In 1930, the Stratemeyer Syndicate published the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. Since then, Nancy Drew has become known around the world. But who was behind Carolyn Keene? The mystery of the pseudonym persisted until a 1980 court case identified Mildred Wirt Benson, a journalist and IowaContinue reading “New Website Celebrates Mildred Wirt Benson, the First Carolyn Keene”
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Calling All Sleuths! 2015 Nancy Drew Iowa Convention
University of Iowa Libraries, Special Collections Dept. Come check out the 2015 Nancy Drew Iowa Convention, celebrating the 85th anniversary of Nancy Drew and the 110th anniversary of Iowa native and Nancy Drew author, Mildred Wirt Benson! 9:30am, Friday, May 1 University of Iowa Main Library, Room 2032. This event is free and open toContinue reading “Calling All Sleuths! 2015 Nancy Drew Iowa Convention”
Mildred Wirt Benson, Iowa’s most successful “ghost”
Welcome to Women’s History Wednesday, now in our fancy new home at the Iowa Women’s Archives tumblr! Despite our recent Mildred Wirt Benson gif-a-thon, we couldn’t resist one more post on Iowa’s most successful “ghost” for Halloween. In a 1973 essay for our Books at Iowa journal, Benson described getting her start as a ghost writer.Continue reading “Mildred Wirt Benson, Iowa’s most successful “ghost””