The Secret of the Old Clock. The novel marks the debut of teenage sleuth and enduring female juvenile icon Nancy Drew. In her sporty blue roadster, Nancy transforms the accepted image of passive femininity into that of an active problem solver; by 1933 the series would outsell popular boys' series, such as the Hardy Boys, by nearly two to one. "Carolyn Keene" is a pseudonym for the many contract authors of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, created by Edward Stratemeyer (1863-1930), which produced a number of popular juvenile fiction series. Many of the Nancy Drew mysteries were written, or were based on outlines prepared by, Stratemeyer's daughter Harriet Adams (1894-1982), who also wrote several Hardy Boys stories.
Career Highlights: Nancy Drew, Trouble Shooter, Nancy Drew, Reporter, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
First Major Screen Credit: Nancy Drew - Detective (1938)
Biography
As the author of the original Nancy Drew series of mystery novels, Mildred Wirt Benson (aka Carolyn Keene) shot to fame penning thrilling tales concerning a fearless and stylish teen detective who never failed to get to the bottom of the case. Born in Ladora, IO, Benson was the first person to receive a master's in journalism from the University of Iowa, in 1927. As a reporter who never backed down from a challenge, the future author laid the foundation for a literary creation that would enthrall generations and inspire numerous adaptations even after Keene herself halted writing Nancy Drew adventures. Paid 125 dollars per tome and receiving no royalties for the books or their resulting spin-offs, Benson continued to write novels (including the Penny Parker mysteries) and work as a reporter, all the while bound by an agreement with the publisher to keep her identity as the originator of Nancy Drew secret. Though her shrouded identity remained uncovered for years, she was finally revealed as the originator of the series when one of the publisher's daughters attempted to take credit and Keene was forced to testify in 1980. Working tirelessly well into her nineties, the tough writer wasn't slowed by failing eyesight, and even returned to her desk a day after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997. After going into semi-retirement in 2002 (at the age of 96), Benson died shortly after being struck ill at her Toledo Blade desk. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Carolyn Keene is the pseudonym of the author(s) of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories, both produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. In addition, published a Nancy Drew spin off "River Heights".
Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Syndicate, hired writers, beginning with Mildred Wirt, later Mildred Wirt Benson, to write the manuscripts for the Nancy Drew books. The writers initially were paid $125 for each book and were required by their contract to give up all rights to the work and to maintain confidentiality.
Benson and Edward Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Adams, are often credited as the primary writers of Nancy Drew books under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene;[1] other ghostwriters who used this name to write Nancy Drew mysteries included James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, Nancy Axelrad, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., Margaret Scherf, and Susan Wittig Albert. Also involved in the Nancy Drew writing process were Harriet Stratemeyer Adams's daughters, who gave input on the series and sometimes helped to choose book titles;[2] the Syndicate's secretary, Harriet Otis Smith, who invented the characters of Nancy's friends Bess and George;[3] and the editors at publishers Grosset and Dunlap.[4] The editors at Grosset and Dunlap were so heavily involved in writing the Drew books that they won the rights to the first 56 titles as the result of a 1980 lawsuit.[5]
In 1986, the Syndicate was bought by publishers Simon and Schuster; the Drew books are now handled by Mega-Books, a New York book packager.[6]
Dana Girls authorship
Leslie McFarlane wrote the first four Dana Girls stories in 1934 and 1936. This series is a feminized version of The Hardy Boys. These volumes were advertised as being written by the author of Nancy Drew, and were promoted heavily on dust jackets for this series. The Dana Girls were later ghostwritten by others, including Mildred Benson and Harriet Adams. The series went out of print for about four years, from 1945 to 1949, and was reintroduced with revised dust jacket art and illustrations at that time. The series stopped production in 1968, was modernized, and reintroduced in 1972.
