The Case of the Movie Tie-In
Burbank story of the day -- there's a Nancy Drew convention in town just as the new Warner Bros. movie about the plucky teen detective goes into wide release today, and I spent some time them over the past two days in researching this story.
These members of the Nancy Drew Sleuths national fan club were as young as eight and as old as 71, and they all shared a love for the mystery series. For some, it's nostalgia and comfort, while others are thrilled by the hunt that comes with trying to collect the 77 year-old kid-lit series. And of course, some are just discovering Nancy's adventures for the first time, inheriting the novels from their mothers, sisters and grandmothers.
For a fresh assessment of Nancy's legacy, check out this 1999 Salon.com write-up, which attempts to place the girl detective in a contemporary context. There's also an interview with Mildred Wirt Benson, the first ghostwriter to assume the mantle of Nancy Drew author "Carolyn Keene."
Other resources: Stratemeyer Syndicate expert James Keeline's site; Nancy Drew's wiki.