I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Episode 52: Sherlockian Mythbusters

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When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thinking. We blame this not on carelessness or laziness but rather on the overwhelming popularity of the great detective.<br />
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The image of Holmes clad in deerstalker and Inverness cape, clenching a Meerschaum pipe in his teeth is the universal, if cliched, image of a detective. But was it true?<br />
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We were recently reminded of a number of classic myths about Sherlock Holmes, thanks to <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/armbands.html">a contest being sponsored by <b><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></b></a> (also a sponsor of our program): it has long been rumored that men wore black armbands throughout the city of London after reading "The Final Problem" in the <i>Strand Magazine</i>. And only anecdotal evidence has been referenced whenever this supposed fact is brought up. The BSJ is offering a free year's subscription to anyone who can definitively prove that such mourning attire was worn in response to the death of Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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That got us to thinking: what other Sherlockian myths are there? And are we guilty of propagating any of them ourselves? Join us for a quick game show-style question and answer session on the topic, as well as a reading of your comments from our last show and some recent news from the world of Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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<b>The Editor's Gas-Lamp:</b> Rather than the traditional gas-lamp, which began under Edgar Smith's editorship of the Baker Street Journal, we thought we would mark May 5 as the 123rd anniversary of Christopher Morley's birth by reading two of his poems: the very short "The Secret" and the quite remarkable "Toulemonde."<br />
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<b>Links:</b><br />
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<li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsihistoryseries.html">BSI Archival History Series available for sale</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/armbands.html">The <i>Baker Street Journal</i> contest</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/05/remind-me-of-edgar-stud_2.html">Sherlock Holmes-related 2013 Edgar Award winners and nominees</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/05/monsieur-oscar-meunier-of-grenoble-empt.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stand with me here upon the terrace" for Irving Kamil</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/dealtable.html">The Deal Table from the BSJ</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Morley-Literary-Estate/287552511355101?ref=br_tf">The Christopher Morley Literary Estate on Facebook</a></b></li>
<li>Sherlockian Mythbusters: "<b><a href="http://youtu.be/m0etbZuM2yw">Thor Bridge</a></b>" and "<b><a href="http://youtu.be/UTBOH86H7as">The Engineer's Thumb</a></b>"</li>
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And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us mumble their hallowed names on the show: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/"><b>Wessex Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b>The Baker Street Journal</b></a>.

Episode 52: Sherlockian Mythbusters

When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thi...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Irving Kamil, BSI

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"Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble" [EMPT] </h4>
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Occasionally we remember members of the BSI who have gone to the other side of the Reichenbach. This one was a particularly difficult one for us.<br />
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Irving Kamil, BSI ("Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble") died on April 26, 2013 at the age of 86. He was a chemistry teacher, assistant principal and principal in the New York City school system for 41 years, retiring in 1990. Irv graduated from Central Methodist College and received a Master's Degree from Columbia University Teachers College.<br />
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Irv was a WWII U.S. Navy veteran, a former member and president of the Cliffside Park Board of Education and president of Temple Israel in Cliffside Park. He wrote over 40 articles that were published in The New York Times and other papers, taught a mystery course at The New School, was a member of The Wolfe Pack, and was an avid three-times-a-week bridge player.<br />
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In 1976 Irv, Norm Schatell, and Harlan Umansky founded Mrs. Hudson's Cliffdwellers's of Cliffside Park, NJ after they attended an off-Broadway Sherlock Holmes play. They went to Molly Malone's Pub and as Irv tells the story, they came up with a song for the group, sang it with all their hearts -- and nobody paid the slightest bit of attention to them.<br />
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For many years at the BSI Dinner, Irv had the honor of Standing on the Terrace for members of the BSI who had crossed over the Reichenbach. It was his eloquent and sensitive delivery honoring the lives of the members that prompted us to take up a similar effort on this site. He also wrote essays and poems that were published in <i><a href="http://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal </a></i>and other Sherlockian publications, and ran the Cliffdwellers for 21 years.<br />
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Irv and his wife of over 60 years, Selma, traveled extensively and during their travels created what he called "non-meeting" Sherlockian societies in places such as the Great Wall of China, on the Amazon, in Sicily, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, Jordan, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, among others.<br />
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Irving Kamil was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1981 as "Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble."<br />
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<a href="https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36216041/irving-kamil-86-sherlock-holmes-society-founder" target="_blank">Another remembrance of his life</a> and <a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?n=irving-kamil&pid=164475230&fhid=12213" target="_blank">his obituary</a> can be read here.<br />
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<i>Image credit: (c) 2013 Amy Newman /<a href="http://northjersey.com/"> northjersey.com</a></i><br />
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Remembering Irving Kamil, BSI

"Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble" [EMPT] Occasionally we remember members of the BSI who have gone to the other side of ...

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by Francine Kitts

Review: The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes

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"dealt with any public print" [RESI]</h4>
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Although many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are published, very few often have the sparkle of Conan Doyle's writing. This is not a complaint - after all, attempting to document the great detective's further adventures often mean focusing more on the story and less on the style. However, <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/38B4DYW" target="_blank">The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, edited by Tony Reynolds and available via <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/search?ssv=lost+sherlock+holmes" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>, is the best of both worlds, containing some well-written stories that reflect the "house style" at its best.<br />
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Thankfully, Reynolds does a very admirable job in writing a series of tales that could easily fit into the Canon, but that have an imagination and creativity all of their own. Even the first story - "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" - takes its cue from the Canon, but spins a decidedly distinctive tale. But page after page contains some wonderful, well-written adventures which (thankfully) contain a brief statement within as to why the tale was "omitted" (usually for reasons of either national security or personal embarrassment). <br />
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Sometimes, imitation <i>is</i> the sincerest form of flattery, and for Sherlockians, finding the perfect Conan Doyle-esque copy can be a valiant quest. Thankfully, Tony Reynold's <b><i>Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes</i></b> makes the quest a little easier. It's a near-perfect gem of a book, and worth reading - and owning.<br />
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Review: The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes

"dealt with any public print" [RESI] Although many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are published, very few often have the sparkle ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Edgar Awards 2013 Show Sherlock Holmes's Staying Power

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"You remind me of Edgar" [STUD]</h4>
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The evening of May 2 marked the 2013 <b><a href="http://theedgars.com/" target="_blank">Edgar<em style="background-color: white; color: #3f656e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">®</span></em> Awards</a></b> banquet, during which the winners of the <b><a href="http://www.mysterywriters.org/" target="_blank">Mystery Writers of America</a></b> grant the most prestigious award in the mystery genre to the authors and creators who gave us such treasures over the previous year.<br />
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As usual, Sherlock Holmes-related and -inspired work was present across a number of categories of both nominees and winners, and we'd like to share the results that may be of interest to those of you who are either completists on your collecting habits or who simply like to know relevant news about works of Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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<b>Best Critical/Biographical</b></h3>
<b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rkj1Pz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case with Science and Forensics</a></i></b> by James O'Brien (winner)<br />
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<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2RkXaYo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero</i></a></b> edited by Otto Penzler (nominee). Otto of course is a Baker Street Irregular ("The King of Bohemia") and was interviewed on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/01/episode-17-collectors-corner-otto.html" target="_blank">Episode 17 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>.<br />
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<b>Best TV Episode / Teleplay</b></h3>
"<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2GguB84" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scandal in Belgravia</a></b>" - Sherlock, teleplay by Stephen Moffat (BBC/Masterpiece) (winner)<br />
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"<b><a href="https://amzn.to/36pVbGq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Child Predator</a></b>" - elemeNtarY, teleplay by Peter Black (CBS Productions) (nominee)<br />
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And while not exactly Sherlockian, we can't help but mention <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2upMXkm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gods of Gotham</a></i></b> by Lyndsay Faye, BSI, ASH ("Kitty Winter"), which was a nominee for Best Novel. Set in New York in 1845, this widely acclaimed novel followed her barnburner <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2tKfC3u" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Dust and Shadow</i></a></b>, in which she imagined the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper, as told by Dr. Watson. The award for this category went to Dennis Lehane, but we're extremely proud of our friend and colleague for keeping company with such a superstar - and deservedly so!<br />
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Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees and thank you for all that you do.<br />
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