Lipton’s Journal/February 14, 1955/600

From Project Mailer

The malfunction of entering-leaving is the health of the State. This is where Sociostasis attacks the er for pure er is capable of instantaneous entering and leaving. The pillars of society like Stalin, Chamberlain, the D.A.R.s, my Aunt Nan,[1] Larry,[2] etc. have their anxiety over letting something new enter to be taken. They also cannot let go. Stalinism’s strength and weakness is that they have attacked the entering-leaving (birth-dying) synapses (what is the word I want? It’s not liaisons, nor synapses—patience, m’boy). Stalinism’s strength and weakness is that they have attacked the entering-leaving conduits of their people. The frustration produces their unilinear strength, their weaknesses before flexings.



notes

  1. Anne Mailer Kessler (1889-1958) was the sister of Mailer’s father, Barney, and the wife of David Kessler (1889–1960), a wealthy businessman. They had no children and were inordinately fond of Norman. He dedicated Advertisements for Myself to them and his father.
  2. Mailer’s sister, Barbara Mailer Wasserman (b. 1927) was married to Larry Alson (1920-2016), a writer and editor, from 1950-1962.