The 1993 conference at the University of Iowa marked a formal scholarly interest in Nancy Drew. Prior to that there was little discussion in academic journals on Nancy, other than articles arguing for or against the inclusion of the book series in schools and / or libraries. A review of the JSTOR database and other primary source databases extending back into the 1930’s and beyond shows a small collection of scholarly research which involved or invoked Nancy Drew, outside of the “are the books good enough” debate. This body of scholarship divides easily into four subject areas: • Nancy Drew as symbol of independence and self-sufficiency • Sexual identity / orientation of Nancy Drew • Racial stereotypes in the Nancy Drew novels • Copyright and intellectual property in regards to Nancy Drew novels and movies Looking at these articles, from the earliest found to the year 2000, gives some idea of how scholars viewed and regarded the Nancy Drew novels. Databases used in this study, in addition to JSTOR, include PsycInfo, Humanities Index Retrospective, Humanities and Social Sciences Retrospective, and the American Periodical Series. The articles appeared in journals across a number of disciplines, including law. A large number of other articles included references to Nancy Drew but these invoked her as a cultural icon, for example referring to someone as being like Nancy; there were more of these in more recent years. However, this study focuses on articles which discuss Nancy at length. The presentation will provide an overview of the articles and the subject-oriented themes, and a handout with an annotated bibliography will be provided.
About the presenterJulie M. Still
Julie Still is on the faculty of the Paul Robeson Library on the Camden Campus of Rutgers University. She has spoken on a number of topics at local, regional, and international conferences, and published books and articles. Her primary interests are social history, women’s studies, and digital humanities.