Joan Clark

A journalist by training, she was Mildred A. Wirt Benson (1905–2002), an American writer who used Joan Clark as a pseudonym for the Penny Nichols mystery books. She became especially famous for writing many of the earliest Nancy Drew stories for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the house name Carolyn Keene.

Writing as Joan Clark, she created lively, adventurous mysteries centered on teenage sleuth Penny Nichols. Her stories are remembered for their energy, independence, and quick-moving plots, qualities that helped make her one of the standout voices in classic girls' series fiction.

Even when her name was hidden behind pen names, her influence on popular children's mystery fiction was enormous. Readers who pick up a Joan Clark book are meeting one of the key writers who helped define the smart, fearless young detective for generations.