Stella Strong, Girl Detective
A new book examines America's favourite teenage sleuth, Nancy Drew:
"It's long been known that - despite the name on the books' spines - there was no Carolyn Keene. In fact, it was a man who dreamed up the young detective. In 1929 Edward Stratemeyer - creator of the Hardy Boys and the Bobsey Twins - pitched a detective series for girls to his publishers. Stella Strong, he suggested, 'a girl of sixteen' would be 'an up-to-date American girl at her best, bright, clever, resourceful and full of energy.' "
"It's long been known that - despite the name on the books' spines - there was no Carolyn Keene. In fact, it was a man who dreamed up the young detective. In 1929 Edward Stratemeyer - creator of the Hardy Boys and the Bobsey Twins - pitched a detective series for girls to his publishers. Stella Strong, he suggested, 'a girl of sixteen' would be 'an up-to-date American girl at her best, bright, clever, resourceful and full of energy.' "
The name was later changed to Nancy Drew (thank goodness) and the team of writers who constituted the pseudonym "Carolyn Keene" went on to win many avowed fans -- and not just in the USA:
"In translation, Nancy has gone global. The Swedish call her 'Kitty Drew' and the French 'Alice Roy.' A member of the Hungarian resistance recalled consuming a Nancy Drew book each day while hiding in bomb shelters."
posted by PrufrockTwo at
4.10.05
3 Comments:
Where on earth did the Hungarian resistance get a new copy of Nancy Drew everyday?
By
Anonymous, at 10:50 AM
Sorry, I meant HOW on earth.
By
Anonymous, at 10:54 AM
"Laszlo, on your next undercover trip to Buda, you must get me The Secret of Shadow Ranch!"
By
PrufrockTwo, at 6:37 PM
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