85.7a

“American Notes.” Column by Christopher Hitchens. Time Literary Supplement, 29 November. An account of joint appearance of Mailer and Gore Vidal at the Royale Theatre in New York City, the concluding event of ten such readings in support of the American chapter of PEN. Speaking first, Vidal spoke of the dangers of the American empire “with reasonable pith and panache.” Mailer is quoted briefly from what was an unmemorable presentation. He “repeated himself, contradicted himself and abandoned all attempts at timing. He looked like a man who has lost his ticket.” See 85.4a, 86.4.