WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – (Sept. 16, 2016) – The Norman Mailer Society, in partnership with Monmouth University’s Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, will hold its 14th annual conference on campus from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. Barbara Mailer Wasserman, Long Branch native and sister of the late Norman Mailer, will provide the keynote address, “Mailer Roots in Long Branch.” Also included in the conference will be a reading by Monmouth Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Alex Gilvarry from his upcoming novel, Eastman Was Here and a performance of the one-woman play, A Ticket to the Circus , by Bonnie Culver, based on the memoir of Mailer’s wife, Norris Church Mailer, performed by K.C. Leiber.
The program also includes a panel discussion, “Long Branch History,” moderated by Susan Goulding, chair of the English department, and co-chair of the conference. Joining her are Stan Blair, interim dean of the University’s Honors School, Randell Gabrielan, vice-chair of the Monmouth County Historical Commission and Melissa Ziobro, specialist professor of public history at Monmouth.
Other notable panels include “Putative Comments on the 2016 Election by the Late Norman Mailer,” chaired by former Mailer Society president, author Mark Olshaker. The panelists are Neil Abercrombie, former governor of Hawaii, Mailer’s son, Michael, a filmmaker and Mailer’s nephew, writer Peter Alson. Another is “Children of Famous Writers,” featuring Mailer’s daughter Susan, Kaylie Jones, daughter of novelist James Jones and Greg Bellow, son of novelist Saul Bellow. This panel will be moderated by Mailer Society president and conference co-chair, J. Michael Lennon.
The following events, all of which will be held in Wilson Auditorium, are free and open to the public:
Sept. 29, 2:45-3:45:
Panel: Long Branch History: Stan Blair, Randell Gabrielan, Melissa Ziobro, Moderator: Susan Goulding
Sept. 29, 8:00-9:30:
A Ticket to the Circus : A One-Woman Play by Bonnie Culver, performed by K. C. Leiber
Sept. 30, 10:15-11-15:
Panel: Putative Comments on the 2016 Election by the Late Norman Mailer: Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Peter Alson, Michael Mailer, Moderator: Mark Olshaker
Sept. 30, 1:45-2:45:
Panel: Children of Major Writers: Greg Bellow, Kaylie Jones, Susan Mailer, Moderator: J. Michael Lennon
Sept. 30, 8:15-9:15:
Reading: Alex Gilvarry reading his forthcoming novel, Eastman Was Here , introduced by John Buffalo Mailer
Anyone interested in attending additional sessions of the conference or in joining the Norman Mailer Society, please contact the society’s president, J. Michael Lennon at jmlennon1@charter.net .