Clarence Budington Kelland

Born in Portland, Michigan, in 1881, Clarence Budington Kelland built a remarkably long writing career that ran from the 1910s into 1960. He became a familiar name in magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and was known for being both prolific and versatile.

Kelland wrote for younger readers as well as adults. His best-known juvenile books include the Mark Tidd and Catty Atkins series, while adult readers especially remembered the Scattergood Baines stories. He also wrote Arizona, and his story "Opera Hat" became the basis for the film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, helping keep his work alive beyond the page.

Though he once jokingly called himself "the best second-rate writer in America," that line hides how successful he really was in his day. He died in Arizona in 1964, leaving behind a large body of fiction that captures the brisk, magazine-driven storytelling style of his era.