Romantic Notions

First, it was Hogwart’s School headmaster Albus Dumbledore being outed by his own creator, J.K. Rowling. Now, the Webzine 10 Zen Monkeys asks, “ How Gay Were the Hardy Boys?” Speaking of Leslie McFarlane, the Canadian-born journalist, novelist, and screenwriter who (under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon) ghostwrote many of the earliest adventures of sleuthing brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, 10 Zen Monkeys observes that “He hated the Hardy Boys. But he wrote the Hardy Boys. Did their original author hide secret jokes inside the famous children’s detective books?”

The author of this post sifts through all sorts of clips from the stories, looking for clues to the Hardys’ sexual orientation--none of which, fortunately, is Larry Craig-esque toe-tapping in an airport restroom. Read the full piece here.

(Hat tip to Sarah Weinman).