Introductions and Prefaces
Mailer's forewords, introductions, and prefaces, to other writers' books and to new editions of his own, from Seymour Krim's Views of a Nearsighted Cannoneer (1961) to Blue Nights (2008).
Browse works: A–Z · by form · by decade · Curated: Introductions and prefaces
Mailer wrote forewords, introductions, and prefaces all his life: for friends and protégés, for a convict whose letters he championed, for photographers, poets, and boxers, and for new editions of his own books, where he looked back at what he had made. Most have a full text in this edition.
To other writers' books 23To his own books 7
To other writers' books
- “Foreword to Views of a Nearsighted Cannoneer.” Views of a Nearsighted Cannoneer, by Seymour Krim, Excelsior Press, 1961-12, 6. full text register
- “Foreword to The Beard, by Michael McClure.” Coyote; distributed by City Lights Books, 1967. full text register
- “Foreword to The End of Obscenity, by Charles Rembar.” London: Deutsch, September, vii–xi, 1969-09. full text register
- “Untitled prefatory statement to Managing Mailer.” Managing Mailer, 1970-05-01. full text register Mailer's statement printed in Joe Flaherty's account of the 1969 mayoral campaign.
- “Preface to ...Sting Like a Bee: The Muhammad Ali Story.” Abelard-Schuman, 1971-08. full text register
- “Preface to The Joker.” The Joker, 1974-09. full text register
- “Preface to Fiction Writer's Handbook.” Fiction Writer's Handbook, 1975-11. full text register
- “A Preface to The Joker.” Partisan Review, 1975. register The Partisan Review printing of the preface to Jean Malaquais's The Joker (74.14).
- “Preface to Papa: A Personal Memoir.” Papa: A Personal Memoir, 1976. full text register
- “Foreword to St. Patrick's Day with Mayor Daley.” St. Patrick's Day with Mayor Daley, 1976. full text register
- “Introduction to Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture.” Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, 1980. full text register
- “"Discovering Jack H. Abbott" / Introduction to In the Belly of the Beast.” New York Review of Books; then Random House, 1981-06-11. full text register
- “Foreword to Dear Muffo: 35 Years in the Fast Lane.” by Harold Conrad (Stein and Day), 1982. full text register
- “Dwight Macdonald: 1906-1982.” Proceedings of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, 1983-11-03. register Read as a memorial at the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1983; printed as the preface to the 1985 Da Capo edition of Macdonald's Discriminations.
- “Foreword to Oswald's Game.” by Jean Davison (W. W. Norton), 1983. full text register
- “Introduction to After the Lost Generation.” Arbor House, 1985. full text register
- “Introduction to Messages: New and Selected Poems, 1969–1989.” Q.E.D. Press, 1989. full text register
- “Preface to The JFK Assassination: The Facts and the Theories.” New American Library, 1992-05. full text register
- “Preface to A Driving Passion.” The Permanent Press, 1992-11. full text register
- “Preface to Norman Mailer: Works and Days.” Norman Mailer: Works and Days, 2000. full text register Mailer's preface to J. Michael Lennon and Donna Pedro Lennon's bibliography, the first edition of this one.
- “Foreword to Enduring Justice: Photographs.” Powerhouse Books, 2001. full text register
- “Preface to The Good, the Bad, and the Dolce Vita.” In Mickey Knox, The Good, the Bad, and the Dolce Vita, 1–5 (Nation Books), 2004-04-01. full text register
- “Introduction to Blue Nights: Photographs.” Blue Nights: Photographs, Provincetown Arts Press, 2008. full text register
To his own books
- “Special Preface to the Bantam Edition.” The Presidential Papers, 1964-05. register
- “Introduction to Deaths for the Ladies (and Other Disasters).” New American Library, 1971-12. register
- “Preface to The Presidential Papers.” The Presidential Papers, 1976-10. full text register
- “Preface to The Deer Park.” The Deer Park, 1976-11. register
- “Preface to Advertisements for Myself.” Advertisements for Myself, 1976-12. register
- “Preface to Why Are We in Vietnam?” Why Are We in Vietnam?, 1977-01. register
- “Introduction to The Naked and the Dead.” Henry Holt, 1998-05-06. register