1968 Writers and Editors War Tax Protest

[Peter E. Zelz]

I managed to get myself admitted to the Bowdoin College class of 1980.
Mailer's daughter was either in the class immediately before mine, or in
the class which was graduated the year of my matriculation; don't remember
which. Never knew the woman as we were in very different social circles. I
remember this because during my first couple days at college Mailer gave a
talk on campus, directed toward both frosh and their parents, about what
being the parent of a college student was all about. I remember nothing of
the content, but was rather impressed that this guy would come up to a
small town in Maine and chat with us.
 
z
 


> [Original Message]
> From: <MalignD at aol.com>
> To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Date: 4/20/2006 18:58:32
> Subject: Re: 1968 Writers and Editors War Tax Protest
>
> << I'd run from Mailer. >>
>
> Then you're an idiot. I can't let this pass.  Mailer's wonderful.    
>
> I understand that hiding from the world and saying little about anything
is 
> the model of greatness on this list.  But I think Pynchon, given his
stature, 
> is embarrassingly timid.  
>
> Mailer's novels suck, admittedly.  But he's got a wonderful, supple mind,
and 
> he's been willing to make it all public -- buffonery, bad judgement (Jack 
> Abbott), running for mayor of New York, Town Bloody Hall -- along with
the 
> occasional good, even great book -- Of a Fire on the Moon, The
Executioner's Song, 
> Armies of the Night.  He's a huge contributor to the cultural life of New
York 
> in the last fifty years and, I think, of the world.  His obit in the
Times 
> will be 10,000 words and earned.