I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"A Dangerous Move At Chess" [BLAN]

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Many authors have written pastiches fitting Sherlock Holmes into a greater historical context; although most of them center around Victorian England, Charlie Roxburgh attempts to mix some Russian history with Holmesian deduction in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1780922167/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1780922167&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Case of the Russian Chessboard</a>. And although it's a promising premise, the execution is somewhat flat.<br />
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Mr. Roxburgh's tale has a great start - in fact, it's almost a pitch perfect recreation of the many tales of the Canon. In fact, the idea of Russian conspirators and tsarist enforcers operating near and around Baker Street not only reflects what Conan Doyle might have written, it provides an ample amount of promise for any Sherlockian reader.<br />
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However, although this is a very brief tale, its brevity is one of its major faults. Just as many items are set into motion, the story seems to have a rushed ending. It is not a bad tale - just one that might have been better told as a novel-length adventure rather than as a short novelette. With the "Russian Chessboard" analogy coming into play (with Holmes himself explaining it), there is a great potential that is sadly never met....and that would be a great vantage point for writing a sequel and/or continuation of this story (especially with several themes that might resonate in our present time)<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Perhaps this leaves Mr. Roxburgh in a position to expand the story under a sequel or second edition, or perhaps even to execute a series of historical pieces that bring together a number of the geopolitical forces in play in the late Victorian era. There is certainly a plethora of material there.<br />
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If you are looking for a pastiche with a fascinating premise, and some sharp writing early on, you might want to consider reading <b><i>The Case of the Russian Chessboard</i> - </b>it is a very short piece, and available as both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1780922167/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1780922167&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20" target="_blank">a paperback</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00506CZ6Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00506CZ6Q&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20" target="_blank">for the Kindle</a> via Amazon, as well directly from the Sherlock Holmes publishing powerhouse <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780922164">MX Publishing</a>.<br />
<i><br /></i><i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal</a>! and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>. </i><br />
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<i>Disclosure: <b><a href="http://cmp.ly/1">http://cmp.ly/1</a></b> - the author received a review copy of the book above.</i><br />
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"A Dangerous Move At Chess" [BLAN]

Many authors have written pastiches fitting Sherlock Holmes into a greater historical context; although most of them center around Vict...

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by Scott Monty

"Each of These Wore Some Scarf" [VALL]

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At the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MltF5YNPac&feature=relmfu">PBS Masterpiece/<i>Sherlock</i></a> question-and-answer event held on May 2 in New York City that brought Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat, wife and producer Sue Vertue and star Benedict Cumberbatch in close proximity to several hundred avid fans, event host and Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton asked Vertue (<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MltF5YNPac&feature=youtu.be&t=21m40s" target="_blank">at about the 21:40 mark</a></b>) about the rumors floating around that she had some connection to CBS’s upcoming <i>Elementary</i>. Mention of the show brought boos from the crowd. After Vertue dismissed any link with the American production, Eaton added, “And we don’t necessarily wish it the best, right?” Cumberbatch replied:</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Well, Jonny’s a friend, you know, and as we know with the Robert Downey, Jr. franchise there’s room enough for two, so why not three? It’s fine. It’ll be different and I don’t think it will take away the love from ours and there’s no need to be churlish…about it or what they’re trying to do.</span></div>
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The crowd responded with applause. It was a high point for Cumberbatch in an afternoon that had quite a few for him. In fact, he had been nothing but gracious about Miller and CBS in the months since his appearance. That is, until an article appeared in <a href="http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/tv/benedict-cumberbatch"><b><i>ShortList</i></b></a> magazine (issue 240, 30 August 2012). In a wonderful and far-ranging interview, Cumberbatch, once again, was asked about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that other</i> Sherlock:</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>What do you make of the new US modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, </b><i><b>Elementary</b></i><b>?</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TCUh7MfYY6Fg1OULLpqZb1EeilQulCA-6YrFSoMAPHICjmXS-R8_EUr6HRSfcDh-n-_JSTWYvpiuIhK455hyphenhyphenULfmH9MNG0JrqujKvNQBxbCGja5beBudJgIO0kTxP5TP5NDz-8Qtx2dx/s1600/ele06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TCUh7MfYY6Fg1OULLpqZb1EeilQulCA-6YrFSoMAPHICjmXS-R8_EUr6HRSfcDh-n-_JSTWYvpiuIhK455hyphenhyphenULfmH9MNG0JrqujKvNQBxbCGja5beBudJgIO0kTxP5TP5NDz-8Qtx2dx/s200/ele06.JPG" width="160" /></a><span style="color: blue;">Jonny [Lee Miller] asked me if I was all right with him doing it. I said, “What are the similarities?” And he went, “Well it’s modern...” I went, “Oh.” Then he said, “Lucy Liu’s going to play Joan Watson...” And I went, “Oh.” I got hold of the pilot script just to check it out. I don’t know, we’ll see. I think there’s room for us both to coexist. I don’t feel threatened by it and I wish him the best, which is as diplomatic as I can be.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>It’s a strange position to be in...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">It’s very odd. I did say, “Well, I’d prefer you didn't do it but you've got a kid to feed, a nice house in LA and a wife to keep in good clothes.” When you get used to a certain standard of living and they waft a pay cheque at you, what are you going to do? I think Jonny was like, “Mate, I've got the  [expletive] mountain to climb here [to reach the acclaim of <i>Sherlock</i>], you've got nothing to fear.” I wish him the best of luck, but I’m a bit cynical about why they've chosen to do it and why they cast him.</span></div>
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Was this a glimpse of Cumberbatch’s real feeling? Was this frustration about being asked, for the umpteenth time, about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elementary</i>? Whatever it was, it was about as close to nothing as one could get. However, to the media journos it was like a catfight between frenemies on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Real Stars of the British Entertainment Industry</i>. It was played up fast and big. In fact, realizing that he came off sounding tetchy, Cumberbatch told this to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/benedict-cumberbatch-jonny-lee-miller-elementary-sherlock-366932"><b>The Hollywood Reporter</b></a>:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"I am both bemused and upset at this misquote. I never said that Johnny took the job for the paycheck nor did I ask him not to do it. What I said is I would have preferred not to be in the situation where we will again be compared because we are friends. I know for a fact his motivations were to do with the quality of the script and the challenges of this exceptional role.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"It is baffling because I have only been supportive of an incredibly talented actor who I am proud to call a friend taking a job I know he is going to enjoy immensely and be wonderful in. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Over 70 actors have played this exceptional character before us. To say that there can be only one Holmes would be ludicrous. We're both thrilled to get the opportunity to play him in a modern context. The world of Sherlock Holmes and the world that we live in now is big enough to take more than one interpretation. As a genuine Sherlock Holmes fan I am greatly looking forward to his series."</span></i></span></div>
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If Cumberbatch was misquoted, then we have the "entertainment press" lowering journalistic standards to gin up a story (nothing new). However, read in the full context of the interview, it seems doubtful that ShortList took liberties with the quote. If he misspoke, and answered a question that he's probably been asked <i>ad nauseam</i> less diplomatically and closer to his actual feelings, then, so what? There can be no blame for his natural and very human opinion. And if his quoting of Miller is accurate, then one can only agree with Miller; he does have a Sisyphean task to reach Cumberbatch’s almost universal acclaim.<br />
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Now that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elementary</i> has aired, we have Benedict Cumberbatch’s reaction. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and as reported by the <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-10-08/revealed-what-sherlock-star-benedict-cumberbatch-really-thinks-of-elementary"><b>Radio Times</b></a>, he said:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Benedict Cumberbatch on Elementary</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">“Under no circumstances would I want Jonny to have anything but a rip-roaring success because, first and foremost, he is my friend, and we’re both actors and while it’s very gratifying to be told that you are such-and-such a Sherlock Holmes, this is one role, this is one incarnation – and I know it’s why we’re all here tonight – but you can’t take possession of it. He’s the 72nd, I’m the 71st, the 70th was Robert Downey Jr.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">“I made a joke, which I shouldn't have done. I made a joke, which never translates – humour, generally, out of context doesn't translate well, that’s one of the lessons I've learnt this summer whilst doing lots of talking (I did it talking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parade%27s_End_%28TV_series%29">Parade’s End</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">“I have to be careful about mentioning anything which could be vaguely misinterpreted, but that doesn't take away from the absolute truth of what I’m saying which is that I’ve seen [Elementary] and it's absolutely fantastic – and the bit where you find out that the killer is, in fact… – it’s really good you should all watch it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">“[Jonny Lee Miller is] phenomenal; he’s completely different; he’s far more contained. He’s stunning to watch as well – he’s just a beautiful specimen, Jonny – and he really knows what he’s doing, he’s completely got under his skin and it’s another Sherlock for he 21st century.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">“Was I cynical about them going to him and asking [given that we had worked together on Frankenstein]? Yeah, but I've yet to go and talk to them about where their original thoughts came from to cast him, but I know for a fact that they kept on going back to him so he must have knocked it out of the park in the auditions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"And I know for a fact that he was dubious about doing it because of myself and, of course, Jude [Law, who plays Dr Watson in the current Sherlock Holmes movie franchise], who he’s known since they were kids. So he felt really nervous, he wasn't sure about it, and he asked if I was alright with it, and I said ‘Of course I am, of course I am,’ and so the thing that always gets quoted now – because people want to sell the programme off two friends who are friends, having a fight that they‘re not having because they’re friends – is that, what I've said, which I haven’t said, which is that I didn't want him to do it – and it’s not true, I didn't  Even what I've just said can now be taken out of context and used against me...</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"Just to put a cap on it, I do wish him all the best with it, he’s got a phenomenal job ahead of him because he’s got 12 or 13 episodes and maybe a five-year series.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"And Lucy Liu is wonderful – it’s another great relationship... We should all just suspend our judgement about it until we see it, that’s the thing, isn't it? There was anther [sic] two sheets worth of fish paper in The Times today about it – apparently I’m not happy about it, apparently Steven [Moffat]'s not. I mean, it’s just fine – it’s more than fine, it’s brilliant."</span></div>
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Once again, Cumberbatch has proved he's a class act. It's refreshing to have a star who's not in the papers because of his recent DUI arrest or messy divorce or public meltdown, but because entertainment writers need copy and have to invent controversy.</div>
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As to who wears the Sherlockian scarf the best, the reviews of Holmes-watchers on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elementary</i> are decidedly mixed, with a large and vocal contingent voting “nay.” My personal opinion on the debate is, unlike Cumberbatch, I don't think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elementary</i> brilliant, but it has potential and deserves every opportunity to reach it, while <i>Sherlock </i>is brilliant, but far from perfect.</div>
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“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Applause</i> sign is on. Hold on Benedict, camera two. Fade to black.”</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.883333206176758px;"><b>Editor's note: </b>James is a long-time Sherlockian and a huge fan of the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/" style="color: #003366;">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a> podcast.</i><br />
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"Each of These Wore Some Scarf" [VALL]

At the PBS Masterpiece/ Sherlock question-and-answer event held on May 2 in New York City that brought Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffa...

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by James C. O'Leary

Episode 46: Elementary, My Dear CBS

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Joining the BBC's <i>Sherlock</i> on television this fall is another high-powered outing by the network CBS in the United States. If you haven't yet heard, the new show is Elementary and it stars Jonny Lee Miller as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes who is in New York after rehab, and Lucy Liu at Dr. Joan Watson, Holmes's "sober companion," whose responsibility it is to look after him an ensure he readjusts to society and doesn't relapse.<br />
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The creators were under pressure almost from the moment the project was announced, what with the success of another modern-day Sherlock Holmes enjoying popular acclaim. Rest assured, <i>Elementary </i>does not encroach on the territory of <i>Sherlock</i>.<br />
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But exactly how much of the Canon does it include or reference? And how faithful are the characters to what we know? Or does that even matter? And how closely tread is the fine line that exists between an established character and updating it to a modern setting? Join us as we debate and discuss the relative merits and attributes of the latest addition of Holmes to the small screen.<br />
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During the episode, we share some listener comments of late, read the Editor's Gas-Lamp from Vol. 6, No. 1 (March 1956) from the <i>Baker Street Journal</i>, and prepare for our Halloween Show. As part of that, we'd like to know what Canonical or Sherlockian Halloween costume you might wear. Tell us in a comment below.<br />
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<b>Links</b>:</h4>
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<li>Interview with Rob Doherty: <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2012/09/interesting-though-elementary-houn.html">"Interesting, Though Elementary" [HOUN]</a></li>
<li>WSJ.com: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444223104578036583928886380.html">Sherlock Got Sex Appeal</a></li>
<li>Hollywood Reporter: <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/elementary-sherlock-holmes-jonny-lee-miller-lucy-liu-cbs-374872">Elementary: How Does CBS's Sherlock Holmes Measure Up?</a></li>
<li>The Atlantic: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/09/sherlock-holmess-disappointing-new-update/263024/">Sherlock Holmes's Disappointing New Update</a></li>
<li>Tor.com: <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/09/plaid-on-plaid-elementarys-biggest-crime-is-being-tame">Elementary's Biggest Crime Is Being Lame</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/post/32460555183/heyyyy-sexy-lady-oppa-grimpen-style-the">Oppa Grimpen Style</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0">Oppan Gangnam Style</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6QLy71-vO4">The <i>Elementary</i> opening credits and theme on YouTube</a></li>
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<b>Listen Now</b>:</h4>
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Episode 46: Elementary, My Dear CBS

Joining the BBC's Sherlock on television this fall is another high-powered outing by the network CBS in the United States. If y...

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by Scott Monty

"Texas, I Think" [FIVE]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181732995/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="five-06 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="five-06" height="230" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2632/4181732995_3dda0b360e_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><i><b>Editor's note:</b> the following was submitted by the John Openshaw Society.</i><br /><br />On Saturday, October 4th, 1980, Tom Harman and Warren Chaney chartered the John Openshaw Society<br />(JOS) of Houston, Texas. The first newsletter, The Pip’s Log, announced (Vol. 1, No. 1) on November 30, 1980:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">“The John Openshaw Chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars is established in memory of the former young gentleman from Horsham, John Openshaw, who, on September 29, 1887, brought to the attention of the master, Sherlock Holmes, the remarkable case of The Five Orange Pips. It was during this adventure, ‘so remarkable in its details and so startling in its results’ that the great State of Texas was brought to the attention of both Holmes and Watson. In particular, the barque Lone Star, a sailing vessel owned by the Johanssen Brothers of Savannah, but constructed at the Port of Galveston, is featured in a most singular fashion. It is only fitting that the Houston Chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars be named in memory of the man who gave his life, however indirectly, to advance the name of the State of Texas.”</blockquote><br /><a name="more"></a>Over several years, the JOS scion grew to almost fifty members and held many interesting meetings. Sometimes they traveled to Galveston, Texas, where they joined the Strollers on the Strand scion and together enjoyed the distinctive Strand district which is historically so well aligned with Sherlock Holmes and 1895. The two groups even enjoyed a trip to a submarine docked in Galveston while studying "The Bruce Partington Plans." The JOS also traveled to England. Warren Chaney made a statue of Sherlock Holmes that he and Tom Harman presented to the London Sherlock Holmes Society. They also gave a JOS membership certificate to the Sherlock Holmes Restaurant and Pub in London. Tom Harman and his wife Karen visited that famous London Pub this past summer and verified that the Sherlockian certificate is still hanging on the wall. Over the years the John Openshaw Society has attended local Sherlockian plays, movies, and book signings (i.e. Laurie R. King).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4182495602/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="five-03 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="five-03" height="314" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2569/4182495602_e66a161d74.jpg" width="320" /></a>The recent resurrection of the John Openshaw Society, a la Holmes in "The Adventure of the Empty House" (albeit less dramatically), has not only retained some of the original members, but also has been of interest to newcomer fellow Sherlockians. The society has taken advantage of social networking sites such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-John-Openshaw-Society/127225660696149"><b>Facebook</b></a> and Twitter to expand membership and strengthen connections with fellow societies. The development of <b><a href="http://www.johnopenshaw.org/">the official website</a></b> has also been instrumental, along with posters located at Murder-by-the-Book bookstore, in spreading the word and reaching out to more fans. The members cover a range of interests, from engineers to artists, from Sherlock Holmes connoisseurs to passionate newcomers. Whether discussing possible land erosion at Reichenbach Falls, or to questioning the date of the typewriter used by Dr. Watson in the recent Sherlock Holmes movie, whether raising our glasses to Professor Moriarty or Mrs. Hudson, or listening to our member Ipek playing the piano, or listening to another member Julia asking those difficult questions about the Holmes story of the day, the John Openshaw Society is a place for those who have read the stories and thought "I want to read these again," for those who have watched the stories and thought "I want to watch these again," for those who have visited 221B and the moors and thought "I want to visit here again," and for those who have done all of these and thought "I want to share all of this with someone!"<br /><br />Ken Rozek, a long time devotee of Sherlock Holmes, has quietly collected Sherlockian philatelic material such as stamps, first day covers and cinderella items, for over eight years. Over this time period, he has made contact with many Sherlockians via email, snail mail or eBay. One of those Sherlockians was Peter Blau, who has been a Baker Street Irregular ("Black Peter") for over forty years. Peter continues to travel the United States pursuing geological conferences as "a practical, but limited, geologist." Every few years, one of these geological societies meets in Houston, Texas. Last spring Peter and Ken discussed over dinner several Sherlockian ideas. One of these ideas was to re-activate the John Openshaw Society scion in Houston, Texas. This led to someone saying, "Where does one go in Houston, Texas to share experiences and learn more about the Great Detective? Why, it’s elementary my friend, the John Openshaw Society, of course."<br /><br />The first reactivated JOS meeting was held at the Red Lion Pub in June 2011. On that night, eight people came, and over a few drinks and an English meal we got to know each other and began to formulate our plans for the scion. After a meeting or two, we hit upon a format that seems to fit us well. The group meets bimonthly and share a few toasts over a libation or two, break bread together with an English meal, enjoy a presentation by a member on a Sherlockian theme, take a quiz from a story in the Canon, plan for future meetings, and end with a reading of <a href="http://always1895.net/post/11857862603/starrett1-birthday-week-2011">the poem "221B" by Vincent Starrett</a>.<br /><br />For the meeting in August, the group met at the Ruggles café in the Montrose area to enjoy a travelogue presentation by Tom and Karen Harman about their recent visit to Great Britain that included visiting many places of interest to Sherlockians, including the 221B location in London. The quiz that night was on "The Five Orange Pips" - the story from which the group took its name.<br /><br />In October they reconvened at Ruggles café for a travelogue presentation by Ken Rozek about his recent visit to Reichenbach Falls near Meiringen, Switzerland. Members could almost feel the spray on their faces as they pondered if the location of the precipice has been moved by erosion, or by some other means, from that which is depicted in Paget's image. Our quiz, that evening, of course was on "The Final Problem."<br /><br />For December there was a group outing to the showing of the Robert Downey, Jr. movie <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>. Then off to the Black Labrador café on Montrose Avenue to discuss the movie together. The Black Labrador proved to be a perfect location for meetings and the JOS plans to make this a regular meeting place. It has two private rooms, good prices and a delightful English-based menu including shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, as well as the traditional fish and chips. What more could a Sherlockian hope for in this day and age? The quiz that night was "The Blue Carbuncle," an appropriate story for the Christmas season.<br /><br />For February 2012 it was back to the Black Labrador for another travelogue presentation by Ken Rozek about his recent visit in January to New York City for the 158th Sherlock Holmes birthday celebration. Ken explained and showed us in pictures how fellow Sherlockians eat, drink and made merry over five very chilly days. Our quiz that evening was on "The Speckled Band." <br /><br />Keeping with the tradition of the earlier John Openshaw Society, the reactivated scion has elected several officers: First Pip - Ken Rozek, Second Pip - Julia Sanders de Berardinis, Third Pip – Ipek Bozkurt,<br />Fourth Pip - Rick Etchells and Fifth Pip - Michael Coulter.<br /><br /><i>Tom Harman and each Pip has contributed ideas to this article.</i><br /><i><br /></i>Do you have a Sherlockian society event to report? We would be glad to <a href="mailto:ihearofsherlock@gmail.com" target="_blank">receive and review your submissions</a>. Any upcoming events can be submitted to the <a href="http://sherlockiancalendar.homestead.com/" target="_blank">Sherlockian Calendar</a>.<br /><br />--</div>