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November 11, 2007

Tribute To Norman Mailer

Guest blogger Bill Grimes writes:

In an article in The New York Sun today on the life of Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal was quoted as saying, “He was interesting because he was so interested.” And that brought back a vivid memory of my brief encounter with Mr. Mailer.

It occurred in the mid-nineties in what was then the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. It was just about noon and I was seated in the mezzanine floor waiting to meet a business associate for lunch. The entrance to the hotel was on the street level floor below and from my seat in a high back cushioned chair I had a clear view of the visitors entering the hotel.

There were no others sitting in this lounge and I was leafing through a copy of US News and World Report that had been placed on a nearby table. I glanced down beyond the stairs to the revolving front door of the hotel and saw a man with a prominent white head of hair and a slight slump of step enter the lobby.

It was Norman Mailer. I had recently finished his novel, “Harlot’s Ghost,” a story of the CIA in the pre- and immediate post-Kennedy years. It was a subject of great interest to me and although this Mailer novel had not received high critical acclaim, I had been enthralled by it.

Slowly he ambled up the stairs. Our eyes met and with no afore thought I began clapping my hands without them actually touching, showing the gesture of an ovation ,but making no sound. He smiled instantly and walked over towards me. I arose and said spontaneously. “Mr. Mailer, I want to thank you for Harlot’s Ghost. It gave me much pleasure and insight.”

He looked at me for a long moment with piercing blue eyes affixed on mine and said, “Well, thank you very much. It was a labor,” he said with a brief chuckle. “What is your name?” He extended his hand and we shook. His grip was as firm as his beam. I answered.

“And, Mr. Grimes, where do you live and what is your main interest?”
I replied and mumbled something about having been CEO of ESPN. He said, "That is great stuff. I would love to see a little more boxing on the channel. What do you think?"

I agreed, not wanting to delay the great man even though he seemed to be in no hurry. He said goodbye and good luck and I expressed a desire to read his next book.

I’ll always remember Norman Mailer "because he was so interested."

Posted by Charles Warner at November 11, 2007 06:43 PM

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