Of all the festive tributes to the life of Norman Mailer, Taki Theodoracopulos, a Greek shipping heir and so-called ''poor little Greek boy,'' does the best. Theodoracopulos, the former editor of NYPress' Top Drawer and present editor of The American Conservative, had known Mailer for more than four decades. From Takimag:

''On New Year's Eve 1989, I gave a party in New York for some 500 people at Mortimer's, the then 'in' place of the city. Norman and Norris were my guests of honour. So he took me aside and slowly, patiently and gently taught me the art of head butting, something Norman would challenge people with when he didn't wish to fight them with his fists, mostly those he was angry with but nevertheless liked. When I asked him about brain damage he looked nonplussed. 'But writers have stronger heads than normal people.'''