Norris Church Mailer

Norris Church Mailer died Sunday and her friend Lawrence Schiller offers his memories of their first meeting, how she tamed her legendary husband, Norman Mailer, and her great wit. PLUS, rare photos of the famous couple.

Published Nov. 21 2010 6:37PM EST

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---9_mrzxyl — Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---9_t6n1xj — Norman and Norris in 1975.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---8_rkv4p5 — Norris and Norman, circa 1977. One of her favorite photos.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---6_jhoqne — At a friend’s house before they had John Buffalo.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---7_b6wypt — Their son, John Buffalo Mailer, in 1980 or 1981.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---4_x90tn9 — Norman and Norris in London shooting a scene in Milos Forman’s *Ragtime*. Norman Mailer played Stanford White. In the scene, Norman gets shot and Norris had to “scream bloody murder.”
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---3_jg9egv — Dressed to go out to a party on the balcony of their Brooklyn Heights home, in 1983 or 1984.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---2_vkzab2 — Sitting in a bar with Pablo Armando Fernandez on a trip to Cuba.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---1_wir0ax — With Joyce Carol Oates, who is holding a copy of *The Executioner’s Song*, 1981.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives

galleries/2010/11/21/norris-church-mailer/norris-church-mailer---5_kxap6b — With Liz Smith, 1984.
Courtesy of the Norman Mailer Estate Archives