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The Mailer Review/Volume 13, 2019/Prism Break: Difference between revisions
The Mailer Review/Volume 13, 2019/Prism Break (view source)
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:22px;">{{BASEPAGENAME}}/</span>{{SUBPAGENAME}}}} | {{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:22px;">{{BASEPAGENAME}}/</span>{{SUBPAGENAME}}}} | ||
{{MR13}} | {{MR13}} | ||
{{Byline|last=Mailer|first=Maggie|note=This Keynote Address was delivered to the annual meeting of the Norman Mailer Society on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Wilkes University.|url=http://prmlr.us/mr13mai}} | {{Byline|last=Mailer|first=Maggie|note=This Keynote Address was delivered to the annual meeting of the Norman Mailer Society on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Wilkes University.|url=http://prmlr.us/mr13mai}} | ||
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resonate with some hefty cosmic references. They also help me locate myself | resonate with some hefty cosmic references. They also help me locate myself | ||
within the family. | within the family. | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-1.jpg|thumb|'''Figure 1''': Planetary Siblings]] | |||
Here is Dad and the children as the Sun and nine planets. John Buffalo, | Here is Dad and the children as the Sun and nine planets. John Buffalo, | ||
the youngest, saw the most of Dad, and Sue, the oldest, probably saw him | the youngest, saw the most of Dad, and Sue, the oldest, probably saw him | ||
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integrity in making such a self-serving map, but I assured him it was a | integrity in making such a self-serving map, but I assured him it was a | ||
lucky accident, and also, that if this were so I would be taking on a lot of | lucky accident, and also, that if this were so I would be taking on a lot of | ||
responsibility! | responsibility! (See '''Figure 1''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-2.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 2''': Earth Layers]] | |||
I make up for it in the next one: Here we have Dad and the nine children | I make up for it in the next one: Here we have Dad and the nine children | ||
as the ten layers of the earth, from core to exosphere. | as the ten layers of the earth, from core to exosphere. (See '''Figure 2''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-3.jpg|thumb|'''Figure 3''': Creation Stage Yantra]] | |||
The children as nine cosmic phases of CREATION, PRESERVATION, | The children as nine cosmic phases of CREATION, PRESERVATION, | ||
AND DISSOLUTION in Yantra, or sacred mandala construction. | AND DISSOLUTION in Yantra, or sacred mandala construction. (See '''Figure 3''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-4.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 4''': Benzene Ring]] | |||
[[File:Mr13-mai-5.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 5''': Dad & Siblings Benzene Ring]] | |||
Here is the family arrayed like a Benzene Ring; which has the chemical | Here is the family arrayed like a Benzene Ring; which has the chemical | ||
formula C6H6. If Dad had only had six children, we would have a perfect | formula C6H6). If Dad had only had six children, we would have a perfect | ||
match. Thankfully, it is not a perfect match. Benzene is notable for its sweet | match. Thankfully, it is not a perfect match. Benzene is notable for its sweet | ||
smell. It is also terribly toxic. Benzene is used to make plastics, that most totalitarian | smell. It is also terribly toxic. Benzene is used to make plastics, that most totalitarian | ||
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ring, meaning the electrons have free movement among all six carbons. A bit | ring, meaning the electrons have free movement among all six carbons. A bit | ||
like Mailer and his women. This also bears quite a resemblance to the Merry | like Mailer and his women. This also bears quite a resemblance to the Merry | ||
Go Round described earlier. | Go Round described earlier. (See '''Figure 4''' and '''Figure 5''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-6.jpg|thumb|'''Figure 6''': Piano Keys]] | |||
[[File:Mr13-mai-7.jpg|thumb|'''Figure 7''': Notebook Diagrams of Sibling Models]] | |||
Next we have Norman as Pianist: the wives are the black keys and the | Next we have Norman as Pianist: the wives are the black keys and the | ||
children, the white, and fit within an Octave until his marriage to Norris, | children, the white, and fit within an Octave until his marriage to Norris, | ||
which starts a new Octave. | which starts a new Octave. (See '''Figure 6''' and '''Figure 7''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-8.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 8''': Cell Structure Siblings]] | |||
[[File:Mr13-mai-9.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 9''': Mother as Cataclytic Converter]] | |||
Here we have the Family as a cell membrane and here (See '''Figure 8'''), Mother (my | |||
Here we have the Family as a cell membrane and here, Mother (my | Mother), as catalytic converter (See '''Figure 9'''). She was extremely protective, and one could | ||
Mother), as catalytic converter. She was extremely protective, and one could | |||
say she reduced any toxic emissions coming my way with the force of her | say she reduced any toxic emissions coming my way with the force of her | ||
love, both for me, and for Norman, even after they split. So we have the | love, both for me, and for Norman, even after they split. So we have the | ||
father-centric model, the child-centric model, and the wife-centric model. | father-centric model, the child-centric model, and the wife-centric model. | ||
As a painter, I have spent some time investigating this family structure, | As a painter, I have spent some time investigating this family structure, | ||
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of my eight siblings. I see now that I was trying to accommodate eight | of my eight siblings. I see now that I was trying to accommodate eight | ||
or nine possible viewpoints, and anything less felt wrong. | or nine possible viewpoints, and anything less felt wrong. | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-10.jpg|thumb|'''Figure 10''': Scissors Language 2]] | |||
Here is a subsequent series of nine landscapes that I later understood as | Here is a subsequent series of nine landscapes that I later understood as | ||
portraits of the nine of us in our varied terrain and palettes. I like connecting | portraits of the nine of us in our varied terrain and palettes. I like connecting | ||
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this way, landscapes become psychological terrain, siblings and stepmothers | this way, landscapes become psychological terrain, siblings and stepmothers | ||
become open fields and barren hillsides, and our family tree emerges as a | become open fields and barren hillsides, and our family tree emerges as a | ||
guiding spirit in my creative processes. | guiding spirit in my creative processes. (See '''Figure 10''' and '''Figure 11''') | ||
[[File:Mr13-mai-11.jpg|thumb|left|'''Figure 11''': The Dream Life of My Siblings]] | |||
I will close with the piece I read at Carnegie Hall at Dad’s memorial. | I will close with the piece I read at Carnegie Hall at Dad’s memorial. | ||
(show of hands: who heard it there?) I think it offers what the rest of the | (show of hands: who heard it there?) I think it offers what the rest of the | ||
speech may have missed: My Father. We could say, this was one time I met | speech may have missed: My Father. We could say, this was one time I met | ||
him. It is called, ''Fellow Geniuses | him. It is called, ''Fellow Geniuses'': | ||
I am going to share with you a seminal work of non-fiction by my father: | I am going to share with you a seminal work of non-fiction by my father: | ||
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point in a moment of annoyance with her, and imagining the deepening | point in a moment of annoyance with her, and imagining the deepening | ||
bond with my father over our shared aversion to carpeted floors, I may have | bond with my father over our shared aversion to carpeted floors, I may have | ||
dumped some of the sand onto the wall to wall and formed a Carl | dumped some of the sand onto the wall to wall and formed a Carl Andre-like | ||
floor piece. | floor piece. | ||