Books: The Ticket That Exploded

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TV Fiascoes. The crowning debacle, and the funniest bit in the book, was Mailer and Breslin's appearance on their own TV show. It cost them $3,400 and untold votes. For starters, Mailer insisted on a live production with no rehearsal and no notes. To add to the studio men's panic at such conditions, he slipped out for a few drinks ten minutes before air time. During the broadcast, Breslin forgot the punch line to an otherwise effective speech. Then Mailer, contrary to instructions, leaped out of his seat and began to roam the set while he delivered his spiel. As cameramen frantically tried to keep him in their sights, they repeatedly picked up Breslin who was rocking back and forth in his chair with his head buried in his hands.

Of this and other fiascoes, Flaherty writes: "The things I cherished in Mailer as a writer−his daring, his unpredictability, his gambling, and his bluffing−were the very things that made me want to strangle him as a politician. It was a revelation that returned my sanity." Flaherty might have got it back a lot sooner had he realized from the start that for someone like Mailer New York is a great place to campaign in, but you wouldn't want to win there.