Norman Mailer, Dead.

To observe his passing, let's take from his review of A Man in Full:

At certain points, reading the work can even be said to resemble the act of making love to a three-hundred-pound woman. Once she gets on top, it's over. Fall in love, or be asphyxiated.

Great writing fueled by what was, I suspect, a harrowing first-hand experience.

He will be missed.