Along with a jillion other people, I got to spend a little
time with Spillane during his last years. Without a doubt, he
was one sweetheart of a guy.
As indicated, he give a hoot about critics of his work
He measured his self esteem as a writer (he disliked the term
"author") solely on how many people bought his books.
Mickey's approach to writing was akin to mowing a lawn or
selling cars. Writing was a mercantile trade and he was a
working class guy.
He told me once, "Any book that takes longer than two weeks
is a waste of time. Throw it in the trash".
Another Spillane missive:
"Every book of mine has a beginning, middle and an end. I try
to make the ending better so people will go out and buy my
next book. As R.H.Macy used to say, 'Never disappoint your
customers'."
One can certainly debate the quality of Spillane's writing,
then and now, but his success is unassailable.
Alan
Alan K. Rode
www.alanrode.com
_____
From:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of JIM DOHERTY
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 8:03 AM To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re:
Mickey Spillane
Al,
Re your comment below:
"What's perhaps more remarkable than the big sales of
'I, The Jury' is that fact that seven of Spillane's novels
are listed as selling over 5,000, 000 copies."
In the '50's, of the ten best-selling novels ever publsihed
(at least since records had been kept), seven were by
Spillane. He'd only written seven novels by that time.
At some literary gathering, one incensed intellectual
couldn't resist commenting to Spillane about how this success
was proof of the debased standards of the Great
Unwashed.
"What a terrible comment on the tastes of the general
public," he said, "that of the the ten best-selling novels
ever published, seven were written by you."
"Just be glad I didn't write three more," Spillane
retorted.
As for the Corelli factor, Spillane already HAS lasted. I THE
JURY was written more than six decades ago, and is still in
print.
A few weeks after his death, his widow got a royalty check
from Germany for $50,000. I think it was for MY GUN IS QUICK.
A $50,000 royalty, from one country, for a book that's over a
half-century old. How many of us would feel we'd been major
successes if we got only half that, from the whole damned
world, and never a cent more, for something we'd just
written.
You may not like him, but nobody stays on top that long
without having something on the ball.
JIM DOHERTY
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