Norman Mailer : journaliste-écrivain ou écrivain-journaliste ?
Institution:
Bordeaux 3Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Norman mailer's literary career is unmatched. His journalistic writings are original. He does not limit his reportage to sheer facts. In sharp contrast with traditional journalists he likes to suggest, to give his own opinion, to be "hip", to speak direstly to the reader and to rewrite events in order to mould history. His nonfiction novels are all but objective. There has been an evolution in the writer's life : from the one-time "enfant terrible" -critical of the status quo- to the passionate lover of boxing, football, baseball and bullfighting to the mature writer of later works. Norman mailer has become a living legend, a theoretician of his own work, an artist, a politician, a poet, a boxer, an actor, a stage-director. . . . At last, norman mailer can be considered -at least for his nonfiction novels- as a new journalist of new non-fiction, endowed with a powerful imagination, journalistic flair, a deep insight. He has succeeded in creating a style of his own and a voice powerful enough to bring a fresh vision to the american nation.
Abstract FR:
Norman mailer est tour a tour ecrivain et journaliste. Un journaliste unique : il ne se limite pas au reportage traditionnel. Il aime suggerer, rechercher la verite, en utilisant un style tres direct. Il presente une vision interieure des etres qui peuplent son recit. Il cree une relation privilegiee entre lui, personnage-narrateur et l'evenement. Il se libere de ses obligations de creer un travail objectif. Il prefere creer des ouvrages qui sont autant des romans que de l'histoire. L'ecrivain est passe du stade de l'"enfant terrible" de ses debuts a "papa mailer", l'admirateur d'hemingway ; il s'est ainsi passionne pour les activites viriles, le football et la boxe. Les annees ont passe, le tigre a ete apprivoise ; il est devenu plus lucide, moins contestataire. Mailer possede une personnalite peu ordinaire : le verbe volontiers incisif, il est nombriliste, egocentrique, narcissique, provocateur, pretentieux, fougueux, impertinent, vulgaire, ambitieux ou modeste. Artiste, homme politique, poete, boxeur, acteur, metteur en scene, l'ecrivain est tres eclectique. Il est aussi neo-journaliste de nouvelle non-fiction. . Dote d'une imagination debordante et d'une perspicacite etonnante.