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Norman Mailer was a novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, film maker, film maker, actor, and political candidate. He was quite the accomplished man in many fields. In 1980, Mailer spearheaded the successful parole of convicted murderer Jack Abbott.
In 1977, Abbott had read about Mailer's work on The Executioner's Song and wrote to Mailer. He offered to enlighten Mailer about his time behind bars and the conditions he was experiencing. Mailer was impressed and helped to publish In the Belly of the Beast, a book on life in the prison system containing Abbott's letters to Mailer.
Once paroled, Abbott committed a murder in New York City six weeks after his release, stabbing to death 22 year old Richard Adan. As a result, Mailer was subject to criticism for his role. In a 1992 interview with the Buffalo News, he admitted that his involvement was "another episode in my life in which I can find nothing to cheer about or nothing to take pride in."
