Off to pulp heaven

• Mickey Spillane, 1918-2006.

Mr. Spillane referred to his own material as “the chewing gum of American literature” and laughed at the critics. “I’m not writing for the critics,” he said. “I’m writing for the public.” He described himself as a “money writer,” in that “I write when I need money.”

“I have no fans,” he told one interviewer. “You know what I got? Customers. And customers are your friends."