July 1, 2024

Last Full Day

Well, Autumn and the boys arrive tomorrow, so I got in early for my last full day of research at the HRC. I don’t know that for sure, but I imagine that any addition time will be limited. My fellowship officially ends on July 6, but that’s when the family flies back to Georgia. I plan on getting an early start on July 7. I’m ready.

Today, I’m continuing where I left off on Saturday, with the correspondence from 1960. I’m getting very little germane to my research interest here, but I figure I have to get through at least the early ’60s. I’m still seeing the occasional laudatory comment of “Her Time,” but I’m hoping to find a bit more on “The Last Night,” though he doesn’t write that until 1962.

Not much in Box 537. Box 538 contains correspondence sent to Mailer in Bellvue where he was committed after he stabbed Adele on November 19, 1960. There are dozens of letters of support and continued praise, like this note from Dwight Macdonald, undated, but ca. late-1960. While it’s not on Macdonald’s note, most other correspondence going to Mailer in Bellvue is stamped “Censored.” I’m assuming that means the powers-that-be are approving all missives that Mailer sees.

I went through Box 573 (out of order), hoping for something on the short fiction, but all I got was a proposed TOC for the volume from Dell, dated January 18, 1967. Otherwise, nothing. I guess by this point, putting together a collection was easy for Mailer.

(Apparently, I’ve been researching wrong. I was just admonished by a research librarian for not keeping the papers on the desk as I looked at them—I had leaned back in my chair and was holding a letter up. Then, I was told not to tap the folders—that I can just make sure nothing is sticking out when I put the folders back. Oops.)

Box 539 has a letter that corrects Mailer’s use of the phrase “carcinoma of the duodenum” in “Her Time.” He explains that Sergius having such a thing would be unlikely—I’m not really sure of his reasoning. Mailer responds:

“ Thank you for your letter and for the correction of facts involved. I suppose I used the phrase “carcinoma of the duodenum” for two reasons. (1) I was guilty of enjoying the sound of it, and (2) I was bothered a couple of years ago by an irritation of the duodenum which seemed to me to correspond to the physical state of Sergius O’Shaunessey at that point in my story. ”

So there. I agree with Mailer: the phrase does resonate.

I am requesting at least two more boxes.