The Last Party: Scenes From My Life with Norman Mailer is a 1997 book by Adele Morales, second wife of Norman Mailer, whom she married in 1954. It was published in the US by Barricade Books.

The Last Party: Scenes From My Life with Norman Mailer
AuthorAdele Morales
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectNorman Mailer
GenreMemoir
PublisherBarricade Books
Publication date
1997
Pages380 pp.
ISBN1-569-800-987
OCLC35758291

The book is a memoir of Morales' and Mailer's marriage; among other things, it outlines an incident Saturday, November 19, 1960,[1] when Mailer stabbed her with a penknife at a party. He cut through her breast, only just missing her heart. Then he stabbed her in the back. As she lay there, hemorrhaging, one man reached down to help her. He snapped: "Get away from her. Let the bitch die."[2] He was involuntarily committed to Bellevue Hospital for 17 days; his wife would not press charges, and he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault, and was given a suspended sentence.[3][4] Morales was admitted to University Hospital in Manhattan for treatment of her injuries. In the short term, Morales made a partial physical recovery. She divorced Mailer in 1962 as a result of the incident. The stabbing incident has been a focal point for feminist critics of Mailer, who point to themes of sexual violence in his work.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "Norman Mailer Arrested in Stabbing of Wife at a Party", The New York Times, November 22, 1960. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  2. ^ "Johann Hari: Why do we ignore the abuse of women?", The Independent, November 15, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  3. ^ "Of Time and the Rebel." Time. December 5, 1960. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  4. ^ "Crime and Punishment; Norman Mailer Stabs His Wife At A Party In Their New York Apartment." Entertainment Weekly, November 15, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  5. ^ Millet, Kate. Sexual Politics Virago, 1991. pp. 314–5.

External links edit