Mailer at the Bicentennial

November 4–7, 2026, Sirata Beach Resort, St. Pete Beach, FL

The 23rd annual conference of the Norman Mailer Society will convene at the Sirata Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach, Florida, Wednesday, November 4 through Saturday, November 7, 2026. We’ll open Wednesday evening with a cocktail meet-and-greet, followed by three full days of panels, papers, and conversation.

Theme

In 1976, the United States turned 200 and Norman Mailer was in motion. Marilyn (1973) and The Fight (1975) were just behind him; The Executioner’s Song (1979) was taking shape ahead. He was drifting away from the agitational New Journalism of the late sixties and toward the patient, ventriloquized realism that would win him his second Pulitzer. The Bicentennial moment — flag-waving and Watergate’s hangover, Carter on the horizon, the country uncertain what to make of itself — found Mailer between modes, between books, and arguably between selves.

We invite proposals that take this transitional middle as their subject: Mailer’s mid-1970s work and the cultural weather around it; his shifting relationship to journalism, fiction, celebrity, and self; the books, essays, and interviews that bridge The Armies of the Night and The Executioner’s Song; the America of 1976 as Mailer saw it — and as we now see him seeing it. As always, we also welcome proposals on any aspect of Mailer’s life, work, and legacy.

Call for Papers

The Society welcomes proposals for individual papers, panels, roundtables, creative readings, pedagogy sessions, or any other format you’d like to bring to the table. Please send:

  • A 250-word abstract
  • A short bio
  • Your affiliation (if any)
  • Any A/V needs

Submit by August 1, 2026 to Conference Director Enid Stubin at [email protected] or Matt Hinton at [email protected].

Registration Fees

All conference presenters must be members of the Society in good standing. Anyone attending who is not a presenter or moderator must also be a member; the guest fee covers a non-member companion brought by a presenter or moderator.

Accommodations

Conference panels and events will be held at the Sirata Beach Resort, and we have also secured a room block there, with reduced rates of $219/night. Please book your accommodations early, as our reserved rooms are limited; Wednesday, October 7, 2026 is the last day to make reservations at this rate.

You may also call 1-833-844-2961 (Monday-Friday 8am-5:30pm EST) and choose option to speak with a Reservations Agent. Please state that you are reserving for the Norman Mailer Society Room Block 2026.

Travel

  • Tampa International (TPA) is 27 miles from the resort
  • St. Pete – Clearwater International (PIE) is 20 miles
  • Resort Transportation Services can assist with transfers: 727-343-3303
  • Uber/Lyft typically runs $36–$80, depending on the service tier

A keynote announcement and additional program details will follow in the months ahead.