Earle Morris Basinsky, Jr. (1921–1963) was an American crime novelist and protégé of

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, called the "king of pulp fiction". His stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 ...

. He wrote two novels, 1955's ''The Big Steal'' and 1956's ''Death is a Cold, Keen Edge'', and five short stories.

Biography

Basinky was born in 1921 in

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 21,573 at the 2020 census. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg ...

to Earle Basinsky, Sr., and Aline Basinsky. He attended law school at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

in 1939 but left in 1942 to join the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, eventually earning the rank of captain. While stationed in

Greenwood, Mississippi Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta region, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, and 130 miles south of the rive ...

for pilot training, he met and befriended Mickey Spillane, who was then in Greenwood serving in the Army. He married Mary Johanna Poehlmann in 1945. After the war, he moved briefly to Brooklyn, New York, where he worked with Spillane. In 1946, apparently during his time with Spillane in New York, Basinsky published two short stories in comic books: "Killer's Choice" in ''Vic Verity'', and "Knife Act" in ''Don Fortune Magazine''. He returned to Vicksburg and worked at his father's printing shop, but was encouraged to return to writing when Spillane visited in 1953. Like Charlie Wells and David A. Gerrity, Basinsky benefitted from Spillane's friendship and advice as a more seasoned author, as well as a connection to publishers. As he did with several other young writers, Spillane supported Basinsky's work with encouragement and cover blurbs praising Basinsky on his novels. Spillane also put in a good word to Basinsky's future publisher E.P. Dutton, writing that "This is my buddy 's book. He was there when '' I, the Jury'' was written." Basinsky's first novel was 1955's ''The Big Steal,'' about a policeman who spirals down a dark path after being falsely accused of stealing ransom money. After losing both his job and his wife, he tracks down the real villain and gets violent revenge. A 1955 review of ''The Big Steal'' in ''Saturday Review'' called it an "incredible windup." ''The Big Steal'' was translated into French and published by the

Serie Noire Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

imprint as ''Le Magot''. In 1956, his second novel, ''Death Is a Cold, Keen Edge'', was released. It follows a psychopathic

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

veteran on a murder spree. The original cover illustrations of Basinsky's novels, done by artist Robert Maguire, have been called some of "the most evocative and memorable of the period" by Lee Server, author of the ''Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers''. Critical appraisals of Basinsky's books ranged from positive to unenthusiastic. Critic Bill Pronzini, in ''1001 Midnights: The Aficionado's Guide To Mystery and Detective Fiction'', called Basinsky's novels "vivid (and) idiosyncratic." In Pronzini's later book ''Gun in Cheek: An Affectionate Guide to the "Worst" in Mystery Fiction'', he said that Basinsky was better than his fellow Spillane protégés in that he shared his mentor's "knack for raw and stomach-churning violence," but that his writing was also cliche-ridden and narratively clumsy, with "a shameless desire to wax poetic every now and then."

Anthony Boucher William Anthony Parker White (August 21, 1911 – April 29, 1968), better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher (), was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio dr ...

, writing in the June 26, 1955 ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'', noted that ''The Big Steals dedication read "For Mickey Spillane, who insisted, and for Nathan Jr., who suffered," and, instead of reviewing the book, simply stated that "personally, I'm on Nathan Jr.'s side." Basinsky also published three short stories in crime-fiction pulp magazines in 1957 and 1958, titled, ''The Broken Window'' (February 1957)'', The Prison Break'' (October 1957)'','' and ''Decision'' (March 1958). Critic Peter Enfantino, writing about them for ''Mystery File: The Crime Fiction Research Journal'', said that they were "all short and unremarkable, flawed by outlandish premises and silly expositories." Basinsky died on March 12, 1963, in Vicksburg.

Writings

Novels *''The Big Steal'' (E.F. Dutton, 1955) *''Death Is a Cold, Keen Edge'' (Signet, 1956) Short Stories * "Killer's Choice" (in ''Vic Verity'' #4, May 1946) *"Knife Act" (in ''Don Fortune Magazine'' #4, November 1946) *"The Broken Window" (in ''Manhunt'', February 1957) *"The Prison Break" (in ''Mike Shayne'', October 1957) *"Decision" (in ''The Saint'', March 1958)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basinsky, Earle 1921 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American novelists American crime fiction writers American male novelists Writers from Mississippi Novelists from Mississippi 20th-century American male writers Pulp fiction writers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II