As you all know, I am Ironsides the old incorruptible, and, so unlike the other names on your list, for the most part well-chosen, I, Kid Integrity, have only been tempted to sell out when wise-ass crypto-faggot types in the mailing office of magazines like Monocle spell my name Normal Mailer. The name is Normal Manner, you dolts. Cheers, Himself. P.S. Why don’t you change your name from Monocle to Doughnut? ”