Norman Mailer Society/Conference/2019 Wilkes-Barre, PA

From Project Mailer
Wilkes-Barre, PA

October 10-12, 2019 @ Wilkes University
Theme: Mailer on Politics, Public Life, and Pop Culture

Thursday and Friday will be full days of panels and events; panels will continue on Saturday morning and the conference will conclude with our Saturday luncheon and keynote address. Other conference highlights include:

  • Keynote speaker Maggie Mailer, youngest daughter of Norman Mailer
  • A reception to celebrate the opening of the Norman Mailer Room and Collection. This room, housed in the Farley Library, is a research/Mailer scholar’s dream. It is a replica of Mailer’s last studio in Provincetown that includes his private library, manuscripts and revisions, dating from 1984, and his studio furniture
  • A reading from The Time of Our Time
  • Screening of the director’s cut of The Executioner’s Song, with an introduction by its director Larry Schiller
  • And more…

Program

See the final program, or download it as a PDF.

Keynote Speaker

This year, we are happy to announce that the keynote will be delivered by Norman’s youngest daughter, Maggie Mailer, a New York-based painter. You can find more information about Maggie's work on her web site.

Hotel Information

Hotel accommodations this year will be provided by Genetti’s Best Western, located at 77 E Market Street, just a few blocks from the Wilkes University campus. The hotel offers free shuttle from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport, hot buffet breakfast, and parking. We have secured a room rate of $89 + tax per night for conference attendees. You can reserve your room one of two ways (in both cases, making sure to mention you will be there for the Norman Mailer Conference; the room block is under "Wilkes Creative Writing/Norman Mailer Conference"):

  1. By email: [email protected]
  2. By phone: 1-570-823-6152

Transportation

If you are booking a flight to the conference, the closest airport is the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP). From there, it is about a 20 minute cab/Uber/Lyft ride to Genetti's Best Western. The Best Western also offers a free airport shuttle; however, you will need to call the hotel 24 hours in advance of your arrival to arrange for airport pick-up.

For those driving to the conference, or flying into a different airport and renting a car, the hotel does provide free parking for guests.

Registration

Registration fees for the 2019 conference are as follows:

  • 2019 Individual Registration Fee: $150
  • 2019 Student Registration Fee: $75
  • 2019 Guest Fee: $50

Each presenter, moderator, or individual attendee may bring one guest who must pay the Guest Registration Fee of $50. The guest does not have to be a member of the Norman Mailer Society.

If someone is NOT a presenter or moderator but attends the conference, that person must be a member, must pay the respective registration fee, and may still one bring one guest.

Registration fees can be paid via PayPal, or can be sent to our Treasurer Jason Mosser at 3825 Lavista Road, F3, Tucker, GA  30084.

Membership Dues

We ask that all conference attendees and participants, with the exception of guests, be members of the Norman Mailer Society. Membership dues remain low. Please join.

Call for Papers

The Norman Mailer Society calls for papers that address any of the above categories plus those that help celebrate the 40-year anniversary of The Executioner’s Song, the 50-year anniversary of Of a Fire on the Moon, and the 60-year anniversary of Advertisements for Myself.

To submit a proposal for the conference, please e-mail the following to Maggie McKinley <mmckinle@harpercollege.edu> and Mike Lennon <mlennon1@charter.net> by June 1, 2019:

  • 50-word biographical statement
  • 150-200 word abstract of the proposed presentation
  • Indication of A/V Requirements