Norman Mailer 1923 - 2007

Yesterday we lost one of our country's greatest writers. I read a few of his books and one of my college English professors wrote two books about his work. I prefered listening to him on TV where I saw him a few weeks ago. His health was frail but his mind was as sharp as ever. One of the greatest  TV moments anywhere was on The Dick Cavett Show about '71 when he got into a verbal fistfight with Gore Vidal.  Their erudite insults were beyond witty, including Cavett's who had to referee. They returned for another show to tell their sides of the incident but before the taping, Mailer headbutted Vidal who was later seen rubbing his forehead during the interview. Years later they ended their feud and worked together. I still remember watching it while in college and wish it will be issued on DVD. Mailer will be sorely missed.  He was more than a writer and created controversy wherever he went. Here's an overview of his career and wild life:  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/11mailer.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin