Dissent

The American quarterly of the democratic left, founded in 1954 by Irving Howe and Lewis Coser. Mailer's first appearance was "The Meaning of 'Western Defense'" (54.1) in the magazine's second number, issued 1 April 1954; he served on the Dissent editorial board from 1954 until the mid-1980s. Dissent would later publish his most influential essay, "The White Negro" (1957).

Mailer at Dissent

Mailer’s Dissent appearances through 1954, all in the magazine’s first volume:

• “The Meaning of ‘Western Defense’” (54.1, spring 1954) — first appearance; a revision of “The Defence of the Compass” (51.4).
• “In Re: Sidney Hook” (54.2, summer 1954) — letter to the editor.
• “David Riesman Reconsidered” (54.3, autumn 1954) — review essay.

Mailer joined the editorial board in 1954 and remained on it until the mid-1980s. The landmark to come is “The White Negro” (1957), which Dissent publishes and which Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Books then issues as a pamphlet.

The ProjectMailer.net Important Dates summary records that Mailer’s contributing-editor tenure runs 1953–1961 — distinct from, and shorter than, the longer “editorial board” tenure noted above. The two roles may not be identical; the reconciliation is left for a later review pass.

Related pages

• 1954
• The Meaning of 'Western Defense' | In Re: Sidney Hook | David Riesman Reconsidered
• The Defence of the Compass (51.4)

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Last updated: 2026-05-26