Of a Fire on the Moon

by Norman Mailer

Since the ability to drink with your material is as important to a journalist as the heft of his hammer to a carpenter,

But he knew now why he was so irritated with everything and why he could not feel a thing. It was simple masculine envy. He too wanted to go up in the bird.

The psychology of journalists is not easy to comprehend—they scurry around like peons, they have the confidence of God.

the hour of happiness would be here when men who spoke like Shakespeare rode the ships: how many eons was that away!