Selected letters of Dashiell Hammett 1921-1960 Book

Strikes me that there are at least two types of biography. There are those written to establish the record, and then there are those written to interpret the established record. Interesting to read some of the responses to Tom Nolan's bio of Kenneth Millar. I think the minor discontent that bubbles up with the book (ie. too long, repetitive here and there) has to do with the fact that this opus noir falls into the former category. It's exhaustively researched and focused on specifics. In a way it reminds me of the bios that Matthew Bruccoli used to write (an not inappropriate connection considering the late great MJB pops up in here as Macdonald's bibliographer in the late 60s). Bruccoli was famous for telling you what he subjects paid in taxes, right down to the decimal. Just the facts, ma'am. For better or worse, we live in a Kitty Kelley world. Maybe a later writer will come along and give us the sensational Millar. There are certainly plenty of strands to tawdrify:

1. Loss of virginity at 8 to a mentally handicapped girl causing deep shame throughout remainder of life
2. Competitive marriage to the equally prolific Margaret Millar, whose works have unfortunately fallen out of print but who in the 40s and 50s actually brought home more money than Archer
3. Seemingly mixed signals and constant stress from publishers about breaking Archer open to the masses, only to have efforts to probe psychological darkness objected to
4. A daughter guilty of vehicular manslaughter who later disappears for a week causing frantic search into the scuzzbowl of Reno ... combined a decade later with the daughter's sudden death
5. A friendship with noted maneater/sex fiend Eudora Welty (come on, somebody, prove this friendship wasn't chaste---we want to know she went to the PO cause she was a crack ho and that the Blue Hammer was the nickname for Lil' Lew... The marketplace demands this!!!)
6. A horrific descent into Alzheimers that finds creative genius crumbling into proto-Reaganesque adult diapers

It's actually a relief to read a skilled journalist like Nolan and let the facts speak for the drama. If this book doesn't grip, remember that's not its job. It's here for research, for consultation, for knowing the gen behind that gat.

NOW WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE GIVE US A MARGARET MILLAR BIO AND GET HER ASS BACK IN PRINT???? She's ripe for an Ebook renaissance. Far too good to be lingering in the limbo of the forgotten.

PS. Interesting connection: Nolan for years was a music critic. Wrote a landmark 66 article on California pop/rock that remains req reading. Also authored, among others, the famous 1971 Rolling Stone cover story on Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys that at once clarified and generated myths surrounding the famous Smile farrago. Blatant suck-up: If you happen to ever see this, TN, could I get an address bc I have a copy of this book and that issue I'd love signed. Good to have him in both worlds.