I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (January 1 - January 10, 2014)

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<b>"Why not give ourselves up to the unrestrained enjoyment of the present?" [MAZA]</b></h4>
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Welcome to 2014, where it's still always 1895....In this issue: tips for surviving and enjoying #BSIWeekend, a new documentary titled "How To Be Sherlock Holmes," an explanation of Conan Doyle's resurrection of Holmes, reviews of a variety of new MX Publishing titles, Peter Blau's Scuttlebutt is complete through 2013, "Was Sherlock a drug addict?", 24 misconceptions about Sherlock Holmes, 221B Con announces a special guest, Scintillation of Scions VII announces a line-up of distinguished speakers, and much more in the first Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium of 2014 by <a href="http://always1895.net/" target="_blank">Matt Laffey</a>.<br />
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I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere put together a survival guide for the beautifully chaotic five days of collective Sherlockian madness alternately known as <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/"><b>BSI Weekend in NYC</b></a> (January 16-19, 2014). In "<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/01/tips-for-navigating-bsiweekend.html" target="_blank">Tips For Navigating the #BSIWeekend</a>" <b>Scott Monty</b> along with several other members of the Baker Street Irregulars compiled a list of suggestions culled from decades of experience (and, presumably, mistakes learned from) including: the importance of extra carrying devices (all those newly purchased books have to go somewhere); the usefulness of business cards; why inebriation is not recommended prior to giving a toast or lecture; bring a variety of clothing; create a schedule for yourself allowing for travel time; be prepared with maps and apps to get around NYC and use the plethora of online resources available to follow the events live or from home and much more. The official Twitter hashtag is <b>#BSIWeekend</b> - check out <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">@IHearofSherlock</a>'s <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock/lists/sherlockians">list of Sherlockians on Twitter</a>. It's also not a bad idea to print out the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/">master schedule of events</a> just in case.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 2009 BSI Dinner, courtesy of Susan Dahlinger</td></tr>
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On a personal note, from Wednesday's ASH Dinner to Saturday morning in the Dealer's Room to Sunday's ASH Brunch (hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/LyndsayFaye" target="_blank">Lyndsay Faye</a>) I'll be posting regularly on Twitter as <a href="https://twitter.com/always1895">@always1895</a> - and if I can muster up the equipment I'll have a digital recorder and mic with me in an attempt to emulate the great Sherlockian audioist <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_523891520"></span>Bill Rabe<span id="goog_523891521"></span></a></b>, responsible for <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/vbs.html"><i>Voices From Baker Street</i></a>, making Sherlockian-centric field recordings and conducting impromptu interviews, for both online use and posterity. I'm looking forward to seeing those Sherlockians I only get to hang out with once a year as well as making new friends and forging new alliances, so don't be a stranger and make sure to say hello. I'm giddy with excitement and I can't wait for the around the clock Sherlock-o-rama madness to begin!<br />
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<a href="http://www.torontobootmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CH-2013-2014-WINTER.pdf"><b>Canadian Homes</b></a> Winter 2013/2014 (Volume 36, Number 2) - The Journal of the Bootmakers of Toronto - is now available for download as a PDF and features 36 pages of quality Sherlockian scholarship and news. JoAnn & Mark Alberstat write-up their observations of tourists encountering the John Doubleday <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Sherlock_Holmes,_London" target="_blank">bronze Sherlock Holmes statue</a> outside Baker Street tube station on Marylebone Road, Clifford S. Goldfarb & Hartley R. Nathan explore Jewish stereotypes in the Canon (part 2 of a multi-part essay), Elaine McCafferty & Wilfrid de Freitas share some of their insights into legendary Sherlockian Donald A Redmond's work as an author, librarian and Doyle pilgrim, and much more can be found in the latest issue of Canada's premiere journal of Sherlockian scholarship.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><a href="http://www.torontobootmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CH-2013-2014-WINTER.pdf" style="text-align: start;">Download</a><span style="text-align: start;"> the latest issue of <i>Canadian Holmes</i> (Vol. 36, No. 2) from The Bootmakers of Toronto website for free.]</span></span></td></tr>
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BBC Four announced a Sherlock-centric episode of the documentary program <i>Timeshift</i> titled "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03pzsd9" target="_blank">How To Be Sherlock Holmes: The Many Faces of the Master Detective</a>" to air at 10 p.m. (GMT) on Sunday, January 12, 2014. "For over 100 years, more than 80 actors have put a varying face to the world's greatest consulting detective - Sherlock Holmes. And many of them incorporated details - such as the curved pipe and the immortal line "Elementary, my dear Watson" - that never featured in Conan Doyle's original stories. In charting the evolution of Sherlock on screen, from early silent movies to the latest film and television versions, Timeshift shows how our notion of Holmes today is as much a creation of these various screen portrayals as of the stories themselves." The narrator of the program <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943936/">Peter Wyngarde</a> is no stranger to the Sherlockian screen having played Langdale Pike in the 1994 Granada adaptation of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0646187/">The Three Gables</a>" and Baron Gruner in the 1965 BBC adaptation of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0699458/">The Illustrious Client</a>." Other contributors include Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Tim Pigott-Smith and Mark Gatiss. The Sherlock Holmes Society of London <a href="https://twitter.com/SHSLBakerStweet/status/418850773741498368">announced on Twitter</a> that their very own <b>Roger Johnson</b> acted as a consultant, a fact that makes me think "How to Be Sherlock Holmes" will rise above the mediocre-to-average Holmes documentaries of the last few years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Mark Gatiss who plays Mycroft on BBC <i>Sherlock</i> reflects on <b>Peter Cushing</b> in the role the Great Detective.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Doyleockian in "<a href="http://alistaird221b.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-was-holmes-resurrected.html" target="_blank">Why Was Holmes Resurrected?</a>" demolishes the claim that ACD 'resurrected' Holmes in <i>The Strand</i> due to immense pressure from Sherlock Holmes fans at the time. "Holmes came back only because of money. ACD knew that interest in Holmes was already ramped up as a result of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(play)">William Gillette play</a> (based on his original) which had already done very well in the US and was due to début in the UK that same year. It was a perfect time to churn out a story and capitalize on the extra hype." At a time when the most popular Holmes adaptation on TV is captained by Steven Moffat, an undisputed and committed fan of the Canon, it's difficult to harbor (or even stomach) the thought that the creator of Sherlock Holmes was anything but an ardent believer - in fact ACD considered Holmes a thorn in his side and a diversion from his more important <a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/pages/doyle.html#histromances">historical fiction</a>. Writing to his mother, ACD said of Holmes: "He takes my mind from better things." I've always thought that the famous <i>Punch</i> illustration by Bernard Partridge (see below) from 1926 sums up ACD's feelings most accurately: ACD is shown chained at the ankles while a Paget-esque Holmes holds the other end of the chains, opposed to being chained-up to ACD. But as <a href="https://twitter.com/alistaird221b">Alistair Duncan</a> points out, Holmes made ACD a very rich man.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Bernard Partridge illustration from a 1926 issue of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(magazine)" style="text-align: start;"><i>Punch</i></a><span style="text-align: start;">, a weekly British magazine of satire and humor - coincidentally many early Punch covers were drawn by ACD's uncle </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Doyle_(illustrator)" style="text-align: start;">Richard Doyle</a><span style="text-align: start;">, a noted Victorian illustrator.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/2014/01/books-for-tv-watchers.html"><b>Dan Andriacco</b></a> recently posted a few book reviews, prefacing his latest post with a humorous analysis of the current state of the online world: "Some readers of this blog may have noticed that it has been something of a BBC <i>Sherlock</i>-free zone. While the rest of the Sherlock Holmes blogosphere and Twitterverse have been consumed with Season Three, Baker Street Beat has taken no notice." Ha! Andriacco is just too cool for school I guess! (I joke.) Instead of rigorously speculating on the meaning of "Redbeard" he reviews <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780924908"><i>The Immortals: An Unauthorized Guide to Sherlock and Elementary</i></a> (MX Publishing, 2013) by Matthew J. Elliot, an analysis of all of the 2012-2013 Sherlockian TV adaptations including plot summaries as well as "Holmes's notable moments, Notable moments of the police regulars, Identification of material drawn from the Canon, Sex and romantic relationships, Drug references, Logical inconsistencies..." and much more. And for all the Cumberbunnies out there, Andriacco recommends <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780924366/"><i>Benedict Cumberbatch in Transition: An Unauthorized Performance Biography</i></a> (MX Publishing, 2013) by Lynnette Porter. Finally, if pastiches featuring Holmes versus historic villains from literature or history is your thing, Andriacco invites you to check out the graphic novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-The-Horror-Frankenstein/dp/1780925042/"><i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i></a> (MX Publishing) by <a href="https://twitter.com/LukeAviator"><b>Luke Kuhns</b></a> and artist Marcie Klinger. So get off the couch and grab a book and then get back on the couch and do some reading!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">[Cover art for Luke Kuhns and Marcie Klinger's <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i> on MX.]</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://redcircledc.org/assets/files/Spermaceti/scuttlebutt-2013-12.pdf"><b>Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</b></a>, Peter Blau's legendary list of Sherlockian news, events, etc., is updated through December 2013. Topics include <a href="http://www.221b.ch/PDF/ALPINE_ADVENTURES_2014_e.pdf">a conference in Davos</a> by The Reichenbach Irregulars in September 2014, a <a href="http://www.treefroggames.com/a-study-in-emerald">board game</a> based Neil Gaiman's Sherlock/Lovecraft pastiche "A Study in Emerald," a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/aSherlocksHome">Sherlock-centric shop on Etsy</a> by Chris Caswell who formerly owned a bookstore in Southern California called Sherlock's Home, <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/edit/judith-freeman@hotmail.com">Judith Freeman</a>'s index to <i>The Serpentine Muse</i> complete through 2013 as an Excel spreadsheet, and tons more from Peter Blau's original Sherlock Links list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Click </span><a href="http://redcircledc.org/assets/files/Spermaceti/scuttlebutt-2013.pdf" style="text-align: start;">here</a><span style="text-align: start;"> for a PDF of the Scuttlebutt from the <i>Spermaceti Press</i> for all of 2013.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Sherlock Peoria in "<a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/2014/01/was-sherlock-holmes-casualty-in-war-on.html" target="_blank">Was Sherlock Holmes a casualty in the War on Drugs?</a>" considers the relationship between Popular Culture (and stoner bookstore clerks) and the perennial question: "Was Holmes a drug addict?" <a href="https://twitter.com/BradKeefauver" target="_blank">Brad Keefauver</a>'s post was inspired by <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinM_Media/status/420542285596483584">a recent Twitter post</a> (by one Martin Montague) of a letter ACD's son Denis Conan Doyle wrote to <i>The Lancet</i> in 1937: "Your contributor's interesting notes on cocaine poisoning give the erroneous impression that Holmes was a "drug addict". As a matter of actual fact, my father neither conceived nor depicted Sherlock Holmes as a drug addict. He was represented as one of those rare individuals who use drugs sparingly and occasionally, and who are the masters rather than the slaves of the drug concerned." Keefauver seems to be of the strong opinion that Holmes was indeed NOT a drug addict, dismissing opportunist Nicholas Meyer's novel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven-Per-Cent_Solution"><i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i></a> (1974) and chastising noted Sherlockian Jack Tracy for his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Subcutaneously-My-Dear-Watson-Sherlock/dp/0934468257"><i>Subcutaneously, My Dear Watson</i></a> (1978) for portraying the Great Detective as a bonafide cocaine addict. Whether you think Holmes was a hopeless dope fiend junky dirtbag or an intellectual dabbler with Herculean will power - there's textual evidence for both opinions in the Canon - Keefauver's essay comes at a time when many impressionable young Sherlockian minds are watching adaptations of Holmes as recovering heroin addict (Miller in <i>Elementary</i>); Holmes as reckless drinker of embalming fluid (Robert Downey Jr in <i>A Game of Shadows</i>); and/or Holmes as a three nicotine patches at a time 'wink wink nudge nudge' possible drug user (Cumberbatch in <i>Sherlock</i>).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Denis' letter to the editor of The <i>Lancet</i> from 1937 - this is my first time reading about Denis' stance on the Holmes/addict question and now I need to track down the editor's column that sparked said response. If you're interested, the Denis Conan Doyle letter pictured above appeared in <i>The Lancet</i> "Volume 229, Issue 5918, January 30, 1937, Pages 292 Originally published as Volume 1, Issue 5918" which is </span><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067360097541X" style="text-align: start;">available online</a><span style="text-align: start;"> if you have access to an academic library's online subscription service.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.221bcon.com/"><b>221B Con</b></a> - the second annual Sherlock Holmes convention happening in Atlanta, GA on April 4 - 6, 2014 - posted a few announcements and requests this past week: 1) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Briggs">Nicholas Briggs</a>, a producer and actor for <a href="http://www.bigfinish.com/">Big Finish</a> audiobooks as well as the voice of Daleks and Cybermen in <i>Doctor Who</i>, will be joining the <a href="http://www.221bcon.com/index.php/guests-a-performers">Guest & Performers line-up</a>, 2) 221B Con <a href="http://221bcon.tumblr.com/post/72769592623/221b-con-needs-your-photos-no-not-of-the-awesome">needs your photos</a> from last year for promotional material, 3) additional comments regarding the <a href="http://www.221bcon.com/index.php/events-a-programing">2014 programming list</a> eg. due to the 'mature' nature of some panels like BDSM/Kink there will be a late-night, 18 and up programming section (and since the majority of the conference is all-ages the 18+ programming will not be listed on the general schedule) and 4) information about and a request for help for the <a href="http://areyoutryingtodeduceme.tumblr.com/post/72251303086/oh-hey-i-need-your-help-guys">221B Con Tea Party</a> (eg. dietary requests, games, cosplay ideas). Attendees from last year are still raving about 221B Con so mark your calendars, book you plane/train/bus ticket and start sewing your cosplay costume! For a taste of what to expect, check put the edifying and amusing <a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/tag/221b-con/">audio recordings from 221B Con 2013</a> on the Baker Street Babes website.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgpbQcHsTedcnhYdACsdtMAnfussJP-1-BzYJmZHsHs6EPYtA-xp2tbZTX5m0_RdczEXQCA_pH8BaQKSvTet5YMDq72RNTZI57sGP-S0BuFrI5TVvnrt_-2F3xnwQW0aFYDgSuX_Tzdc/s1600/BriggsSherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgpbQcHsTedcnhYdACsdtMAnfussJP-1-BzYJmZHsHs6EPYtA-xp2tbZTX5m0_RdczEXQCA_pH8BaQKSvTet5YMDq72RNTZI57sGP-S0BuFrI5TVvnrt_-2F3xnwQW0aFYDgSuX_Tzdc/s400/BriggsSherlock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Nicholas Briggs as Sherlock Holmes in </span><a href="http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-ordeals-of-sherlock-holmes-box-set-918" style="text-align: start;">The Ordeals ofd Sherlock Holmes Box Set</a><span style="text-align: start;"> on Big Finish.]</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.scintillation.org/">Scintillation of Scions VII</a>,</b> happening June 6 - 7, 2014 in Hanover, Maryland (outside of Baltimore), announced the line-up of speakers for their seventh annual gathering of Sherlockians called to order by organizer Jacquelyn Morris. If I didn't have to recuse myself for being among said list, I would be forced to admit that it's quite a distinguished group of Sherlockians, leaning heavily towards Sherlockian Internet/online personalities that you know and love (or 'hate' if you're CBS's <i>Elementary</i> production staff) as well as stellar Sherlockians from a variety of backgrounds. Speakers include: <a href="http://www.janburke.com/">Jan Burke</a>, Carla Coupe, <a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/">Brad Keefauver</a>, <a href="http://www.tonilpkelner.com/">Toni L.P Kelner</a>, <a href="http://always1895.net/">Matt Laffey</a>, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/">Scott Monty</a>, Ashley Polasek, Lynne Stephens, Karen Wilson & Stephen Welbourn and Vincent W. Wright. <a href="http://www.scintillation.org/registration-form-sos-2014.html">Register early</a> to ensure a place at what is quickly becoming one of the most respected yearly Sherlockian conferences.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0-SLxHNkjyEQCeAbOp9pmt1eBcO4XTQnNnmFtkP03lcXDSy99luRhdMtr7ND39v34ZIZDZZHdYz2xQOWwlCqllgo8JkkHONCH40PDF2zHHhttYJBbfdCNpU0K0Mtkl6BGuSaILH2z9w/s1600/SOS7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0-SLxHNkjyEQCeAbOp9pmt1eBcO4XTQnNnmFtkP03lcXDSy99luRhdMtr7ND39v34ZIZDZZHdYz2xQOWwlCqllgo8JkkHONCH40PDF2zHHhttYJBbfdCNpU0K0Mtkl6BGuSaILH2z9w/s400/SOS7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Stay tuned for information on what this diverse group of Sherlockians will be discussing in the coming weeks.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/product/9781780925721/"><i>Sherlock Holmes And The Mystery of Einstein's Daughter</i></a> by author <b>Tim Symonds</b> is the perfect remedy for pastiche fans who are a bit tired of the usual Sherlock Holmes versus 'insert famous historical villain here' tropes; instead Symonds challenges Holmes in new and exciting ways: "The Dean of a Swiss university persuades Sherlock Holmes to investigate the background of a would-be lecturer. To Dr. Watson it seems a very humdrum commission - but who is the mysterious 'Lieserl'? How does her existence threaten the ambitions of the technical assistant level III in Room 86 at the Federal Patents Office in Berne by the name of <b>Albert Einstein</b>?"<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH3dWgDRbsak0dKIBLyI0KVgk9e5X6FwnpBuPSG1VpKNf-eBKVbJFzOqurGKp1xCSXGgaRssd0otcr-VMpPE7y1eGkYWivE26bLHWX-bwDSGRGwGD0hOdQVNR_E8msDlK9l6JYXF-0Dk/s1600/Einstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH3dWgDRbsak0dKIBLyI0KVgk9e5X6FwnpBuPSG1VpKNf-eBKVbJFzOqurGKp1xCSXGgaRssd0otcr-VMpPE7y1eGkYWivE26bLHWX-bwDSGRGwGD0hOdQVNR_E8msDlK9l6JYXF-0Dk/s400/Einstein.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[<i>Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter</i> (MX Publishing, 2014) by Tim Symonds.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
Sherlockian Sherlock - everyone's favorite Hungarian Holmes website - not only keeps the memory of the Great Detective green, but is also concerned with keeping said memory true and accurate. In "<a href="http://www.sherlockian-sherlock.com/misbeliefs-about-sherlock-holmes.php" target="_blank">Common Misbeliefs About Sherlock Holmes</a>" the authors tackle 24 widespread misbeliefs and misconceptions about Sherlock Holmes. Misconceptions dispelled range from serious accusations such as 'Holmes was racist' or 'Holmes used drugs all the time' to the slightly more mundane like 'Holmes was a handsome man' or 'Holmes was untidy'. Slightly more controversial topics tackled include Holmes' religious beliefs and Holmes' sexual orientation; though many are classic Sherlockian topics such as Holmes' ontological status, the origins of "Elementary, my dear Watson" and whether or not Holmes had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger%27s_Syndrome" target="_blank">Asperger's Syndrome</a>. Perhaps the most timely issue addressed is whether adaptations which depict Holmes in a contemporary setting damage or detract from the essence of Sherlock Holmes. Whether you agree or disagree with the various points, you'll certainly appreciate the sincerity and seriousness in which these Hungarian Sherlockians defend their beliefs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvB1RsgsFr4xzawvCLj8GEc4t6CuGXMXk1fQcqeB0zObv1jTllV22NESxlKR09bSPnpTKnjB2H_VtqnqNQO7ijTa8mG0oVnDsbWQuxTGBGUJn2IfJ9Fd3nuNZestdNZOLbkF4VcamQvc/s1600/misbeliefs-about-sherlock-holmes-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvB1RsgsFr4xzawvCLj8GEc4t6CuGXMXk1fQcqeB0zObv1jTllV22NESxlKR09bSPnpTKnjB2H_VtqnqNQO7ijTa8mG0oVnDsbWQuxTGBGUJn2IfJ9Fd3nuNZestdNZOLbkF4VcamQvc/s1600/misbeliefs-about-sherlock-holmes-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[24 Misconceptions about Sherlock Holmes dispelled by the editors of Sherlockian-Sherlock, dedicated and passionate Sherlockians from Hungary.]</span></span></td></tr>
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</div>
</div>
--<br />
<br />

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (January 1 - January 10, 2014)

"Why not give ourselves up to the unrestrained enjoyment of the present?" [MAZA] Welcome to 2014, where it's still always...

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by campunity

Russian Parody Looks at Multiple Sherlocks

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"a little amusement at his expense." [SILV] </h4>
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We're fortunate that today in the 2010s, we live in an age of many Sherlocks. But this is nothing new; many previous generations can claim the same thing.</div>
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The 2000s saw Matt Frewer take a few turns as Holmes, but also gave us James D'Arcy as Sherlock Holmes pitted against Vincent D'Onofrio's nefarious young Moriarty. Richard Roxborough, Rupert Everett and Jonathan Pryce also donned the deerstalker later that decade.</div>
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The 1990s brought us the conclusion of the Jeremy Brett / Granada Holmes, but also saw the likes of Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward and Charlton Heston get into things, despite their age, physical shape or accent.</div>
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Of course Jeremy Brett dominated the 1980s, but that's the decade that also gave us Michael Caine in a send-up as well, Ian Richardson in some well-dramatized versions of the longer stories, both Guy Henry and Nicholas Rowe tried their hands as a young Sherlock Holmes, Peter Cushing went the other direction and played Holmes in his retiring years, and who can (or would like to) forget the animated (on screen, not as a voice) Sherlock Holmes played by Peter O'Toole.</div>
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The widest range of actors played Holmes in the 1970s - from Robert Stephens to George C. Scott, Stewart Granger to John Cleese, and Roger Moore to Nicol Williamson. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Gene Wilder, even though he starred Holmes's brother, with Douglas Wilmer making a cameo reappearance.</div>
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We could recap each decade similarly, going all the way back to the early 20th century. But for a<i> tour de force</i> approach to multiple Sherlocks in a single adaptation, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v10idzSEN4Q" target="_blank">we'll turn to the Russians</a>. It's a parody that brings together the traditional, the Downey and the Cumberbatch Holmeses with mostly universal humor that can be understood by all - and even more so with the <a href="http://ko-no-yo.tumblr.com/post/20791130112/ko-no-yo-sashkash-every-sherlock-adaptation" target="_blank">helpful translation of a Tumblrer</a> that have been turned into subtitles.</div>
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<br /></div>

Russian Parody Looks at Multiple Sherlocks

"a little amusement at his expense." [SILV] We're fortunate that today in the 2010s, we live in an age of many Sherloc...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 60: Sherlock Holmes - the First 60 Years

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"About sixty" [BOSC]</h4>
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We've arrived at the Canonical number of 60 episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, so we thought it was time to celebrate in a manner suitable to such an important number.<br />
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As you well know, there were 56 short stories and four novels about Sherlock Holmes, as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who in some circles is actually Watson's literary agent). In this discussion about the 60 stories, Burt and Scott delve into the origins of Sherlock Holmes and mine some original material from Doyle's biography <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1fkRlTg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Memories and Adventures</a></i>.<br />
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The journey takes us from a struggling young doctor who sold his first detective story for £25 to an encounter with Oscar Wilde that resulted in the second novel. We explore the role of the government and the burgeoning periodical industry that allowed the short stories catch on so rapidly, and the men who were able to capitalize on the craze, as told in <i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/strand.html" target="_blank">The Strand Magazine & Sherlock Holmes</a></i> by Robert Veld, published by the Wessex Press (our sponsors).<br />
<br />
Following up on the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/%23FreeSherlock#.UtC7ucRDuSo" target="_blank">copyright issues in the #FreeSherlock</a> case, we briefly explore the issue of pirated editions of the early Sherlock Holmes stories, so aptly chronicled by Donald Redmond, BSI ("Good Old Index"). We finally reach the beginnings of Sherlockian scholarship in 1902, when The Hound of the Baskervilles was halfway through serialization and a student took Watson up on his confusion with dates. This won't be the last time someone does that.<br />
<br />
From there, we're off into the Twentieth Century, with the second half of the Canon and the Sherlockian movement in full swing, culminating with the formation of some fledgling societies and a little publication known as The Baker Street Journal.<br />
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We conclude with an Editor's Gas-Lamp from the April 1951 edition of <i>The Baker Street Journal</i> (Vol. 1, No. 2, New Series) appropriately enough, "On the Canonical Titles."<br />
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<h4>
Links</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/beetons-christmas-annual.htm" target="_blank">Randall Stock's checklist of all known copies of Beeton's Christmas Annual, 1887</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mr-oscar-wilde.de/about/d/arthur_doyle.htm" target="_blank">The fateful meeting with Oscar Wilde</a> </li>
<li><i><a href="http://amzn.to/1aP8Fbx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Among the Pirates</a></i> by Donald Redmond</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html#.Ust0I8RDuSo" target="_blank">Episode 13: Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</a></li>
<li>The mystery of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherlock-Holmes-for-Dummies/129581877077394" target="_blank">second edition</a> of the <i>Strand Magazine</i></li>
<li><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/grandgamev1.html" target="_blank"><i>The Grand Game: A Celebration of Sherlockian Scholarship, Volume One: 1902-1959</i></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/01/honourable-record-nava_8.html#.Ust298RDuSo" target="_blank"><i>Ronald Knox and Sherlock Holmes</i></a></li>
</ul>
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Please <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock">subscribe to us on iTunes</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show.<br />
<br />
Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+, <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>. And of course, our <a href="http://flip.it/oxPOZ">web- and app-based Flipboard magazine</a> is a nice collection of links, articles and images.<br />
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And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>. Don't forget to get your free audiobook download with your trial membership from Audible, at <a href="http://audibletrial.com/sherlock">audibletrial.com/sherlock</a>.<br />
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Episode 60: Sherlock Holmes - the First 60 Years

"About sixty" [BOSC] We've arrived at the Canonical number of 60 episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, so we thou...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Vinnie Brosnan, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"that gap on the second shelf" [EMPT]</h4>
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Vincent Brosnan died at his Oceanside, California home on December 28th  at the age of 80. He was born in New York City, and after two years at the University of Notre Dame was drafted into the Army. He served for two years and was stationed in France. In January of 1959 Vinnie graduated from the Cinema Department at the University of Southern California and the following year was hired by NBC at their Burbank Studio, where he spent 33 years of his professional career with NBC and KNBC News as Editor and Supervising Editor of News Programs. He received two Los Angeles Area Emmys, the Los Angeles Press Club Award, and the George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award. Vinnie enjoyed tennis, opera, and promoting and celebrating Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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During his high school days in the late 40's, Vinnie listened to the Rathbone/Bruce weekly radio programs and attributed them and their movies to his love of Holmes. After his graduation in 1959, with no job and little cash, he wandered into a bookstore and, although he couldn't afford it, he bought two Sherlock Holmes books for $10. He claimed that the purchase changed his life.<br />
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In Vinnie's own words (courtesy of the <a href="http://www.johnhwatsonsociety.com/watsonian-limelight.html" target="_blank">John H. Watson Society</a>)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In my high school days (the late 1940s), I was exposed to the world of Sherlock Holmes in three distinct ways: by reading the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories; by watching the Universal Studio movies that were in production starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce; and by listening to the weekly radio program sponsored by Petri Wine and also starring Rathbone and Bruce. I was totally taken by the radio programs which allowed full range to my imagination and appreciation of Rathbone's unique voice and inflection which made the action believable. I believe it was the combination of Rathbone's voice and the inciting of my imagination that was the mainspring of my love for Sherlock Holmes. Another influence was the romance of the Victorian Age which was inbred as my father was a true Dickensian.<br />
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Going forward to 1959: an important year of my life. I graduated in January from the Cinema Department at the University of Southern California and began the almost impossible task of finding employment in Hollywood. By June, with no prospects in sight, I was discouraged and running out of needed cash. There was a bookstore in downtown Los Angeles that had displayed on its top shelf the three volume Heritage set of <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, <i>The Later Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>, and <i>The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>. The books were priced at five dollars each. I knew I couldn't afford it, but I bought them anyway, and it was a purchase that changed my life.<br />
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At that time, my nights were sleepless. To relieve my restlessness, I took up my Sherlock Holmes adventures. I read them all two or three times and was completely captivated. What a wonder these stories were, a perfect mixture of charm and adventure. They helped alter my spirit and attitude. Soon afterwards, in June, I got my foot in the door at the NBC Studios in Burbank--the start of a thirty-three year career.<br />
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Does Sherlock deserve credit? You bet he does! With a paycheck in my wallet, I could let loose some of my collecting urges and all the fun that comes with it. Up to that time, I had never joined a Sherlock Holmes club, better known as scions. I took a different route. Over time, my collection grew, resulting in an overfilled garage, and my dear wife pointed out the need  for clearing it out. This crisis has not changed in over forty years of marriage. Nevertheless, the crisis was of good fortune. I formed my book service and named it Sherlock in L.A.  Since then, fourteen privately printed catalogues featuring many great Sherlockian book collections for sale have been produced and all were well-illustrated and, more import, well-received by the Sherlockian collector world. Among those memorable sales of great collections was the John H. Watson Society Emeritus Founding Member, the late Col. Ted Schulz, who is featured here in the Watsonian Limelight. The extensive catalogue of his collection is now a collector's item in its own right.<br />
<br />
In 1988, I became an active member of the Trained Cormorants, one of the oldest scions in the U.S. (founded in 1947) and I became the custodian of their archives. Shorty thereafter, I formed a publishing arm named The Sherlock n L.A. Press and produced three major monographs, all of which are now highly collectible. The first wasThe Sherlock Holmes Mother Goose by Paula Salo; the second was The Trained Cormorants 60th Anniversary Commemorative which was the scion's history accompanied by many archival photographs; and the third was The Sage of Santa Fe: Adventures and Public Life of John Bennett Shaw written by Susan Rice and myself.<br />
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It was with the Cormorants that I attended many of the important conferences and other Sherlockian gatherings in the 1990s. One was in 1995 for the dedication of the John Bennett Shaw Library at the University of Minnesota. The prior year, my dear wife Flavia and I went to London for the Back to Baker Street Festival where I met and friended Dame Jean Conan Doyle, who was Conan Doyle's daughter and the last of the Conan Doyle descendants. This, I would add, was one of the great highlights of my life, and there have been many. I was so glad I was wearing a hat with her father's name on it; I could see how happy this made her.<br />
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The other event, which ranks as one of the great surprises of my life, was my introduction by Michael Whelan, the Wiggins, into the Baker Street Irregulars. My investiture is "That Gap on That Second Shelf," which is a line spoken by Holmes while disguised as an old bookman.<br />
How fitting were these words for a bookman like myself. In reading over this thumb nail sketch, you can appreciate how my life's journey with Sherlock Holmes led to many rewards and new friends.  But this, of course, is only part of the story. There is so much more to be said and remembered. I have always viewed my collecting endeavors as one of responsibilities; that is, to inform, educate, and advance many Sherlockians on the significant studies, scholarship, and endless variety of pastiches that have gone before. This is a wide subject which, for right now, I have to put on hold."</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowaOjvWrjnVOZDZfuP65KBO_nSP2hLispE6rlBeF_N9TKn03XEtWhB5P6LbPglpADgXkkudmqyBgLfyoUFLG9LbXXgFQDK8s6U5szNlDUsH7_qHZcTmjeVxHMf80hP8UECD9kYEVAMskv/s1600/Knothole+Vinnie+Brosnan+Harrison+Hunt+Jim+Cox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowaOjvWrjnVOZDZfuP65KBO_nSP2hLispE6rlBeF_N9TKn03XEtWhB5P6LbPglpADgXkkudmqyBgLfyoUFLG9LbXXgFQDK8s6U5szNlDUsH7_qHZcTmjeVxHMf80hP8UECD9kYEVAMskv/s1600/Knothole+Vinnie+Brosnan+Harrison+Hunt+Jim+Cox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinnie at <a href="http://www.christophermorley.org/knothole/knothole.html" target="_blank">The Knothole</a> with Harrison Hunt and Jim Cox.</td></tr>
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Vinnie was a staunch supporter of the BSI Trust and in his words stated that "For me, the Trust is much more than just an adjunct to the Irregulars -- it represents all in one, its past, present, and future, the very heart of our organization, and so requires the deference of serious consideration of all."<br />
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Vinnie Brosnan was invested into the Baker Street Irregulars in 2011 as "That Gap on That Second Shelf."<br />
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His online obituary <a href="http://hosting-24280.tributes.com/condolences/leave_memory/97442572" target="_blank">can be found here</a>, where you can leave memories for his family.<br />
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