Norris Church Mailer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norris Church Mailer
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Norris Church Mailer, 2000.
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| Born | Barbara Jean Davis January 31, 1949 Atkins, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | November 21, 2010 (aged 61) New York City, U.S. |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Matthew Norris; John Buffalo |
Norris Church Mailer (born Barbara Jean Davis; January 31, 1949 – November 21, 2010) was an American writer, actress, artist, and model. She wrote two novels, Windchill Summer and Cheap Diamonds. She also wrote a memoir (a book about her own life) called A Ticket to the Circus. This book shares stories from her nearly 30-year marriage to the famous writer Norman Mailer.
Contents
Early Life in Arkansas
Barbara Jean Davis grew up in Atkins, Arkansas. Her mother owned a beauty shop there. Her grandparents worked as sharecroppers, which means they farmed land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of their crops. The family was religious and attended church often.
When she was 20, Barbara married her high school boyfriend, Larry Norris. They had a son named Matthew. By 1975, at age 25, she had divorced Larry. She worked different jobs, including at a pickle factory and as a bookkeeper. Later, she and her son moved to Russellville, Arkansas. There, she became a high school art teacher, exploring her love for art. Her life changed when she met Norman Mailer.
Her Journey as a Writer
Norris was interested in writing from a young age. She started a novel based on her own childhood in Arkansas. When she showed her early draft to Norman Mailer, he gave her some feedback. This made her put her writing aside for many years.
Later, Norris became a successful model and artist. She then returned to her writing. In 2000, she published her first novel, Windchill Summer. This book tells the story of a young girl growing up in Arkansas during the Vietnam War era. In 2007, she released the sequel, Cheap Diamonds. This novel follows a young woman who leaves her small town to become a model in New York City in the 1970s.
Her last book was her memoir, A Ticket to the Circus, published in 2010. She explained that the title described her busy life with Norman Mailer, his seven children from other marriages, and her own two children. She said, "Well, I bought a ticket to the circus. I don't know why I was surprised to see elephants."
Life with Norman Mailer
Barbara Davis was a single mom and art teacher in Russellville, Arkansas, when she met Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer. They met at a book signing event. Even though she was married at the time, she and her son moved to New York to be with Mailer.
In 1978, Barbara gave birth to their son, John Buffalo Mailer. She married Norman Mailer in 1980. She became his sixth and final wife. She also became a stepmother to his seven other children. For the next 30 years, she balanced her own careers as an artist, actress, and writer with managing her home and supporting her husband's career.
Norris often defended Norman Mailer when people criticized him. She also asked for his thoughts on her book drafts.
Model, Actress, and Artist
After moving to New York, Barbara Davis changed her name to Norris Church Mailer. She took her first husband's last name, Norris, as her new first name. Mailer suggested "Church" as her middle name because she was very religious growing up.
Norris soon started a successful career as a model with Wilhelmina Models. Even though she spent a lot of time caring for her large family in the 1980s, she loved the arts. She had several successful art shows where she displayed her own artwork.
She also worked as an actress in several movies and TV shows. Her acting roles included Jet Lag (1981), Ragtime (1981), The Executioner's Song (1982), Exposed (1983), and Chinese Coffee (2000). In 2010, she appeared as herself in a documentary about Norman Mailer called Norman Mailer: The American. She also acted in the daytime TV show All My Children.
Health and Passing
In 2000, Norris was diagnosed with a serious type of cancer called a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Doctors thought she might only live for two more years. However, Norris bravely fought the illness for 10 more years. She had six major operations to treat the cancer. During this time, she also cared for her husband, who was also ill.
Norris Church Mailer passed away on November 21, 2010, at the age of 61. She died at her home in Brooklyn Heights in New York City.
Her Legacy
On June 26, 2004, Wilkes University created the Norris Church Mailer Fellowship in Creative Writing. This fellowship is part of a summer workshop program. It honors Norris Church Mailer as a writer and as a board member of the university. The workshop gives creative writing students financial help each year.
