Funny. I think of my railroad apartment as a ship at sea, as well. No joke. posted by Skygazer at 12:24 PM on April 15, 2011
His pissed-off spirit gives the bar and trapeze an occasional work-out, it's reported. I think the Ghost Hunter dudes are on it... posted by littlemanclan at 12:25 PM on April 15, 2011
I will consider myself rich when I have the cash to remodel my living space in a way that ignores resale value or even practicality, and indulges my most idiosyncratic demands, including a parachute-in-a-room fan built into the floor. posted by fatbird at 12:33 PM on April 15, 2011
When's the warehouse where he stored his ego go up for sale? posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:33 PM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Lots of cuter snarky comments but Mailer gave us a few very nice novels as well as some
outstanding non-fiction works.
If you haven't read Executioner's Song, read it and then see how great a writer he was at his best. That work a classic study of America mid-West, with very fine writing and love letters (not written by him) that are truly moving. posted by Postroad at 1:19 PM on April 15, 2011
I'm impressed that Michael Mailer moved there when he "was 12 for several years". If the place could fix for me to be, say, 26 for several years, I'd think about moving in. posted by Mocata at 1:20 PM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've walked past that apartment on Brooklyn's Promenade. (I thought he owned the entire building.) posted by Halloween Jack at 2:05 PM on April 15, 2011
Lots of cuter snarky comments but Mailer gave us a few very nice novels as well as some outstanding non-fiction works
It's true, the work does kind of fall in the background when you think "Norman Mailer", but be fair, he did more than a little bring it on himself. As ye sow and all that.
Myself, I've never been able to finish anything he wrote. The stuff is too - well, self conscious for one. And granted, I'm pernickity, but the first paragraph of The Executioners Song includes the line:
"The apple trees were their grandmother's best crop and it was forbidden to climb in the orchard."
Unless grandma was cutting down apple trees and selling them, then no, it was probably the apples that were the best crop.* If he had a reason for that kind of glaring slip, well, I'm not English major enough to catch it. (And do admit, it's scarcely likely that he would have done ES at all if Capote hadn't cleaned up with In Cold Blood - a better book.)
Still, millions seem to like him, so I guess that's something.
Nice digs, but I'm thinking - noisy. You notice the cars from the balcony?
*(That unmodified "it" could probably justify a reworking of the sentence as well. Frankly, once Mailer gets out of Hemingwayesque primary sentences, he is apt to get into trouble, and once I start spending more time fixing someone else's prose, I really lose interest.) posted by IndigoJones at 4:29 PM on April 15, 2011
When's the warehouse where he stored his ego go up for sale?
Hmm. I might be willing to put in a bid of around that, but only if it comes with Part 2 of Harlot's Ghost.
"To be continued," my ass . . .
posted by gompa at 12:14 PM on April 15, 2011 [3 favorites]