Norman Mailer: Works and Days

1947

In September Mailer completes The Naked and the Dead in Brooklyn and submits it to Rinehart; in October he and Bea sail for Europe to study at the Sorbonne on the G.I. Bill. In Paris he begins Barbary Shore and meets Jean Malaquais, who becomes a lifelong friend and his mentor on Marxism.

September — The Naked and the Dead completed

September — Living in Brooklyn, Mailer completes The Naked and the Dead and submits the manuscript to Rinehart.

October — Europe and the Sorbonne

October — Mailer and Bea leave on the RMS Queen Elizabeth for Europe; both study French language and culture at the Sorbonne in Paris on the G.I. Bill.

Paris — Barbary Shore and Jean Malaquais

In Paris Mailer begins Barbary Shore and meets Jean Malaquais, who becomes his lifelong friend and his mentor on Marxism and the Russian Revolution.

“Millie’s Dream”

During this period Mailer makes an experimental film, “Millie’s Dream,” with his distant cousin Millicent Brower in the lead.

Cite as: /days/1947
Last updated: 2026-05-23