A Hack's Notebook: An autobiography of bestselling writer, Ben Haas

by Ben Haas, Joel Haas

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2026

About the author

Benjamin Leopold Haas was born in Charlotte , North Carolina in 1926. Mr. Haas stated in an interview that he inherited his love of books from his father, who would bid on hundreds of books at unclaimed freight auctions during the Depression. His imagination was also fired by the stories of the Civil War and Reconstruction told by his grandmother, who had lived through both. “My father was a pioneer operator of motion picture theatres”, Ben wrote. “So, I had free access to every theatre in Charlotte and saw countless films growing up, hooked on the lore of our own South and the Old West.” Dreaming about being a writer, 18-year-old Ben Haas sold a story to a Western pulp magazine. He dropped out of college to support his family. He was self-educated. He served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1946. He made Raleigh his home in 1959. Ben and his wife had three sons, Joel, Michael and John. Ben held various jobs until 1961, when he was working for a steel company. He had submitted a manuscript to Beacon Books, and an offer for more came just as he was laid off at the steel company. He became a full-time writer for the rest of his life. Ben wrote every day, every night. “I tried to write 5000 words or more every day, scrupulous in maintaining authenticity”, Ben said. His son Joel later recalled, “My Mom learned to go to sleep to the sound of a typewriter”.
His son John told me “It sounded like machine-gun fire coming out of his office”. Writing nonstop over the next 16 years, Ben Haas would create somewhere around 130 books under his own name and a dozen pen names.

Full Name: Benjamin Leopold Haas

Known Pseudonyms:
John Benteen
Thorne Douglas
Ben Elliott
Richard Meade
Quinn Reade
Jack Slade
Ben Stone

Reviews

[B.J. Burgess]

In essence, A Hack's Notebook was an engaging read, a vortex of nostalgia wrapped in 169 pages of Kindle glory. Was it perfect? Yes and no—and maybe yes again. Technically, Ben Haas’s autobiography feels incomplete, leaving us readers pondering how he would have concluded his saga. I longed for insights into his Fargo and Sundance years, yet now I can only guess at what might reside within those missing chapters. Still, it was a fascinating niche read, a glimpse into a world where grit, loss, and triumph shape a writer’s legacy in the rugged terrain of pulp fiction. ╌★★★★★

Find the full review on my blog at https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/....