Meeting Mailer
Published 5:00 pm Saturday, March 12, 2011
“The soul virtue of losing your short-term memory is that it does free you to be your own editor.” — Norman Mailer
I don’t think I used this quote before of the late Mr. Mailer but somewhere back on the road he was mentioned when this short-term memory guy saw Norman standing outside the church next to a chauffeured Lincoln smoking a cigarette in St Paul. He appeared to be a little uneasy when I walked up. I think I shook his hand and thanked him for his performance.
He had been one of the presenters of the dialogue with another well-known notable who portrayed Scott Fitzgerald and a lesser know actress who portrayed the wife of the famous Minnesota author. It might have been a portion of The Great Gatsby presentation.
When my nephew Mongo, his real name is Eric, flew into Minneapolis we eventually found the home where Scott had lived. Mongo had a greater appreciation. Last Tuesday I began to read “Faith Without Certainty”, a liberal theology in the 21st century by Paul Rasor; Mello was the first to tear it open and take a few bites. I haven’t returned it to the Unitarian Church where I spent my first time in some time last Sunday where there was some beautiful harp music and where Rev. Dr Hepokoski closed her talk by saying that when your life ends it ends. I’ve never heard this before in a church. It was a very quiet ending and I thanked her.
In other news Mello rode over to Eau Clair with me when I took Casey back to Eau Clair. We made two stops on the way one was on the Wisconsin side of the river on the two-lane road with three drive outs. Mello was scratching the back seat, a sure indicator and that she is eager to go to the bathroom.
I stopped twice on the way back to Austin. She hadn’t been pawing the seat. I should have known. She didn’t have to go.