Iceberg Slim

Iceberg Slim was the pseudonym of Robert Beck (1918-1992), who wrote crime fiction and non-fiction books. Slim was a pimp who took his real-life experiences and parlayed them into a writing career. His name comes from his calm demeanor in intense situations, as well as his body type. He was successful in part due to his ability to conceal his emotions. He retired from pimping after a stint in jail, believing he was too old for the job and his competition was more ruthless. His common-law wife, Betty Shue, convinced him to write his life story as a novel (even helping him write it). Apparently, Slim made himself two promises in writing his memoirs – not to glamourize the life he left behind and not to snitch.