R.I.P. Norman Mailer 1923-2007
I guess this is off topic for a blog about teaching, but then again I wouldn't be trying to do what I'm trying to do if it wasn't for a love of reading and writing. And few figures loom as large in the past century of American literature as Norman Mailer. If I get a chance to pursue writing and journalism after my stint in the teaching trenches, I'll be walking in the broad path that Mailer paved over the past sixty years.
In the interest of full disclosure my knowledge of Mailer is limited to some of his shorter fiction and non-fiction as well as interviews and profiles. That doesn't diminish from my reverence for him though, and I hope when I find time to read again I'll be able to pick up one of his many books.
The full New York Times article on his death is here, and looking over his prolific resumé is a reminder of how little I've accomplished so far, but also a challenge to make the most out of what's ahead. Hopefully what I'm doing in the classroom will be a vital part of that task.
In the interest of full disclosure my knowledge of Mailer is limited to some of his shorter fiction and non-fiction as well as interviews and profiles. That doesn't diminish from my reverence for him though, and I hope when I find time to read again I'll be able to pick up one of his many books.
The full New York Times article on his death is here, and looking over his prolific resumé is a reminder of how little I've accomplished so far, but also a challenge to make the most out of what's ahead. Hopefully what I'm doing in the classroom will be a vital part of that task.
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