11 de novembro de 2007

Norman Mailer, Jan. 31, 1923 - Nov. 10, 2007

Norman Mailer was one of those writers that took literature by storm and then went and did the same in the field of journalism, taking it to literary heights. He was there in the 60s when everything happened. He was there with Tom Wolfe and Truman Capote when they all began experimenting a strange mix of literature in journalism, or journalism in literature.
Everybody knows Mailer as the author of The Naked and the Dead (1948) about his experience as a sargeant in the Philippines during WWII. Everybody knows he won, not one, but two Pulitzer Prizes and everybody knows he was a militant activist all throughout his life. He raised his voice against the Vietnam War back in the 60s and in the 80s he was bold enough to say that the Soviet Union was not the Cold War monster everybody thought but a weakening Third World country whose only power was the power of fear.
I, on my part, would like, today, one day after his demise, remember him for his great journalism, a New Journalism (as was baptised by Tom Wolfe) that we now call Literary Journalism. This new journalism that he used in Armies of the Night (1968) and in The Executioner's Song (1979), the first about the Vietnam War, the second about an execution in Utah, is naturally based on in-depth reporting, but it reads like a novel to an extent that we, the readers, no longer can separate fact from fiction. It is real events portrayed under the light of literature.

Mailer deserves his statute, one he won during his long life of controversy, and the one he will get post-mortem. I honour him for the journalist he was. RIP.

13 comentários:

antonio ganhão disse...

Confesso a minha ignorância. Está visto que tenho que voltar cá mais vezes...

Deixo os comentários em inglês para o Quint...

Blondewithaphd disse...

Antonio,
And you are more than welcome! Obrigada!

António de Almeida disse...

-Também confesso publicamente a minha ignorância, mas a verdade é que nunca li o que quer que fosse escrito por Norman Mailer.

quintarantino disse...

Another great author that death can't steal from us.
By the way, Blondie my friend, seems I will have to speak with you to solve the matter of my payment.
Afterall, besides being the pundit I now are also the the english talking head of your blog.
So, if you don't mind...

antonio ganhão disse...

OH, Quint aqui a Blonde é das poucas pessoas que ainda não está a colaborar no teu blog, sujeita ao trabalho escravo que tu, meu imperialista blogueano, impões!

quintarantino disse...

pouco falta, António, pouco falta...é que você bem sabe, eu em vendo um excelente blogger, logo trato de lançar o repto...
Sorry, Blondie, it's your blog my friend but one must answer.

Blondewithaphd disse...

António de Almeida,

There's a Portuguese translation of "The Naked and the Dead" in Portuguese, "Os Nus e os Mortos", but as for the other works by Mailer I too (with great shame) confess my ignorance because I don't know of any translation, but I guess there must be, after all Mailer was one the great 20th century writers!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Antonio and Quinn,

When the cat is away the mice will play... In other words: patrão fora dia santo na loja. É só a malta se despistar um pouco nas horas e quando chega... ora bem! By the way, "imperialism", in all its kinds, is my field of expertise, just to let you know:)

joshua disse...

You've started with all the fire! That is for what I've read of you all over the blogs I visit.

Great!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Gee, Joshua, don't know how to answer back!

António de Almeida disse...

"Os Nús e os Mortos", ok, vai ser a minha próxima compra em termos literários, já no próximo fim de semana.

C Valente disse...

Vim aprender um pouco mais
Saudações amigas

Anónimo disse...

Hi blondie,

I too am a blond, but at heart. My brain still works with charkoal, but at least doesn't fail, like some...

To be true, I've never read anything by Mailer... shame on me, but, so little time so many books, and authors, and interesting things to read!

For now, reading blogs and school books are my limit, but Mailer is on my to read list and probably "The naked and the dead" will be one of my Christmas presents...

I'll keep coming around. Allways nice to know there are other smart girls out there to follow...

indomável