Norman Mailer’s reputation as a hot-tempered egotist was built upon his relationships with women, his alcohol use, and his public spats with prominent intellectuals. Specific incidents, such as his drunken stabbing of his second wife, in 1960, didn’t help. Still, a fighting spirit was integral to Mailer’s character, and he wrote fearlessly on countless subjects. A new documentary, which debuted at this year’s DOC NYC festival, tracks the highs and lows that accompanied Mailer’s “6 marriages, 9 children, 11 bestselling books, and 2 Pulitzer Prizes.” How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer features archival footage and interviews with the writer’s family, and public figures including Oliver Stone, John Waters, and James Wolcott. —Jack Sullivan