Who Is Carolyn Keene?

Unmasking the Author Who Never Was

Hi, reader! We’re opening THE MAILBAG again for extra fun content related to my serialized novel DANCING AT THE ORANGE PEEL. The Mailbag holds my unexpected discoveries while writing, including research and history bits, travel updates, photos, and much more.

If this one is too long to fully show in your email, simply click “view entire message” at the end to see images and all. Today’s entry relates to Episode 8: Nosy Neighbors. It isn’t necessary to read the episode first to enjoy this piece, but of course, I’d love it if you did.

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Who Is Carolyn Keene?

Unmasking the Author Who Never Was

For those who grew up on Nancy Drew books, the question of "Who is Carolyn Keene?" is no mystery. Keene was credited as the author of at least 29 Nancy Drew novels, as well as countless other books. So, it's still surprising to some readers when they learn that Carolyn Keene has never existed!

The name is a pseudonym, a clever mask for nearly 30 different writers over decades, starting with the talented Mildred Wirt Benson and The Secret of the Old Clock in 1930.

The Secret of the Old Clock is the book my character Libby Billings is reading in Episode 8, "Nosy Neighbors," of my historical novel Dancing at The Orange Peel. This first book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories was published originally on April 28, 1930, but Libby is reading—just as I did—-the version rewritten in 1959.

Edward Stratemeyer was the American publisher who conceived the idea of Nancy Drew, as well as other beloved series such as the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift, and many more. Born in New Jersey in 1862, he was the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the first publisher to recognize the huge—and then untapped—audience of children who craved to read adventurous tales.

A 1922 study revealed that the majority of books read by children at the time were Stratemeyer books. Stratemeyer was a prolific writer himself, having penned over 1,300 books. Realizing in the early 1900s that he couldn’t maintain his pace in writing and publishing multiple series to meet the swelling demands of readers, he began contracting with other publishers and hiring ghostwriters, including Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson.

Benson was Stratemeyer’s first choice to write the Nancy Drew series when he created it in 1929. Initially, he fancied the character as “Stella Strong,” but after he sold the series’ publishing rights to Grosset & Dunlap, they changed the name to the now iconic “Nancy Drew.” Stratemeyer provided Benson with outlines for the first four novels, and she took it from there, endowing Nancy with charisma, curiosity, and a rebellious spirit that defied the norms for young women of her era.

Benson was only 24 years old and a newlywed when she penned The Secret of the Old Clock, but she had plenty of writing credits as a journalist already. Like other writers for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, her name never appeared on the covers of the 23 Nancy Drew books she wrote. The first novel in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, and many thereafter, was published under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene.

For each novel she wrote, Benson was paid $125, which was equivalent to three months of her salary as a journalist. As a ghostwriter, she could reveal that she was employed by the Stratemeyer Syndicate but could never claim rights to her work nor reveal which books she wrote. However, her fingers never tired; she penned over 130 books across different series under a dozen pseudonyms.

The majority of the Nancy Drew stories can be attributed to the writing of Mildred Wirt Benson and Edward Stratemeyer’s daughter, Harriet Adams. The 1959 rewrite of The Secret of the Old Clock and updates to other earlier novels were done by Adams.

Harriet and her sister Edna inherited their father’s company when he died only twelve days after the first Nancy Drew book was published. Finding no buyers for the business and with the Depression looming, the sisters ran Stratemeyer Syndicate with the help of their father’s long-time secretary, Harriet Otis Smith.

Smith is credited with introducing Nancy’s friends Bess and George into the series. Harriet Adams is responsible for increasing Nancy’s age from 16 in the original to 18 in the 1959 volume, reportedly to give her more autonomy. Such tweaks ensured Nancy Drew's stories harmonized with evolving social mores, broadening her appeal across generations.

Nancy Drew has been more than a fictional character; to readers like Libby (and me); she’s been a symbol, an adventurer-heroine before her time who inspired numerous adaptations, from films to TV shows—each a reflection of their era's spirit. Her transformations over time—although not popular with all readers—mirror broader cultural shifts, presenting a young female icon who overcomes hurdles with wit, courage, and tenacity. Some representations of Nancy have held up better over time than others, but she continues to captivate readers, young and old.

The legacy of Edward Stratemeyer and his publishing empire is an indelible mark on literary history. Their innovative strategies and bold narratives captivated audiences and defined youth adventure storytelling. They encouraged young readers, many of whom navigated their stories with older siblings or parents, to embrace curiosity and courage.

On a personal note, I recently listened to Penelope Heaven read The Secret of the Old Clock (1959) on her YouTube channel. It’s been a fun romp down memory lane, but honestly, in the “rereading,” I remembered that The Bobbsey Twins and The Hardy Boys always appealed to me more.

If you’ve ever explored Stratemeyer's rich bibliographic vault, be it through Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, or any of their other adventure series, I’d love know: which character(s) stole your imagination? Share your cherished memories and let’s see how far down the rabbit hole we can go!

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See how this article relates to my novel DANCING AT THE ORANGE PEEL by checking out Episode 8: Nosy Neighbors and Episode 9, “Carter’s Eyes.”

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Sources and Resources:

Adams, Harriet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Adams

Benson, Mildred: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Benson

Edward Stratemeyer & the Stratemeyer Syndicate: https://stratemeyer.org/

Keene, Carolyn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Keene

Stratemeyer, Edward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Stratemeyer

Stratemeyer Syndicate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratemeyer_Syndicate

The Adventurous Writer Who Brought Nancy Drew To Life in Smithsonian Magazine

The Secret Syndicate behind Nancy Drew in JSTOR, nonprofit library for the intellectually curious