Jennifer Fisher, a Nancy Drew expert, author, collector, and historian, sheds light on the life and work of Mildred Wirt Benson, the original ghostwriter of the Nancy Drew series. Fisher reveals how and why the original 34 Nancy Drew books, which were published beginning in the 1930s, were revised decades later—sometimes significantly. She compares the original and revised versions of THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE; discusses the Jennifer Fisher Collection & Portfolio at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library; considers how Mildred Wirt Benson might be considered a real-life Nancy Drew; describes the 1980 court case surrounding the rights to the Nancy Drew series; and offers tips surrounding the art of biography writing.

To learn more about Nancy Drew, visit Fisher’s comprehensive website, which offers information about Nancy Drew books, history, facts, collectibles, and beyond.

Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email [email protected] (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.