Norris Church and Norman Mailer.

Norris Church Mailer, the Russellville-born writer, painter, model and sixth (and final) wife of Norman Mailer, has a memoir, “A Ticket to the Circus,” out tomorrow. She’s subject of a glowing New York Times Magazine feature that starts with this:

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Imagine this: It is 1975, and you are a 26-year-old high-school art teacher, the divorced mother of a 3-year-old boy, living in Russellville, Ark. You hear that a world-famous novelist is in town for one night, so you wangle an invitation to the party in his honor, hoping he’ll autograph your book. You find yourself smitten with this 52-year-old man — as he is with you — and at the end of the evening you go home together. After he leaves, you pour out your heart in a love poem and mail it to him. He mails it back — copy-edited, in red pencil.

There’s also a slideshow (dig these glasses).

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Mailer will be in Little Rock to sign her new book Monday, April 12 at WordsWorth at 4 p.m. On Tuesday, April 13, she’ll give a lecture at Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at UALR at 6 p.m. It’s free and open to the public. She’ll sign books afterwards, too.

 

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