By Shari Randall
When I was a little girl, I rarely noticed the authors’ names on the books I gobbled up like penny candy from the corner store. The only exception was the author of my favorite books. Even though we referred to them as “Nancy Drews” my friends and I knew the author of the yellow covered books we traded was Carolyn Keene.
Imagine my shock when I learned there was no “Carolyn Keene” and that it was a pen name for a stable of ghostwriters from the Stratemeyer Syndicate (is there a more terrifying corporate name?)
As the years passed, I occasionally stumbled upon articles about the authors who made up that group, especially the first ghostwriter, Mildred Wirt Benson. Mildred and the other “Carolyn Keenes” inspired generations of young readers, especially girls. These authors gave us a female protagonist with agency, without parental interference or control, and a jazzy blue roadster. I believe Mildred and her co-ghosts were one of the most influential groups of women in America (and if my FB feed is any indication, the world). Many women who broke glass ceilings have spoken of their hours reading Nancy Drew, women including presidential candidates and Supreme Court justices. My years as a children’s librarian has taught me that very little shapes the worldview of a child like the stories they read.
Every July 10 on my Facebook author page, I commemorate Mildred’s birthday. As “Carolyn Keene,” she ghostwrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drews, creating the template for the determined girl detective that has inspired millions of young readers.
Raise a glass with me to Mildred. She opened the door for so many of us to the joy of reading mysteries. To Mildred!
Here are five fast facts about Mildred:
Her typewriter is in the collection of the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History.
She was an avid traveler and adventurer who trained as a pilot, traveling to South American archaeological sites before they were opened to tourists.
In 1927, she was the first student, man or woman, to earn a master’s in journalism at the University of Iowa.
She worked as a journalist for 50 years, mostly on the courthouse beat for the Toledo Blade.
Her role as Carolyn Keene was kept under wraps until researchers uncovered the story in the 1980s.
Shari Randall now has her own pen name, and writes the new Ice Cream Shop Mysteries as Meri Allen. You can preorder the latest, MINT CHOCOLATE MURDER, now.
Fun reminder of idyllic summer days reading Nancy Drew books.
ReplyDeleteI devoured every Nancy Drew book I could get my hands on, beginning with my mother's vintage set with paper over blue cloth covers. When yellow books came out, I looked at them with jaundice eyes and read each one to discover the differences. As I recall, they were updated, but the stories were the same. Now I understand they are very updated - I bet Nancy has a cell phone and that old roadster is replaced by....what....a Prius maybe?
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Keane also taught me something very special as an author. I wrote her two fan letters when I was probably six or seven. She never answered and I was devastated. I wrote her about how much I enjoyed the series and how I wanted to be girl detective just like Nancy. My mother finally told me there was no Carolyn Keane. It didn't affect my love of the series, but it did mean I'd solved my first mystery - the case of the disappearing author. The experience taught me that if someone takes the time to reach out to you - no matter what the medium of the contact - respond. You own them that for having taken their time. If they turn out to be a retired US General currently serving in Syria looking for a date - well, that's what the block function is for, but you've done your part by responding.
Margaret, those were the days!
ReplyDeleteOh, Kait, my heart breaks for seven year old you! I wonder why the publisher didn't get those letters answered - maybe there were simply too many of them? Now I'm glad I just worshipped "Carolyn" from afar and never wrote.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shari,
ReplyDeleteI've recovered, but I think the publishing business back then was just that - business. Even moreso than today.
My love of mysteries certainly goes back to Nancy Drew.
ReplyDeleteI was a rather eclectic mystery reader in my younger days. Mysteries were a bit hard to come by. I remember interspersing whatever Nancy Drew I could hold of with my aunt's Agatha Chrisies. I don't remember preferring one over the other, except that my aunt's books would last much longer.