BETWEEN THE LINES

Book Talk by Joe


The Beatles, Mickey Spillane and American Culture

The Beatles were, unquestionably, the most commercially successful band, not only in the history of rock 'n' roll, but in the entire history of recorded music.
Album sales just in the United States alone have exceeded 110 million (according to U.S. Record Industry sales figures).

So, by comparison, what do you think of a writer who has sold over 130 million books in his writing lifetime?

Mickey Spillane did. He recently died, on July 17, 2006, at the age of 88.

His first book, I, THE JURY was published in 1947, featuring the hard-boiled private eye, Mike Hammer. The last Mike Hammer novel, BLACK ALLEY, was published in 1996. In between, this father of the modern crime novel was extremely prolific, writing novels, short stories and even comic books.

In 1995, he was awarded the honor and title of Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, for his lifetime body of work.

Mickey Spillane, through his chauvinistic protagonist, Mike Hammer, was politi-cally incorrect, even in his heyday of the 1950's and 60's. Hammer was a killer who saw the world as black and white, who often made mistakes, who loved booze and dames (especially Velda!). He was an even darker alternative to Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe.

Spillane was proud of his pulp fiction popularity, claiming “…there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.” And, “I'm a commercial writer, not an author. Margaret Mitchell was an author. She wrote one book.”

He didn't take his success for granted, always aware and appreciative of his audience of readers. “Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it's a letdown, they won't buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.”

But the bottom line is that Mickey Spillane knew how to write. He was a master of plot, characterization, dialogue and sense of place. He was a poet who hap-pened to write for the masses, appealing to their need for vicarious justice and humanity in an unjust and inhumane world.

If you don't believe me, read the first chapter of ONE LONELY NIGHT. Or, just the first page of MY GUN IS QUICK.

Rest in peace, Mickey, and thanks for the thrills.