Norman Mailer in Context

Description

This volume offers new insight into the breadth of contexts that inform Norman Mailer's body of work. It examines important literary, critical, theoretical, cultural, and historical frameworks for Mailer's writing, highlighting the ways his work reflects the concerns of twentieth and twenty-first century America. This book traces Mailer's literary influences; his contributions to a variety of literary genres; his participation in the American political sphere; the philosophical, religious, and gendered contexts that shape his work; and the iconic American figures he profiled. The book concludes with reflections on Mailer's literary and cultural legacy, emphasizing his advocacy for literary freedom and the contemporary resonance of his work.

Maggie McKinley is an Associate Professor of English at Harper College. She is the author of Masculinity and the Paradox of Violence in American Fiction (2015) and Understanding Norman Mailer (2017), and currently serves as the President of the Norman Mailer Society.

'... introduces all facets of Mailer's work and directs interested readers to further resources ... the book emphasizes the work over the person, so readers will gain a fresh understanding of Mailer's writing ... Recommended.' B. Diemert, Choice Connect