Norman Mailer Society/Minutes of the 2018 Business Meeting

The annual business meeting of the membership of The Norman Mailer Society ("NMS") was convened at the beginning of the its sixteenth annual conference at Macon, Georgia, on Thursday, October 25, 2018, with President Maggie McKinley presiding.

The meeting began with announcements from Maggie McKinley. Maggie discussed the program and logistics of the conference. Mike Lennon reported that the Library of America 1960's editions are out and were well reviewed. The Library is looking to doing future volumes. Next year, work will begin on Mailer's work of the 1970's. The challenge will be getting all of the work into a single volume. There will be four volumes in one publication, and another will contain 33 essays, beginning with "Superman Comes to the Supermarket" and ending with "Black Power." Maggie submitted a proposal to Cambridge Press, for a work on Mailer in context.

Maggie McKinley reported the sad news of the sudden passing of Andrew Gordon, a long-time member of NMS who attended conferences nearly every year and was a great conversationalist who made presentations at several of the gatherings. Ezra Cappell discussed his memories of Andy Gordon, noting that he was as active in his retirement as he was in his working years. He was active in the arts and Jewish literature, and was a great raconteur.

The minutes of the 2017 business meeting of NMS were provided. Upon motion and second, the minutes were approved.

Phil Sipiora reported on The Mailer Review. Volumes 11 and 12 will be published in the near future, and will come out close to each other in time. Volume 11 will be released toward the end of the year, and Volume 12 will be a slimmer volume. Phil requested submission regarding Andrew Gordon.

Gerald Lucas reported on Works and Days, which has been published and was available at the conference. A limited number of volumes signed by Mailer are available. Mike Lennon commended the work by Jerry Lucas, who did most of the work over the past five years. There are approximately 300 photos in Works and Days. The editions signed by Norman Mailer were produced as the result of Norman having signed 1000 sheets of bond linen paper. Mike Lennon reported that Norman was reluctant to sign until he learned that Mark Twain had also done it, and then agreed to sign them, a process that was completed over three years.

Vice President Gerald Lucas, as head of the nominating committee, reported on the terms of the Executive Board of the NMS. He announced that Board Members Carol Holmes Alpern, Bonnie Culver, Gerald Lucas, John Buffalo Mailer, Susan Mailer, and Barbara Wasserman, whose terms expire in 2018, have all agreed to serve a new threeyear term. Members Larry Shainberg and Denise Pappas have declined to serve another term. Michael Chaiken has also stepped down as a Board member. Matt Hinton was nominated to succeed Michael Chaiken and Enid Stubin was nominated to succeed Larry Shainberg. Carol Holmes Alpern, Bonnie Culver, Gerald Lucas, John Buffalo Mailer, Susan Mailer, Barbara Wasserman, Matt Hinton, and Enid Stubin were unanimously elected to serve on the Executive Board for terms expiring at the meeting in 2021.

Nicole DePolo, chair of the Robert Lucid Award committee, announced that the award for 2017 goes to Maggie McKinley for her book Understanding Norman Mailer.

Treasurer Jason Mosser gave his report on the state of the finances of NMS. He reported that the balance on hand is $57,306. Contributions received were $7,450. Significant expenses for the year include the fee of $1,000 for Janice Owens, speaker at this years conference, $3,860 to Michael Lennon for sales of Works and Days, $3,563 for The Mailer Review, $4,017 for the life insurance policy on Larry Schiller, $3,000 for printing costs for Works and Days, and $500 for costs of correcting errors in the stationery letterhead. Maggie McKinley commended on Jason Mosser for his work as Treasurer, and Jason was applauded warmly for his work assuming the job that was very ably done previously by David Light.

Bonnie Culver reported on the Writer's Colony, which has been looking for a new home. The new home will be at Wilkes University. An effort is underway to recreate Norman Mailer's study as it existed in his home in Provincetown. Bonnie reported the it is her hope to have the work completed on the study and Mailer's library that is being moved to Wilkes by March, 2019. Wilkes University, Bonnie Culver, and Michael Lennon has all contributed to the project.

Maggie McKinley led a discussion regarding the location of future NMS conferences, and possibilities raised included Long Branch, Brooklyn, St. Petersburg, FL, Austin, and Wilkes University. Bonnie Culver offered that Wilkes would be available for 2019. The membership agreed that the decision regarding the 2019 conference would be made at the Board meeting.

There being no other business to come before the membership, the business meeting for 2019 was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Marc S. Triplett, Secretary