Norman Mailer interviewed by Martin Amis, 1991. (4 of 4)

[queenban]

Solid answers to serious questions. Thanks for posting.

[wmthomason]

Compelling for the listening & the learning: these masters of language and thought.

[Mrsilenciobackgammon]

I quite enjoyed this. He was an education. Thanks for the post.

[artistsandbox]

I like the comment on the corporate emphasis on marketing versus putting out quality products

[pinkjammies666]

What a fantastic interview! Mailer rules! Great questions by Amis.

[TheSpoonFedFukWit]

I agreed with a great portion he said.

[traccan]

While it's difficult to agree with much of what he says, he's amazingly right ..and prescient..about corporate America and what is going to happen to the country when the depression hits. That's the one thing the Republicans just can't see...how bloody indoctrinated we are to the dictatorship of multinationals, despite being totally paranoid about the 'dictatorship' of the State.

[gitchigoomi]

When I was young and thought I was the smartest person in the room, I loved this guy. As I got older, more intelligent, and naturally more conservative, he started to look more and more like a fucking idiot. Some of his writing is so permeated with his own ego that they are embarrassing. They are also naive and ultimately irrelevant. There is nothing more pathetic than an aging liberal.

[bapyou]

@gitchigoomi "As I got older, more intelligent, and naturally more conservative" A natural progression? I know plenty of doofus conservatives older than me.

"There is nothing more pathetic than an aging liberal." Ohhhh ... I'd put an aging conservative who's lost all sense of proportion and morality right up there as well.

[gitchigoomi]

@bapyou I was referring to conservatism coming naturally as a function of age, which is generally true. "Intelligence" does not necessarily follow the same path, but depending on how you define intelligence, it can be very overrated in terms of its practical value. Plenty of so-called intelligent people are clueless in matters of everyday practicality. Lastly, it's the liberals who are immoral, or amoral, generally. Disagreement aside, your civil and intelligent response is refreshing.

[septip123]

1:10 - brilliant!

[jide1000]

I believe Mailer was consistent, and to a great degree prophetic. He was not infallible . Who is? But by and large history will not judge him harshly.

[hieraxhideo]

@jide1000

who is infallible? He was courageous and smart and thats what good can be said about him. He was egotistical too but that probably fed his courage.

[AlannahBabalon156]

Excellent interview with one of the literary greats. I agree with Guedingen's comment below, the only one left now is Vidal and we will never see their likes again.

[ZachClooney]

Agree. Why won't we see the likes of Mailer and Vidal again? Why should we think like that? Mailer bravely wrote about how he saw the world. And there are still novelists who have that mindset. The only question is whether a novelist can make a living by writing novels alone. Mailer and Vidal were able to live and earn by the pen. What do you think?

[CocoCruise]

THanks for posting this.

[Tlk2435asdko43]

damn, the fema camps are real

[Markamccann]

Excellent contribution!  Superb interview, many thanks.

[Guedingen]

ONly Vidal's left now - we'll never see their likes again. With all their faults, they were giants. Many thanks.

[fingersjones]

i'll second that - good stuff

[parttimeyid]

great stuff, thanks for posting. there's a great lack of programmes like this any more, just two writers in conversation. shame!