Norman Mailer Society/Minutes of the 2017 Meeting of the Executive Board

The Executive Board of The Norman Mailer Society (“NMS”) met in Sarasota, Florida, on October 27, 2017, with outgoing President J. Michael Lennon and incoming President Maggie McKinley presiding. Also in attendance were Board members Robert Begiebing, Justin Bozung, Christopher Busa, Bonnie Culver, Nicole DePolo, Carol Holmes, David Light, Gerald Lucas, John Buffalo Mailer, Susan Mailer, Jason Mosser, Mark Olshaker, Phillip Sipiora, Marc Triplett and Barbara Wasserman.

The 2018 conference will be held in Macon, Georgia, as determined by the membership in the business meeting. Potential themes for the conference were briefly discussed. Suggestions included social justice, as well as Mailer and southern culture. Norman served in a Texas outfit in the military, and was married to two women from the south – Beverly, from Georgia, and Norris, from Arkansas.

The Board members discussed sites for conferences in 2019 and beyond. Monmouth University has expressed interest in hosting the conference in the future, and it is likely that a hotel near the ocean can be available. Mike Lennon noted that the 2016 conference attendance was the best since the early years of the NMS. The Board settled on recommending a return to Monmouth in 2019. Mark Olshaker raised anew the possibility of Las Vegas for a conference after 2019. While no consensus for a conference in Las Vegas was achieved, neither was there an objection raised to that prospect.

David Light will coordinate with new Treasurer Jason Mosser regarding the requirements of management of the finances of NMS. David asked the Board whether an audit of the books is advisable. After discussion, the Board determined that there is no need for an audit. David Light will maintain the records in Connecticut, and will make them available as needed.

General discussion followed. Mike Lennon told the Board that the Library of America will have an event in March in New York for the release of the Mailer book series. Gay Talese and Don DeLillo have agreed to attend. John Buffalo Mailer commended the outstanding introduction by Maggie McKinley to the new edition of Why Are We in Vietnam? Susan Mailer has completed her memoir In Another Place. Justin Bozung has found a script written by Terry Southern for Why Are We in Vietnam? Justin suggested a reading of it for a future conference.

There being no other business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Marc S. Triplett, Secretery