author
Day Keene
1904–1969
A fast, hardboiled storyteller of the paperback era, he wrote dozens of crime novels packed with fugitives, grifters, and people in over their heads. His work also reached radio, television, and film, helping make him one of the most versatile pulp and noir writers of the mid-20th century.
1 Audiobook
"What So Proudly We Hail..."
by Day Keene
About the author
Born Gunnar Hjerstedt in Chicago in 1904, Day Keene became a prolific American novelist, short story writer, and scriptwriter. Reliable biographical sources describe him as the author of more than 50 novels, and note that he also wrote for radio and television under his better-known pen name.
He was especially associated with hardboiled and paperback crime fiction in the 1940s and 1950s. His stories often move quickly, mixing suspense, danger, and ordinary characters caught in bad situations, and several of his novels were later adapted for the screen.
Keene died in 1969 in North Hollywood, California, but his reputation has lasted well beyond the pulp era. He is still remembered by crime-fiction readers for his speed, toughness, and gift for turning lurid premises into gripping entertainment.