Francis Irby Gwaltney, May 15, 1964

::::::::::::::::::::142 Columbia Heights
::::::::::::::::::::Brooklyn 1, New York
::::::::::::::::::::May 15, 1964
Dear Fig,Mailer served in the Army with “Fig”, a teacher, novelist and native of Arkansas.
I can’t make this as long a letter as I’d like to, because I’ve just been working on
Installment eightThe eighth installment of An American Dream—I’ve managed to clear five weeks for it, and it may turn out to be the longest of them all, because I have to go on until the book is done. It’s not that hard to
write a hundred thousand words in eight months—I know you’ve done it often. But the
trick here is to make them one hundred thousand finished words, and that makes for
strain, because it’s hard to relax and get swinging away. So you don’t get many bonuses.
It’s a little like an actor having to memorize Shakespeare. He can’t really relax in the part
because of the demands of the language. So here you can’t relax into the serial because of
the pressure of time. Anyway, let’s see how it all turns out.
Now for some news which may be interesting to you. I’ve really missed you and
Ecey, Merry Lee and Frank, and I’d like very much to see you this summer. But why
don’t you consider this: we’re going to Provincetown for four months, June 1 to
September 30, and with any luck I hope to get a house with four bedrooms. If I do, will
you and Ecey consider coming east for two weeks this summer? Dandy,Danielle “Dandy” is Mailer’s second child Betsy,Elizabeth Anne “Betsy" is Mailer’s third child. and SusieSusan Mailer Colodro, the daughter of Mailer and his first wife Beatrice Silverman. are going to be with me for June and part of July, so things will be a little cramped during
that period. But from August 1 I’m sure we’ll have plenty of room, and if you wanted to,
you and Ecey can bring the kids. Provincetown is a fishing village three miles long and
two streets wide, population three thousand in the winter, fifteen thousand in the summer,
but I’d match it in beauty against any European fishing village I’ve seen, and it’s a
marvelous part of the East. Around then it will be getting pretty hot in Louisiana or29
Arkansas, and the nights are cool in Provincetown. So don’t argue with me. Find time
and find a way to come up and be our guest for a couple of weeks. You’ll have the best
time you’ve had in years, or I’ll consider the trip a failure. And Fran and Mary Lee will
go out of their minds swimming in salt water. (If my plans work out right, we’ll have a
house on the beach.)
MikeMichael is Mailer’s fourth child. is now a couple of months old, and his head has slimmed down from a
banana to a lemon. Much to his mother’s lack of delight I insist on calling him Lemon-
Head Boiks, since that is indeed his middle name: Michael Burks Mailer, Bev’s father’s
name being Burks Kendrick Rentz. Anyway, Mike looks ¾ like Beverly, ¼ like me. He’s
got my head, my upper lip, and a nose which gives promise of being just as fat. He looks
like a squirrel and he’s got a prick on him which makes little girls’ eyes open with
wonder, carries it in a state of constant erection, as far as I can see. Can you imagine
that—a squirrel who’s hung?
Give my love to Ecey and let me hear from both of you about this new red-hot
idea of mine. A kiss to Mary Lee. You may be the agent who transmits this.
::::::::::::::::::::Norman
===Notes===