Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Connie Blair

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's
talk page or in a deletion review
). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. Liz ^{Read! Talk!} 23:31, 28 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Connie Blair

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I have not been able to locate sufficient

WP:SIGCOV to justify retaining this as a standalone article. The websites currently cited appear to be fansites and are not reliable. All hits on Newspapers.com are ads for the series. No coverage on JSTOR. TWL turns up one book mention, in Good Girl Messages: How Young Women Were Misled by Their Favorite Books, but it only briefly mentions Connie Blair. The single reliable book source in the article, The Girl Sleuth

, is similarly brief about Connie.

I would be satisfied with a redirect to series author Betty Cavanna (there is little reliable content to bother merging). ♠PMC♠ (talk) 21:05, 15 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Literature-related deletion discussions. ♠PMC♠ (talk) 21:05, 15 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Comment gets name-dropped here, but from the snippet view that doesn't look like SIGCOV. Jclemens (talk) 21:47, 15 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Fictional elements-related deletion discussions. Spiderone^{(Talk to Spider)} 23:17, 15 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent
reliable sources
.
1. Carpan, Carolyn (2009). Sisters, Schoolgirls, and Sleuths: Girls' Series Books in America. Lanham, Maryland:
  ISBN 978-0-8108-6395-8. Retrieved 2022-10-17 – via Google Books
  .
  The book notes on pages 78–79: "Career girl Connie Blair, who begins with a brief modeling career and then moves into the advertising world, arrived in the late 1940s. The series was written by author Betty Cavanna, who was already known for her light teenage romance stories ... Using the pseudonym Betsy Allen, she combined career and mystery in the Connie Blair series. In The Clue in Blue, Connie works as a clothes model at Campion’s Department Store."
  The book further notes: "Romance figures more prominently in the Connie Blair series than in the other career stories of the late 1940s, since their author was known for her romantic stories, and the series was criticized for its “boy of the book concept.” Since Connie dates a different boy in each book, none of the romances are serious, and she remains committed to her career. Critics agree that the Connie Blair series, like the Vicki Barr series, generally accepts and promotes sex role stereotypes for both men and women in the 1940s, but Chamberlain argues that the Connie Blair series questions these stereotypes directly: ..."
  The book notes on page 94: "Betty Cavanna ... continued her Connie Blair career series under the pen name Betsey Allen until 1958."
  The book notes on page 105: "Advertising executive Connie Blair, whose author abandoned the series in the late 1950s, was revived twice in the 1960s by publisher Grosset & Dunlap, once in hardcover and once in paperback. Her final appearance during the 1970s was in paperback."
2. Axe, John (2002). All About Collecting Girls' Series Books: Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, Cherry Ames, Penny Parker, Kay Tracey, Beverly Gray, Connie Blair, Vicki Barr, Dana Girls & Others. Grantsville, Maryland: Hobby House Press.
  ISBN 978-0-87588-635-0.
  This Google Books link
  has a copy of the cover of the book. This is an "encyclopedia of beloved girl's series books" and "Connie Blair" is included in the subtitle.
3. Chamberlain, Kathleen R. (1991). "Every Girls' Ambition: Careers in Girls' Series Fiction, 1940–1970". Dime Novel Round-Up. 60 (6): 109–110.
  I do not have access to this article. These quotes are from Carpan 2009. The article notes: "Though Connie Blair starts out as a receptionist at her advertising agency, she eventually goes to art school, wins promotions in the art department, and gets plum assignments to do on her own."
  According to Carpan 2009, "Chamberlain argues that the Connie Blair series questions these stereotypes directly" and quotes Chamberlain as saying about Connie Blair: "The series publishers obviously were not interested in reforming sex role stereotypes in the professions. They simply wanted to produce books that would appeal to adolescent girls. And just as obviously, the readers were interested in glamorous careers that could make exciting reading. Models, stewardesses, actresses, and nurses fit the bill well without requiring the readers to enter completely alien territory."
4. ISBN 0-8203-1739-X. Retrieved 2022-10-17 – via Google Books.
  The book notes: "In the early books Connie can't go out the door without the reader being told how she looks that day. She is neat, chic, blonde. Even when she loses sleep over a case, she doesn't lose her looks [quote] Other girl sleuths are outside time and history—they are mythic—but Connie Blair mysteries are concerned with immediate commercial and social values. The stories have a certain psychological dimension, but the effect is flat and flabby. The later stories conform more rigidly to the conventional girl detective formula, and Connie gains more freedom."
  The 1975 edition of the book notes: "The glamour girl image is even more extravagant in Connie Blair mysteries, the most obviously sexist and the least inspiring of them all." A 1986 review
  of the 1975 edition of the book says, "In fact, she believes that "the priority of Connie Blair books is sexist teachings." (p. 115)"
5. Murray, Gail Schmunk (1998). American Children's Literature and the Construction of Childhood. New York:
  ISBN 0-8057-4107-0. Retrieved 2022-10-17 – via Internet Archive
  .
  The book notes: "The one career series that was popular in the fifties, the Connie Blair mystery series, features a beautiful young blond working in a highly glamorized ad agency. The stories present her as more concerned about her appearance and her clothes than about her work; she seems to gain needed information or advance her career chiefly by playing up her femininity rather than through her competence. Betsy Allen, the author, was actually the pseudonym of Betty Cavanna, a popular writer of high school romances, the most popular fictional genre for girls. The Connie Blair series implies that even a working woman needs to know how to catch a man."
6. Breen, Jon L. (1981). What About Murder? : A Guide to Books About Mystery and Detective Fiction. Metuchen, New Jersey:
  ISBN 0-8108-1413-7. Retrieved 2022-10-17 – via Internet Archive
  .
  The book provides one sentence of coverage about the subject. The book notes: "By the way, Betsy Allen's (Betty Cavanna's) Connie Blair gets the nod as heroine of the most sexist girls' series."
7. O'Keefe, Deborah (2006) [2000]. Good Girl Messages: How Young Women Were Misled by Their Favorite Books. London:
  ISBN 978-1-4742-8683-1. Retrieved 2022-10-17 – via Google Books
  .
  The book provides three sentences of coverage about the subject. notes on page 80: "Juicier than Nancy Drew and more sentimental was Betsy Allen's Connie Blair, another girl detective I liked. Perhaps the spunky quality many girls admired in Nancy was the reason I preferred Connie Blair. First appearing in the 1940s, Connie worked for an advertising agency."
There is sufficient coverage in
reliable sources to allow Connie Blair to pass Wikipedia:Notability#General notability guideline, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject".
Cunard (talk) 09:34, 17 October 2022 (UTC)[reply
]

Delete or redirect to the series. None of the sources above is significant coverage, mere mentions. Fails
WP:GNG.Onel5969 ^{TT me} 13:31, 22 October 2022 (UTC)[reply
]

Comment: The book series received 230 words of coverage in Carpan 2009, an encyclopedia entry about the series in Axe 2002, 108 words of coverage in Murray 1998~~O'Keefe 2006~~, and at least 94 words of coverage in Chamberlain 1991 (I do not have access to this article; the quotes are all from Carpan 2009). This is not "mere mentions". This is "significant coverage". Cunard (talk) 21:59, 22 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
@Cunard: Thanks for your comments! I've had a look and IMHO this is borderline. I concur the Carpan ref is SIGCOV, whereas the O'Keefe and Chamberlain ones at 108 and 94 words are very borderline, debatable per Wikipedia:One hundred words (yes it's an essay but just my subjective metric- feel free to disagree). Further, could you demonstrate that the Axe ref is RS? I couldn't find info clearly indicating the author is a subject-matter-expert or that the publisher, Hobby House Press, is a credible one with editorial policies. Of course, I'm not voting now but if you could address the concern with the Axe ref that would be great! Thanks for your time and work! VickKiang (talk) 11:04, 23 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
By the way, you said that The book provides three sentences of coverage about the subject for the O'Keefe one. How is that
WP:SIGCOV? Many thanks! VickKiang (talk) 11:09, 23 October 2022 (UTC)[reply
]
This is a mistake. I meant Murray 1998 instead of O'Keefe 2006. I've corrected this in my comment, thank you. I've discussed why I consider John Axe and Hobby House Press to be reputable in more detail below. Cunard (talk) 23:07, 23 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Liz ^{Read! Talk!} 22:39, 22 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Comment: As requested by VickKiang above, I will discuss John Axe and Hobby House Press in more detail. I consider John Axe to be a reputable author on collectibles like dolls and childrens' series books. I consider Hobby House Press to a well-respected publisher in the field of collectibles. I've provided sources below that show this.
1. Sources about the author John Axe and the books he published with Hobby House Press:
  1. Cox, Larry (2004-09-04). "It's no mystery. Give a girl style, independence and adventure, and you've got Nancy Drew" (pages 1 and 2). Newspapers.com
    .
    The article notes: "Since 1949, when John Axe read his first Nancy Drew book, the Youngstown, Ohio, resident has been more than just a fan of the series and others, such as the Hardy Boys. Such have been the enthusiasm and knowledge of the former teacher that when approached by Hobby House Press to write two reference books about boys' and girls' series books, he agreed without hesitation. Axe, 60, has written more than 24 reference books for the company. But he says that the "All About Collecting Girls' Series Books" and "All About Collecting Boys' Series Books" were the most fun to research. "
2. Sources about Hobby House Press:
  
  "About Us". Hobby House Press. 2001. Archived from the original on 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
  The "About Us" page notes: "Started in 1942 Hobby House Press, Inc. pioneered providing books on antiques via mail order. Thousands of customers were able to obtain hard-to-find research information on furniture, dolls, silver, glass and a myriad of other antiques. In the early 1970's the company concentrated its efforts on publishing books and magazines on dolls and later added teddy bears as a topic. Doll Reader magazine was first published in 1972 followed by Teddy Bear & friends magazine ten years later."
  
  "Magazine caters to doll artists". Newspapers.com
  .
  The article notes: "A new magazine aimed at filling the needs of doll artists has been launched by Hobby House Press. Doll Artistry is a bimonthly designed and written as a resource guide for those who make or dress dolls. ... Hobby House Press also publishes the magazines Doll Reader, Vintage Fashions, and Teddy Bear and Friends, as well as books on collectibles."
  
  Rinker, Harry (1998-07-19). "Youth makes restaurant-ware teapot tepid in value". Newspapers.com
  .
  The book notes: "Double-check Herlocher's values in Jan Foulke's "13th Blue Book: Dolls & Values" (Hobby House Press, 1997, $17.95, 320 pp.) and/or Polly and Pam Judd's "Hard Plastic Dolls II: Identification and Price Guide" (Hobby House Press, 1994, $14.95, 263 pp.). Marjorie A. Miller's "Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls" (Hobby House Press, 1980, 232 pp.), a detailed history of the doll, is out of print."
  
  Frank, Lorrie De (1986-12-28). "Dolls more than something to toy with". Newspapers.com
  .
  The article notes: "Author Jan Foulke, an authority on doll collecting, said ... The Foulkes teamed up with Hobby House, publishers of Doll Reader magazine, and Thelma Bateman to produce their first book. The Foulkes exclusively have written and photographed the six successive editions. Blue Book is published by Hobby House Press."
  
  Parker, Melody (2001-11-18). "Couple turns hobby into series of books". Newspapers.com
  .
  The article notes: "These charming images of rare, antique and unique photographs from the extensive collections of Mary and Steven Wikert of Ceder Falls, have been gathered and published in a series of "Cherish Me Always" books from Hobby House Press."
Cunard (talk) 23:07, 23 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Neutral to Weak Keep. The 200-word long Carpan ref seems to be
WP:SIGCOV per Wikipedia:One hundred words, so I'm at neutral to weak keep. Many thanks! VickKiang (talk) 00:12, 24 October 2022 (UTC)[reply
]

Keep Per Cunard's sources and analysis. Jclemens (talk) 03:15, 26 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's
talk page or in a deletion review
). No further edits should be made to this page.

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