
author
1862–1942
A wildly prolific American writer, she moved easily from mysteries and children’s books to light verse and literary humor. Her work was hugely popular in the early 20th century, and she was also known as a serious collector of Walt Whitman materials.

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells

by Carolyn Wells, Harry Persons Taber
Born in Rahway, New Jersey, in 1862, Carolyn Wells became one of the most productive American authors of her era. Reference sources including Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Poetry Foundation describe her as a writer of mystery novels, children’s books, poetry, parody, and humorous pieces, with a career shaped by wide reading and an early love of literature.
She is especially remembered for her mysteries, including books featuring detective Fleming Stone, but her range was much broader than crime fiction alone. The Poetry Foundation notes that she also wrote nonsense verse and other light, playful work, while Britannica highlights just how prolific she was across several genres.
Wells died in New York City in 1942. Her Wikipedia biography notes that she built an important collection of Walt Whitman books and manuscripts, later left to the Library of Congress, which adds another side to her legacy: not just as a popular author, but as a devoted literary collector too.