Mailer Memorialized

Sean Penn speaks during a memorial for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. Penn read a brief statement from his Blackberry that he had composed.

Trombonist Peter McEachern plays "Requiem for a Boxer" at a celebration of the life of Norman Mailer Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. Speakers praising Mailer, who died in November at 84, included Sean Penn, Tina Brown and fellow authors Joan Didion and Don DeLillo.

The Mailer family looks on as Normal Mailer's sister, Barbara Mailer Wasserman, speaks at "The Time of His Life", A Celebration of the Life of Norman Mailer tribute Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. The family announced that a charitable foundation has been established in Mailer's honor to finance a writer's colony in his longtime hometown of Provincetown, Mass.

A photo of Norman Mailer is projected above the empty stage during a video tribute at "The Time of His Life", A Celebration of the Life of Norman Mailer April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. The Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of "The Armies of the Night" and "The Executioner's Song" died in Nov. 10, 2007, at 84.

Lonnie Ali, wife of Muhammad Ali speaks at "The Time of His Life", A Celebration of the Life of Norman Mailer tribute Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. Ali called Mailer "loud, loquacious and self-promoting," but also "warm, affable, lovable and funny."

Charlie Rose speaks at "The Time of His Life", A Celebration of the Life of Norman Mailer tribute Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. Mailer died Nov. 10, 2007 at the age of 84. Rose served as master of ceremonies for the event that was described as part concert, part literary tribute and part Friars Club roast.

Author and editor Tina Brown speaks at "The Time of His Life" tribute to Norman Mailer Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. More than 2,000 mourners filled Carnegie Hall to near-capacity Wednesday for a two-plus hour memorial, a concert, literary tribute, family therapy session and Friar's Club roast.

Author Joan Didion described Normal Mailer as "ambitious to the point of vertigo" during a tribute to the late Pulitzer prize-winning author Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. More than 2,000 people packed the famous concert hall.

The Mailer family looks on as daughter Kate speaks at a tribute to her late father, Norman Mailer, April 9, 2008, at Carnegie Hall in New York. The warmest drama, and wickedest comedy, came from Mailer's nine children and stepson. They revealed Mailer distrusted garlic, hated plastic, TV commercials and false piety. He loved pot roast, oysters and Hershey's chocolate. He encouraged, scolded, terrified and comforted.