Norman Mailer

1923-2007

American Novelist

American novelist, essayist, and journalist Norman Mailer was born in Long Branch New Jersey on January 31, 1923. He achieved fame with the publication of his World War II novel, The Naked and The Dead (1948), which was based on his own experiences serving in the Pacific.

Over the ensuing decades, he has continued to produce a variety of works that have won him two Pulitzer Prizes and much acclaim.

In addition to his writing, Mailer was active in the movement against the war in Vietnam and has been involved with left-wing and radical causes. His turbulent personal life has also provided much grist for the gossip mills.