April 23, 2008

Harvard Acquires Papers of Norman Mailer's Mistress

Norman Mailer, Harvard Class of 1943, shut his alma mater out of the contest for his literary remains. The Mailer papers went to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which opened them to the public in January.

But Harvard just made its own score in the Mailer-memorabilia market. The university has spent an undisclosed sum to acquire the papers of Carole Mallory, the writer’s mistress from 1983 until the early 1990s, according to a report in The New York Observer (“Mailer Mistress Makes a Move”) and an item in the New York Post’s gossip column, Page Six (“Mailer’s Lust Goes to Harvard”).

“Mailer is a Harvard graduate, and I felt it was important to have him represented in some way in the collections here,” Leslie Morris, the Harvard curator who handled the deal, told the Observer.

The collection includes letters, photographs, and transcriptions of interviews Ms. Mallory conducted with the writer, whom she credits with teaching her how to write.

Portions are — to use Ms. Mallory’s word — “steamy.” For instance, the archive contains two unpublished manuscripts — one a memoir, one a novel — that include long descriptions (20 or 50 pages, according to the Post and the Observer, respectively) of the couple’s sexual encounters.

“Norman was a real man, and he knew what he was doing,” Ms. Mallory told Page Six. —Jennifer Howard

Comments

1. Norman Mailer’s Pickled Penis Plucked a Patsy Provost.

   — first marci    Apr 23, 04:40 PM    #

2. Hahvuhd, I know a girl with a blue dress that has American president all over it—perhaps that would add to this academically relevant collection. I feel a screenplay coming on…sort of a “Fast Times at Harvard Square” meets “Debbie does Dallas” sort of a deal. It will be big, big, big!

   — Elaine    Apr 23, 05:07 PM    #

3. Surely the Jack Abbott shiv collection is on its way to the archives at 02138.

   — Kotzk    Apr 23, 06:37 PM    #

4. I do wish I had something pithy to post like 1, 2 and 3. How about just plain old, “Have you no shame?”

   — Mary Ann    Apr 24, 09:55 AM    #

5. No, I have no shame. Why do you ask?

   — HARVARD UNIVERSITY    Apr 24, 10:37 AM    #

6. Next thing they’ll be taking the collected papers of Ms. Schvarts

   — Yalie    Apr 24, 10:55 AM    #

7. I wouldn’t pile-on there, Yalie. Your alma mater is probably already in negotiations with Monica for the blue dress as part of the “Presidential Collection”. The dress, a cigar, an ugly pant suit, and a Thank You note from Osama Bin Laden would pretty much complete that collection.

   — John    Apr 24, 12:41 PM    #

8. Yeah, why on earth would Harvard want the papers of Ms. Mallory? Surely her decade-long correspondence with Mailer couldn’t possibly offer any insight into the writer’s life. After all, she IS just a woman. In fact, why would anybody want to know anything about influential people’s lives? Let’s do away with the autobiography as well! Die, historical perspective, DIE!

   — morgan winters    Apr 24, 12:54 PM    #

9. How’d U of Texas let these slip through?

   — Spanky Context    Apr 24, 01:47 PM    #

10. Morgan, I’m not that interested in the historical context provided by a prostitute whose fees were waived in lieu of writing lessons. Women of integrity are important, while the mistress of an important writer is just another sort of streetwalker.

    — Elaine    Apr 24, 02:28 PM    #

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