BSI Publications Mark Milestones at the 2007 BSI Weekend

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "those week-end parties" [SOLI]</h4> Wow. Another BSI Weekend has come and gone. Every year, we await the festivities - particularly in the months between the invitation and the events - with great anticipation and excitement, akin to a child in the weeks and days before Christmas. And then, before you know it, the wrapping paper is strewn all over the floor, the meat trimmings are sitting on the platter, guests have left, and you're wondering where the holiday went.<br /> <br /> We'll be adding a few separate entries to follow up, but suffice it to say that the weekend was a great success. Here are are a couple of Baker Street Irregulars and <i>Baker Street Journal</i> news items for now.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020486959011987922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMArgeEGWj6hnTtJiqDBwYDx3TIza_ggxxVjxRlYW38FGpO2hLTUH71jHiQ8ybiKbdf0tcOSVQnYgrLLR0t9Isk3ENJwBeAtbcP7xDo4bmvSJ0IQy2KaA6Y0CI49mB9XgXAoyCBwbCHLsK/s200/WebCover_Scandinavia.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>Mike Whelan, the head of the BSI, noted that in his time at the helm - 10 years now - the Irregulars have managed to produce 58 separate publications - including issues of the BSJ, Christmas Annuals, History Series, Manuscript Series, International Series and an excursion publication.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020487092155974114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMi_mqVwodC3rN6f4Ee83W_muPbDNIkYeDtDLvjOfHy-bO9uRic2B0FzCSkIhJwx49Lc1q26dREp7rWCu9VNYn0fSJMowgHY8edsEO48AjAQgSpwmB8KDkOsV9Q1tWNPhUyv3qpKGT2Bx/s200/WebCover_Mandate.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a>This year, the BSI unveiled two new publications: <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mandate for Murder</span></a>, the fifth in the BSI Manuscript Series; and <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Scandinavia and Sherlock Holmes</span></a>, the second in the BSI International Series. Both are beautifully designed and are the result of hard work from the editors. More details can be found on the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/">BSJ site</a>.<br /> <br /> Also, the Morley-Montogmery Award recipient was announced on Thursday evening at a reception just prior to the lecture. The winner for the best article appearing in the Journal in 2006 is Harold Billings, for his piece <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/morleymontgomeryaward/currentwinner.html" style="font-weight: bold;">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Materia Medica</span> of Sherlock Holmes</a>. Congratulations, Harold.<br /> <br /> We'll continue our updates with photos, news of the Beacon Society, and other tidbits from the weekend.<br /> <br /> Plan ahead: next year's BSI Weekend will take place from January 10 - 12, 2008.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

BSI Publications Mark Milestones at the 2007 BSI Weekend

"those week-end parties" [SOLI] Wow. Another BSI Weekend has come and gone. Every year, we await the festivities - particularly...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The 2007 BSI Honors List

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "He handed each of them a shilling" [STUD] </h4> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLPtYJUdbiJMpmgt6t9ZrMmWONyqRLiSC0da2OinGe0gbscK_VLEqjV97zbiU4DBsVvIgmQIT6Y-HewDZ6AbzCkNE9a3N5UpghBhG5SATF3DfgPeMgqr1zspbO5U64gQ_FdycK-WuTwJL/s1600-h/Shilling.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016052065476340050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLPtYJUdbiJMpmgt6t9ZrMmWONyqRLiSC0da2OinGe0gbscK_VLEqjV97zbiU4DBsVvIgmQIT6Y-HewDZ6AbzCkNE9a3N5UpghBhG5SATF3DfgPeMgqr1zspbO5U64gQ_FdycK-WuTwJL/s200/Shilling.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 142px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 142px;" /></a>We're live blogging from the annual dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars. It's been quite an evening - one that we'll leave to others to recap in what is sure to be a much more circumspect manner.<br /> <br /> It is our pleasure to share with you the names of the newly-Investitured members of the BSI. Mike Whelan, the current "Wiggins" of the BSI, takes great joy in this portion of the program - when he bestows an Irregular Shilling on a number of Sherlockians present at the dinner.<br /> <br /> This year's Honors List includes:<br /> <ul> <li>"Harold Stackhurst" - Warren Randall</li> <li>"Lady Clara St. Simon" - Dayna McCausland</li> <li>"Enoch J. Drebber" - Mike Homer</li> <li>"Henri Murger" - Mike Berdan</li> <li>"The Soup Plate Medal" - Maggie Schpak</li> <li>"The Swedish Pathological Society" - Mattias Bostrom</li> <li>"Eliza Barrymore" - Elaine McCafferty</li> </ul> <br /> Congratulations to all!<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

The 2007 BSI Honors List

"He handed each of them a shilling" [STUD]  We're live blogging from the annual dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars. It...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The 2007 BSI Distinguished Speaker: Laurie R. King

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "I should like to see Mrs. King." [DANC] </h4> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmvlbIUd7ZTiP7CBAx1fAXnkzziD3BDjWkBXV3JwyWplczgU_8KnpD6PkLmHE6KHVBcil_JWpoRaPya6A1r9OAdJWckhUrEU-B5u3EPTEXP9XoOJ9KnWmGklz0XrO1Pwb8aZ9fvwarqMJ/s1600-h/laurieking.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018884768706855346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmvlbIUd7ZTiP7CBAx1fAXnkzziD3BDjWkBXV3JwyWplczgU_8KnpD6PkLmHE6KHVBcil_JWpoRaPya6A1r9OAdJWckhUrEU-B5u3EPTEXP9XoOJ9KnWmGklz0XrO1Pwb8aZ9fvwarqMJ/s320/laurieking.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>The 2007 Baker Street Irregulars Distinguished Speaker Lecture was held this evening at the Williams Club. Our speaker: none other than the author <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Laurie%20King&tag=thebakerstree-20&index=books&amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Laurie R. King</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, author of the very successful Mary Russell series and the equally as popular Kate Martinelli series.<br /> <br /> This evening Ms. King spoke to the assembled members (there were about 110 of us packed in) about how it was that she first discovered Sherlock Holmes -- when she was 35. She was very comfortable speaking to the group, noting that "Sherlockians are too humorous to bear grudges."<br /> <br /> She acknowledged that Sherlock Holmes was the inspiration for Mary Russell and that Russell is really a 20th Century mirror image of Holmes. She does not view the Russell series as pastiche but as variations on a theme -- much as Mozart, Rachmaninov, and Brahms have done.<br /> <br /> She also presented King's Theory of the Migratory Jezail Bullet Wound. Without giving it away, we'll just say that her theory was entirely new and creative. Check out the Spring 2007 issue of <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>.<br /> <br /> And for the record, Mary Russell is not pregnant.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

The 2007 BSI Distinguished Speaker: Laurie R. King

"I should like to see Mrs. King." [DANC]  The 2007 Baker Street Irregulars Distinguished Speaker Lecture was held this evening a...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"You Will Excuse My Beginning Without You, Watson." [BERY]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aVEJLLOR4MOK3VYC0TYKlB3Jbup0W1yxv3-PVAhMZVjiYQ5tV7EyuYbgI_Vr5wtf_60XgF7tcq2dv8Oq-J3r_tTc_1swjnTW8DHc5W-2FR553ftDyN0kETaqpUVAM47TuJdL6U9C93Sc/s1600-h/party_horn.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018629372771565970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aVEJLLOR4MOK3VYC0TYKlB3Jbup0W1yxv3-PVAhMZVjiYQ5tV7EyuYbgI_Vr5wtf_60XgF7tcq2dv8Oq-J3r_tTc_1swjnTW8DHc5W-2FR553ftDyN0kETaqpUVAM47TuJdL6U9C93Sc/s200/party_horn.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 118px;" /></a>The <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend.html">weekend festivities of the Baker Street Irregulars</a>, the literary society dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, officially kick off tomorrow, but it's never too early to begin the celebrations. A few locals and a number of out-of-towners gathered at O'Casey's tonight for ASH Wednesday.<br /><br />My woman on the street reports:<br /><blockquote><div>There were around 50 at O'Casey's tonight. There was a good smattering of locals, and a lot of folks from further away: California, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico along with a couple of Brits. We drank and ate, and most of all, we talked - conversation filled the room and bounced from table to table. I described the kickoff event as a sort of a family reunion for Sherlockians. </div> <div> </div> <div>My favorite story is the participation of a young woman from India who moved to New York just four days ago. She had heard about the BSI festivities as a Sherlockian in India, and when her company transferred her here, she suddenly wondered if this were the right weekend. She found me via the net and sent me an inquiry earlier today asking if she could come tonight. I responded telling her she was welcome, but there would be no Sherlockian content to the evening except incidentally as we were really just getting together with friends. In her next message she told me she was new in the city and knew no one yet and was hoping to find some friends. I encouraged her to come and boy, did she land in the right place! </div></blockquote><div></div>Indeed. And I'm looking forward to landing in the right place as of tomorrow at noon. Stay tuned for more updates!

"You Will Excuse My Beginning Without You, Watson." [BERY]

The weekend festivities of the Baker Street Irregulars , the literary society dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, officially kick off tomorrow, bu...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Homeward Bound to Savannah." [FIVE]

January is shaping up to be quite a month for those interested in the life and times of one Mr. Sherlock Holmes. For those with a hearty countenance, tomorrow begins the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend.html">BSI festivities in New York City</a>.<br /><br />And for those whose circulation is adapted for the warmer climes, an equally exciting set of events will be taking place on January 18 - 19 in Savannah, Georgia. I refer to the <a href="http://www.liveoakpl.org/">Live Oak Public Libraries</a> Foundation 7th Annual Gala: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"Once Upon a Time."</span> You may download a flyer <a href="http://www.liveoakpl.org/PDF/Events/Gala2007Flyer.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.liveoakpl.org/PDF/Events/Gala2007Flyer.pdf" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018242322768018194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6OARrDhbh5lG-AVhza6l66BWtygdPJIYHjZbsZAZJ4vc2STxlJTRu-8_soe1PiAU7mfq8capwDJnBQF5x4mbtoaMKu4t7Jsy3Wg9AHJV2v6aL7syWoWXxxXZ9vl8gpEmxiLtl16MjIQA/s200/ProgramCover.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>The first event, aptly titled <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chapter I: A Mysterious Evening</span>, is a gala event at the Bull Street Library in Savannah beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 18. The evening will consist of cocktails, a buffet dinner, silent and live auctions, period music and some very special guests. The first guest is none other than Mr. Holmes himself, as portrayed by the talented and dedicated <a href="http://www.geocities.com/jcsherwood/">John Sherwood</a>, who has donned the deerstalker numerous times at events to entertain and educate mystery fans across the country.<br /><br />Another special guest is Tim Johnson, curator of the <a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes.html">Sherlock Holmes Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries</a>. Tim will be bringing some extremely rare items related to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes: original Frederick Dorr Steele illustrations, a special edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</span> owned by a Russian czarina and a rare 1887 <span style="font-style: italic;">Beeton's Christmas Annual</span>, to name a few.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chapter II: A History of the Mystery</span> is a literary luncheon to be held on Friday, January 19 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chatham Club at the <a href="http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/SAVDHHF/index.do;jsessionid=V414YO200EITQCSGBIVM22QKIYFC3UUC">DeSoto Hilton Savannah</a>. There in Savannah's Landmark Historic District, author <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Nicholas%20Kilmer&tag=thebakerstree-20&index=books&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Nicholas Kilmer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" />(grandson of poet Joyce Kilmer) will discuss the History of the Mystery.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.liveoakpl.org/Foundation.htm" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018242584761023266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtDpxCh0X4a5eG8EAP1-_o90qGOZdFyPyHEpjFvOHtFih9UEYy8EdrPaLVhGB8pxpPBCZBxLX8FwlfdT-mc4wc-PowJ6FWKfilzloEBq_526ptzWpNmVgiCQWp_l8uSnKEY5vpHifS8NR/s200/foundation-color_jpg-small.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a>The proceeds from both of these exciting events will raise funds for the <a href="http://www.savannahchildrensbookfestival.org/">Savannah Children's</a><a href="http://www.savannahchildrensbookfestival.org/"> Book Festival</a> - what a great cause - and the Vacation Reading Program. For more information or to make reservations for either or both events, please <a href="mailto:divinec@liveoakpl.org">email Christy Divine</a> or call (912) 652-3605.

"Homeward Bound to Savannah." [FIVE]

January is shaping up to be quite a month for those interested in the life and times of one Mr. Sherlock Holmes. For those with a hearty co...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"We Progress, My Dear Watson, We Progress." [MISS]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCd4A830PKXSbqA99aoOe2RglgUUs5b_NRRCpaNQ0RErs6OBiau83QDYBUuuUv0X2LYEprJsXJjXyD0-sDGNP23oFebCCX5wQj76JTvDuAcDUwp5Kz2X2VyjPxxOLJ7u3yiWe9hdCnJqI/s1600-h/FiddlerRoofMusBoxR.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017107102782143186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCd4A830PKXSbqA99aoOe2RglgUUs5b_NRRCpaNQ0RErs6OBiau83QDYBUuuUv0X2LYEprJsXJjXyD0-sDGNP23oFebCCX5wQj76JTvDuAcDUwp5Kz2X2VyjPxxOLJ7u3yiWe9hdCnJqI/s200/FiddlerRoofMusBoxR.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>I think the 21st Century is finally catching up with us, making traditions something of an anomaly. In the U.S. political world, Congress now has its first female Speaker of the House. And in the Sherlockian world, there are two other items of note.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Woman in the Tower</span><br />First in the news is the revelation that <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16456057/">the Tower of London has named its first female Beefeater</a>, or Yeoman Warder. This is a landmark development in the 520-year history of the profession. To their credit, the warders had this to say about the candidate:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"There were six candidates - five were male and she was the only female. She was the best candidate for the job."</blockquote>Of course the Tower of London is mentioned once in the Canon. Bonus points if you name the story in the "comments" section below. In addition, it was a central element in Basil Rathbone's 1939 debut in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001DCYB4?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0001DCYB4">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0001DCYB4" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, as Prof. Moriarty was planning to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some Male ASH</span><br />And the more earth-shattering news comes from the latest issue of <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a> and the Winter issue of <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/muse.htm">The Serpentine Muse</a>. Evidently, the <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.org/">Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes</a> (ASH) have made a landmark decision: <span style="font-weight: bold;">they will finally admit men as full-fledged members</span>.<br /><br />The only male members of the ASH that I am aware of to date are those who were granted (I believe) special/honorary status: John Bennett Shaw, William Baring-Gould, Tom Stix and Peter Blau. Even if their membership was full-fledged, they were special exceptions.<br /><br />The Adventuresses, who made a name for themselves back in the late '60s by protesting the annual all-male dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars, are finally taking a page from their own book. I think it took a lot of courage for Tom Stix (head of the BSI at the time) to take the step of admitting women to the BSI in 1991 - there were still a number of old guard who wished to keep it a men-only club. And the women admitted were noted scholars and influencers in the Sherlockian world; they deserved recognition on their merits alone.<br /><br />But I have often wondered why the ASH didn't accept men at the same time the BSI started accepting women.<br /><br />For the record, I have no problem with single-sex societies. In my view, a private organization can do as it wishes; and if a single-sex society exists in a geographical area where a coeducational society of the same status also exists, that should be the end of things. Which is why it seemed odd to me that the Adventuresses - a group that originally organized itself over the inequity inherent in a single-sex society - should employ the very same discriminatory practices they protested those many years.<br /><br />I congratulate the ASH on this belated move. It will be interesting to see how many men take them up on this and how the ASH - who are no slouches in the scholarship department - set the bar for admission.<br /><br /><script src="http://badged.net/badged.js?u=http%3a%2f%2fbakerstreetjournal.blogspot.com/2007/01/we-progress-my-dear-watson-we-progress.html;t=The+Baker+Street+Blog;dg=y;tf=y;tb=y;dl=y;nt=y;ym=y;gb=y;wl=y;ie=y;"></script>

"We Progress, My Dear Watson, We Progress." [MISS]

I think the 21st Century is finally catching up with us, making traditions something of an anomaly. In the U.S. political world, Congress no...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"When He Refers to Her Photograph" [SCAN]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017161893679938274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbYijnn0ubG5kbId3VXoWy5oq_fvXzTaBpUIG8iEUIvGjHvrg53f5mPnIQ7bnMHfHoXSbd8qjqAMRrL729tsHnpDAQDc_jE0JYCRWRhlag2ZgyC4nR2G8lyYMG8NJsPHrXLI8lQoWVTRk/s200/flickrlogo_tagline_bg.gif" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>As part of any Sherlockian societies' activities, I would imagine there are a number of photographs taken. Here's a simple request: if you're planning on taking digital photos at Sherlockian events, please consider uploading them to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a>, a free online service for storing and sharing photos. Whatever digital service you use, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">please use the descriptor "Sherlockian" when tagging or labeling your photos</span>.<br /><br />Tagging is a key part of what's called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy">folksonomy</a>, a way of connecting individuals on the Web based on common interests and terms. That way, when someone searches the Web for "Sherlockian," they'll be greeted with results from Sherlockian events. Thank you for helping to connect our community through the Web!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a>

"When He Refers to Her Photograph" [SCAN]

As part of any Sherlockian societies' activities, I would imagine there are a number of photographs taken. Here's a simple request: ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"We Shall Just Have Time for a Cup of Tea..." [CREE]

<a href="http://www.scottishlion.com/shholotea.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013444994557864178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9E9zS0koBQ39NfrmBdndsloe3OOjKEYPB68T49r51bzF3nA3qDSO6DGR0wGA7KdGJZLItFUtU8RLQMEuur6DhNGhJWob6-MkaoyvX-fmbEHAWhWqTH9UUaacZYChSkanZk8icfphLQz3/s200/Tea.gif" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>January 6th couldn't pass without an acknowledgement of the birthday of the world's first unoffcial consulting detective. To celebrate, those of you who have a penchant for all things Scottish, should check out the <a href="http://scottishlion.com/">Scottish Lion</a> import site. From kilts to haggis, tartan ties to bagpipes, it's all there.<br /><br />Of particular interest to Sherlockians is their <a href="http://www.scottishlion.com/shholotea.html">Sherlock Holmes Tea</a>. I have no idea what it tastes like, but for those of you who prefer loose tea and who might like to experience what it may have been like to receive tea from Mrs. Hudson at 221B Baker Street, this is your opportunity to indulge.

"We Shall Just Have Time for a Cup of Tea..." [CREE]

January 6th couldn't pass without an acknowledgement of the birthday of the world's first unoffcial consulting detective. To celebr...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"I Have Often Wished That I Had Notes" [MUSG]

As Sherlockians descend on New York City next weekend for the <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend.html">Baker Street Irregular festivities</a>, I'll be doing my best to keep you updated on the goings-on, as I know not everyone will be able to attend - but I'll need your help.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJtPeFFg85Ab8Ug3O0xRpaEUnmTEyyRoij_L2wzrJ2p5-eLgbVpwEWn3Vu_zk2uLlpTM0XmI40Hjh13Ctp4cDWeBf1akZSMWoQg-ecPpo4byc36h_O6U1sp2mBanM_l-PQHfSuhCAxQBd/s1600-h/3stu-04.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016414400976886930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJtPeFFg85Ab8Ug3O0xRpaEUnmTEyyRoij_L2wzrJ2p5-eLgbVpwEWn3Vu_zk2uLlpTM0XmI40Hjh13Ctp4cDWeBf1akZSMWoQg-ecPpo4byc36h_O6U1sp2mBanM_l-PQHfSuhCAxQBd/s200/3stu-04.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I plan to blog "live" from some events (well, as live as certain events will allow me to do) and to do a little follow up afterwards. Nothing as comprehensive as exists on certain mailing lists, but a rough sketch of some important happenings and people I meet.<br /><br />Now, here's where your assistance is needed. If you or someone you know can provide me with real-time updates (or at least very quick follow-up) of certain events, I would really like to have you as part of my blogging team. Here's how it will work: you'll attend an event, do a quick writeup - no more than a paragraph or two - and send me a quick email. Attached photos are welcome.<br /><br />It would be great to know who is covering which event in advance. Please email me by clicking on the linked event below:<br /><ul><li><a href="mailto://bakerstreetblog@gmail.com/?subject=ASH%20Wednesday">ASH Wednesday dinner</a> (1/10)</li><li><a href="mailto://bakerstreetblog@gmail.com/?subject=Morgans%20Library">Morgans Library cocktails</a> (1/12)<br /></li><li><a href="mailto://bakerstreetblog@gmail.com/?subject=Gaslight%20Gala">Gaslight Gala</a> (1/12)</li><li><a href="mailto://bakerstreetblog@gmail.com/?subject=Junior%20Bloodstain">Junior Bloodstain</a> (1/13)<br /></li><li><a href="mailto://bakerstreetblog@gmail.com/?subject=Lost%20in%20New%20York%20with%20a%20Bunch%20of%20Sherlockians">Lost in New York with a Bunch of Sherlockians</a> (1/13)</li></ul>You can bookmark this entry - click on the title for this posting only - and use the above email links to send me your updates when they're ready. I'll make every effort to get them on the blog as quickly as possible.<br /><br />This is just an experiment. This will be my first year blogging from the BSI Weekend. I hope you'll help me make it a huge success!

"I Have Often Wished That I Had Notes" [MUSG]

As Sherlockians descend on New York City next weekend for the Baker Street Irregular festivities , I'll be doing my best to keep you upd...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"The Rest He Can Put Away in the Lumber-Room of His Library..." [FIVE]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhEDo_N7-tYEl9I19lcruGXb7VulIk9F04yMvVZsHJD0asYfqn-3xRuci4TR7941exy4C_T9ItdpJWkmKy62N8JTEEk_p4BjAHknoX__12WcFKhzrM7PbS0EU5BGtT2iiohnhnowYdM_y/s1600-h/Kent.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015796613706475842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhEDo_N7-tYEl9I19lcruGXb7VulIk9F04yMvVZsHJD0asYfqn-3xRuci4TR7941exy4C_T9ItdpJWkmKy62N8JTEEk_p4BjAHknoX__12WcFKhzrM7PbS0EU5BGtT2iiohnhnowYdM_y/s320/Kent.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>One of the major successes of the Industrial Age, thanks to the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie, was the establishment of thousands of public libraries. I have some very happy memories of a childhood spent in my hometown public library, first enjoying the whimsical offerings of the children's section, then gravitating toward reference, research and other serious pursuits.<br /><br />If you blindfolded me and plunked me down at the entrance of <a href="http://www.suffield-library.org/">Kent Memorial Library</a>, I have no doubt that I could find my way to the periodicals section, the card catalog (remember those?) and, of course, the section containing Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. I may have been the only one reading and rereading some of those works, but I knew where to find them if I needed them.<br /><br />But a piece in the Leisure & Arts section on OpinionJournal.com, <a href="http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110009472">Checked Out</a>, mentions a startling development at the Fairfax County Public Library system near Washington, DC: thanks to a new software tool that identifies which books have not been checked out in two years, the library is making the decision to toss some of the classics.<br /><br />Hemingway, Bronte, Faulkner, Hardy - these are all headed for the trash heap simply because they haven't been borrowed recently. No mention of Conan Doyle, thank goodness (I like to think that his works are constantly in circulation).<br /><br />So, the Industrial Age which saw the rise of public libraries gives way to the Information Age, which sees libraries turned into nothing more than entities that cater to the whim of the latest book craze. Shouldn't libraries serve a more noble function? Should they not act as repositories of classics that are perpetually available, as temples of scholarship and reference for the ages?<br /><br />Do take a moment to <a href="http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110009472">read the entire opinion piece</a> - it offers an excellent perspective on what we should value with regard to our libraries. And feel free to drop a note if you have a strong view on this yourself.

"The Rest He Can Put Away in the Lumber-Room of His Library..." [FIVE]

One of the major successes of the Industrial Age, thanks to the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie, was the establishment of thousands of publi...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Well, It Is an Important Link in the Chain" [CREE]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsLrmwWNFXN26CJ5nDEgt9WzZmQk0nH9KKtl1cqibjZgfyUyLcahzuSoKM1KajhV14-9_hvrdpK3pcNjHfcxXAtSKEx6cuBA3dXdkEiZw4iUsa3MaxqY1T1POdE2N7lmdrbIufyE-TFYJ/s90/peter-blau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="60" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsLrmwWNFXN26CJ5nDEgt9WzZmQk0nH9KKtl1cqibjZgfyUyLcahzuSoKM1KajhV14-9_hvrdpK3pcNjHfcxXAtSKEx6cuBA3dXdkEiZw4iUsa3MaxqY1T1POdE2N7lmdrbIufyE-TFYJ/s1600/peter-blau.jpg" width="60" /></a></div>Peter Blau has released the latest issue of his monthly newsletter <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm" style="font-style: italic;">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a>. If you don't subscribe, you should consider it as an invaluable source of Sherlockian information for 2007. As they say, "If Peter doesn't know about it, it isn't happening."<br /><br />Here are the links mentioned in the December issue:<br /><ul><li>The next release in Stanislaus Tekieli's Latin translation of the Canon: <a href="http://ephemeris.alcuinus.net/holmesiaca.php">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Gloria Scott</span></a></li><li>A podcast of <a href="http://www.switchpod.com/cats.php?a=6701"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</span></a>, read by Patrick Horgan</li><li><a href="http://www.housemd-guide.com/house-holmes/holmes.php">Connections Between House and Holmes</a> - a site comparing Dr. Gregory House and<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiGGeO_ERqb-bJnd2Z1n9XtyWoxwxeP8DGG8KlcPI9eQTUHUpGJhEjUzG3nZ5X3EZY49AKAj3WO_fLZhUNrtzQYXRJzk-MzWPFFFcAB2p2eh_dpIoYcEnLEDDVZqAyk-TZL4hIUTqDUhr/s1600-h/ptierney.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015249971743877410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiGGeO_ERqb-bJnd2Z1n9XtyWoxwxeP8DGG8KlcPI9eQTUHUpGJhEjUzG3nZ5X3EZY49AKAj3WO_fLZhUNrtzQYXRJzk-MzWPFFFcAB2p2eh_dpIoYcEnLEDDVZqAyk-TZL4hIUTqDUhr/s200/ptierney.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 239px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 180px;" /></a> Sherlock Holmes</li><li>Patty Tierney continues with her unique designs of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=24952&section_id=5006509">wearable art</a> - mostly earrings and pendant necklaces - in the theme of Sherlock Holmes</li><li>There is a new - if very basic - Web site for <a href="http://www.autumninbakerstreet.org/">Autumn in Baker Street</a>, which will be held from September 1 - 2, 2007 in Norwalk, CT</li><li>The <a href="http://www.strandmag.com/">Strand Magazine</a> has a 2007 Sherlockian calendar for sale</li><li><a href="http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/auditioningaghost/">Auditioning a Ghost</a> is a humorous dramatization of Arthur Conan Doyle's "Selecting a Ghost" (1883).</li><li style="text-align: left;">The second issue of <a href="http://www.solarpons.com/">the Solar Pons Gazette</a> is now online</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0947533702?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0947533702">Sherlock Holmes and the Man Who Lost Himself</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0947533702" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> and a number of other <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=%26quot%3BVal%20Andrews%26quot%3B&tag=thebakerstree-20&index=books&amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">works by Val Andrews</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> can be found on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2F&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></li><li style="text-align: left;">You can find a variety of pubware - glasses, towels, clocks, signs, etc. - related to Sherlock Holmes at <a href="http://www.alberene.com/">Alberene Royal Mail</a>. Just search for "Sherlock."<br /></li><li style="text-align: left;">Rick Yancey's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312347529?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312347529">The Highly Effective Detective</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312347529" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> is about a quirky private detective Teddy Ruzak - a former security guard who "grew up hooked on Sherlock Holmes and Encyclopedia Brown, a guy who got ejected from the police academy after failing the<br />marksmanship tests."</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://batteredbox.com/SherlockianScholarshipConventional/ABoutType.htm">Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: ABout Type</a> is Bruce Harris' take on assigning personality types (A and B) to Holmes and Watson; available from the <a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/">Battered Silicon Dispatch Box</a></li><li style="text-align: left;">Holmes takes on another vampire - not the Sussex variety - in <a href="http://www.mountainsidepress.com/mystery.html">Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula</a> by Stephen Seitz</li><li style="text-align: left;">Deepwater Films is planning a film <a href="http://www.deepwaterfilms.co.uk/wherewill.htm">Where There's a Will</a> in which the Hereafter Council features such literary greats as Shakespeare, Homer, Dickens and Conan Doyle. No word on final casting yet.<br /></li><li style="text-align: left;">Joel and Carolyn Senter's <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/e_times17.htm">Sherlockian E-Times #17</a> is now available</li><li style="text-align: left;">The Marylebone Library's <a href="http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/special/sherlock.cfm">Sherlock Holmes</a><a href="http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/special/sherlock.cfm"> Collection</a> is an excellent site, and it links to the <a href="http://www.westminsteronline.org/holmes1951/">1951</a><a href="http://www.westminsteronline.org/holmes1951/"> Sherlock Holmes Exhibition</a></li></ul><a href="http://www.westminsteronline.org/holmes1951/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015265897482610994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvBJIc6MtGZqtYkov9pwBr5IR5FUifxIqzNNZ_bayowHhqk3xiSs6w3byXqA9Nu6jcNrUq47GzuC9y0nlnziYKkYfj9_eSHti2YO-6Iht9TAMjAo3I1jD73UpH2P4kM4ZgG7iuRGmWOIj/s200/1951Exhib.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://alvinsbooks.googlepages.com/">Sherlock Holmes: the Lost Cases</a> is a collection of pastiches by Alvin Rymsha that is available as an e-text</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.schemingmind.com/">SchemingMind.com</a> is a site for correspondence chess, with its name inspired by "The Retired Colourman"</li><li style="text-align: left;">"A Study in Smoke" is a pastiche available (in print only - available for order) from <a href="http://www.pt-magazine.com/">Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine<br /></a></li><li style="text-align: left;">Get your own Sherlock Holmes finger puppet, "Little Thinker" and cutout card with stickers at the <a href="http://www.philosophersguild.com/index.lasso?page_mode=home">Unemployed Philosophers' Guild</a></li><li style="text-align: left;">The 108th issue of the <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/journal.php">Sherlock Holmes Society Journal</a> - the last with Nicholas Utechin as the editor - is available. Roger Johnson, who writes <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/district.php">The District Messenger</a>, will take the helm after Utechin's formidable 30-year run.<br /></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sherlockinvestigations.com/">Sherlock Investigations, Inc.</a> is a private investigators site based out of New York City<br /><br /></li></ul>

"Well, It Is an Important Link in the Chain" [CREE]

Peter Blau has released the latest issue of his monthly newsletter Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press . If you don't subscribe, you ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Into the Pale Sunlight of the Winter Day." [MISS]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZe49tXjuFaF7DrR2c7sciBNQmxudaHHGSAo8vpTd6I0HVER4wrMjANdHB5mVcWppk9bNTzljksTYMqwM_d8ObkbFndTcw_gWnYOYtVmDwUrty73hY4KgPEtVChh-NHVFE5-qkglS-GMf/s1600-h/Logo-head-small.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014201982543784210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZe49tXjuFaF7DrR2c7sciBNQmxudaHHGSAo8vpTd6I0HVER4wrMjANdHB5mVcWppk9bNTzljksTYMqwM_d8ObkbFndTcw_gWnYOYtVmDwUrty73hY4KgPEtVChh-NHVFE5-qkglS-GMf/s200/Logo-head-small.JPG" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>This winter day I have the pleasure of announcing something many of you probably already know: the Winter issue of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">Baker Street Journal</a> is in the mail. Of course, this also means that the subscription year is up. If you have not taken the time to do so already, please renew your subscription. You can do so with <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/images/BSJ2007_online.pdf">a downloadable renewal form</a> or the BSJ's <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale.html">online ordering system</a>.<br /><br />Over at the BSJ Web site you'll find the featured article, which this quarter is <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/currentvolume/thelionsmane.html">"The Lion's Mane": A Topical Review</a> by Don Curtis, BSI. In it, Don reviews historical scientific and natural publications to assess the likely culprit of the swimming mishaps, discusses the locale of Holmes's retirement and comments on the author of the story.<br /><br />Also in the current issue, you'll find the following:<br /><ul><li>The latest Editor's Gas-Lamp, <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/currentvolume/theeditorsgaslamp.html">Tell Me More, Tell Me More</a></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The Sad Tale of the Bull-Pup,"</span> in which Lars Falk surmises what happened to that alleged "bull-pup" that Watson claimed to keep</li><li>Charles Meyer questions <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Where Did </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Alicia </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Go, and Why Didn't Sherlock Find Her?"</span> as he suggests the <span style="font-style: italic;">Mary Celeste</span> as the real-life stand in for the cutter <span style="font-style: italic;">Alicia</span>. Theories range from Jules Verne-inspired disasters to incidents relating to human nature.</li><li>Barbara Roisman Cooper writes another of her excellent stage and screen-inspired features for the Journal in <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure: The Playwright and Two Actors."</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"A Study in Stanzas: Arthurs, Authors, and Poetry"</span> is Warren Randall's excellent backstory to the poetic exchange between Arthur Guiterman ('To Sir Arthur Conan Doyle') and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ('To An Undiscerning Critic') in <span style="font-style: italic;">Life </span>magazine in 1912.</li><li>In <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Two Peas in a Pod: Sherlock Holmes and Abraham Lincoln,"</span> Bruce Harris draws parallels (and some controversial ones at that!) between these two giants of history.<br /></li><li>And probably the most unique - if not titillating - article in this issue is Les Klinger's addition to the "Maybe you collect yourself, sir . . ." series: "'The Collection Mania in Its Most Acute Form': A Checklist of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sherlockian Pornography."</span> Don't say I didn't warn you.</li><li>And the usual roundup of the Baker Street Inventory, the editor's Commonplace Book, Scott Bond's artwork, Letters to Baker Street, and Stand with Me Here Upon the Terrace.<br /></li></ul>Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2007, and remember to get your subscription/renewal in the mail. Your next opportunity for purchasing BSI-related merchandise will be in two weeks' time, during the BSI weekend festivities.

"Into the Pale Sunlight of the Winter Day." [MISS]

This winter day I have the pleasure of announcing something many of you probably already know: the Winter issue of the Baker Street Journal ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"The Second Morning After Christmas..." [BLUE]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jwr9Z2Fdf-y1YMmLQC3Kp2lGpcXfPkk9-2AF_mgMAi-rTY-6T1ViuA0vUwGvMgy9x9u4AYZpjmiruzRaYdjAqg9HeCasLALMEctcdT3PFVE_RhSLEjL5y95fgJKCiQOhHoqcAa-_87N-/s1600-h/blue-05.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013328828577409250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Jwr9Z2Fdf-y1YMmLQC3Kp2lGpcXfPkk9-2AF_mgMAi-rTY-6T1ViuA0vUwGvMgy9x9u4AYZpjmiruzRaYdjAqg9HeCasLALMEctcdT3PFVE_RhSLEjL5y95fgJKCiQOhHoqcAa-_87N-/s200/blue-05.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>In 1995 I penned a seasonal ode to <a href="http://camdenhouse.ignisart.com/canon/blue.htm">The Blue Carbuncle</a> in the style of Clement Moore's <a href="http://iment.com/maida//familytree/henry/xmas/poemvariants/troysentinel1823.htm">A Visit from St. Nick</a>. Since then, it has been an annual tradition to share this gem (sorry, I couldn't help myself) in my Sherlockian circles.<br /><br />Enjoy. Please note that this is a copyrighted piece. But should you wish to use it at your own society meetings, I'll have no objection.<br /><br />And allow me to wish you "compliments of the season." May all your carbuncles be blue.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Two Days After Christmas</span></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Twas two days after Christmas and in one part of town,<br />Sherlock Holmes was lounging in his purple dressing gown.<br />A felt hat was hung on the wood chair with care,<br />Looking seedy and cracked and much worse for the wear.<br />The forceps and lens were an arm’s length away,<br />So Sherlock Holmes was engaged well today.<br />Peterson was the giver, Holmes was the taker<br />Of the hat and goose, "For Mrs. Henry Baker."<br />Holmes began to infer from the battered old hat<br />Grizzled hair, self-respect, and odd things like that.<br /><br />Then Peterson entered, astonished and dazed,<br />And showed us upon what the goose must have grazed.<br />When what to my wondering eyes should appear,<br />But a bonny blue thing in the shape of a tear. <br />With facets that twinkled, sparkled, and shone,<br />I knew in a moment it was the Countess’ stone. <br /><br />Holmes sprang to the Times to review all the history<br />Of the Hotel Cosmopolitan jewel thief mystery.<br />The crime was fixed on a plumber named Horner.<br />No Christmas pie, no plumb; for him, a corner.<br />More rapid than lightening, Holmes’s orders now came,<br />As he wrote an advert and called the papers by name:<br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Evening News</span>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Star</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Globe</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Pall Mall</span>!<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />St. James’s Gazette</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Standard</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Echo</span>, et al."<br /><br />The stone which Holmes held was the devil’s pet bait,<br />With a sinister history for a forty-grain weight.<br />Robberies, vitriol, three people now dead;<br />And all for a stone which should have been red. <br /><br />Henry Baker called on the street with his name,<br />Wearing a tam o’shanter, much to his shame.<br />Holmes gave him his hat and then the bad news:<br />That we were compelled to eat his fine goose. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:11;" ></span></p>"To eat it!" said he, as he rose from his chair,<br /><div style="text-align: center;">"Do not fret, Mr. Baker, we have one more there."<br />Holmes offered to him the <span style="font-style: italic;">disjecta membra</span>,<br />Relics of an adventure he still could remember.<br /><br />And taking his items, Baker turned with a jerk,<br />As Holmes and I set straight to work.<br />To the Alpha we went, then on to Covent Garden<br />Where Breckinridge against our pleas seemed to harden.<br />But finally we found the origin of the geese,<br />From one Mrs. Oakshott of Brixton Road, east.<br />We overheard Ryder, who was hot on the trail,<br /><br />So as a four-wheeler passed, we decided to hail.<br />Riding to Baker Street, of the mystery, no mention,<br />But all the way there, we could sense Ryder’s tension.<br />As he saw the truth, our guest stifled a howl:<br />The stone had been rescued from his bar-tailed fowl.<br />At Holmes’s request, I helped the small imp,<br />To whom Holmes referred as simply "a shrimp."<br />The little man clutched at the detective’s knees,<br />Shrieking and begging and putting forth pleas.<br /><br />For Sherlock Holmes, the case held no glory,<br />He was simply looking for an end to the story.<br />Cusack, the maid and Maudsely, who went bad -<br />Both wanted the stone that Holmes just now had.<br />The hotel attendant did the deed of evil,<br />Fed the stone to a goose, in the hopes of retrieval .<br />There were two that matched, but he hadn’t looked.<br />So now it seemed that Ryder’s goose was cooked. <br /><br />Holmes said "No more words," and turned to the lout,<br />Ryder opened the door and then ran straight out.<br />The crisp rattle of footfalls, up from the street,<br />Told me Ryder knew that Holmes had him beat.<br />"I am not here to perform the policeman's role,<br />But it is just possible that I’m saving a soul.<br />It’s the season of forgiveness, a time to have heart,<br />Let us begin another case, in which a bird will take part."</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:11;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><!--Creative Commons License--><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/" rel="license"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/2.5/88x31.png" style="border-width: 0pt;" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License</a>.<!--/Creative Commons License--><!-- <rdf:rdf xmlns="http://web.resource.org/cc/" dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#"><br /> <work about=""><br /> <license resource="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/"><br /> <dc:type resource="http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text"><br /> </work><br /> <license about="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/"><permits resource="http://web.resource.org/cc/Reproduction"><permits resource="http://web.resource.org/cc/Distribution"><requires resource="http://web.resource.org/cc/Notice"><requires resource="http://web.resource.org/cc/Attribution"><prohibits resource="http://web.resource.org/cc/CommercialUse"></license></rdf:RDF> -->

"The Second Morning After Christmas..." [BLUE]

In 1995 I penned a seasonal ode to The Blue Carbuncle in the style of Clement Moore's A Visit from St. Nick . Since then, it has been ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"That Strange Wireless by Which Such People Collect the News" [LION]

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi930T3h50EE8mKkpXWIWBWaXkTca6fQwqBmTehvX7XLtm4mM3GpudAO6eabOD7zO0BrFwhR1GKBCwxkfI3GxGByme9yGA1s3ahKFYbkH_lYnpxdRgxQF9JeD-dpuLMcpzojehBJtdMeYD0/s1600-h/oldradio.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010447798874990786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi930T3h50EE8mKkpXWIWBWaXkTca6fQwqBmTehvX7XLtm4mM3GpudAO6eabOD7zO0BrFwhR1GKBCwxkfI3GxGByme9yGA1s3ahKFYbkH_lYnpxdRgxQF9JeD-dpuLMcpzojehBJtdMeYD0/s200/oldradio.gif" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 131px;" /></a>Last month I mentioned the <a href="http://detective.libsyn.com/">Radio Detective Story Hour</a> podcast, hosted by Jim Widner. If you haven't had a chance to listen to his series, I highly recommend it; you can find it by clicking on the link or by downloading the free <a href="http://www.itunes.com/">iTunes</a> software (you don't have to have an Apple computer to run Tunes).<br /><br />This week, Jim returns to the subject of Sherlock Holmes (and gives a nice plug to the Baker Street Blog - thanks, Jim!) with an airing of a show from November of 1934 written by Edith Meiser, BSI ("A Fascinating and Beautiful Woman"). The episode is called <a href="http://detective.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=157707">The Jewish Breastplate</a> and stars Louis Hector as Sherlock Holmes and Lee Lovell as Dr. Watson.<br /><br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/detective/rdsh76.mp3" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008242741341365138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGN-LqfGGV45swllFR299KJv5wnvTqefa_wEftPmFMT3nPFG_8ssSNaohwb2bNfSMI8tBdYHkoThbvXZrNUO7WXM8K_DbBaMcDoeEEKUbEsDVY6CtPCt7rzc-ncQ3aHJWhlPJwqc5bMTd/s200/podcastIcon.gif" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>Listen/download now<br /><br /><br />I'll write a little more about Edith Meiser and her involvement with the Baker Street Irregulars in a future post.

"That Strange Wireless by Which Such People Collect the News" [LION]

Last month I mentioned the Radio Detective Story Hour podcast, hosted by Jim Widner. If you haven't had a chance to listen to his serie...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Publicity, Famous Personalities from History, and Preposterous Claims

<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Circumstantial evidence is a very trick thing" [BOSC] </h4> <blockquote> <span style="font-style: italic;">"It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different."</span> - Arthur Conan Doyle</blockquote> We recently mentioned a book in which the author diagnosed Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle as <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.blogspot.com/2006/10/i-will-examine-your-symptoms-dyin.html">suffering from Asperger's Syndrome</a>. This, of course is in addition to other diagnoses of Holmes/Doyle as suffering from <a href="http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/8950/holmes/autism.htm">autism</a> and <a href="http://www.geocities.com/sherlockiana/holmesian/add_yop.html">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a> (ADHD).<br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7TW8Q9eNLKxGOhSDrpKfISabEI5X69Je9xKZlM95uWv1LUWGU8WtF89TBpdkPfXRHDMXHDWnK6VNyyvxdbIeYXF-eRXtAdlWrd8C1KYfCRfmLuKI5IZPyRTjTmvkdemBLOSyPNLxQius/s1600-h/inclouds.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5009922039043385506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7TW8Q9eNLKxGOhSDrpKfISabEI5X69Je9xKZlM95uWv1LUWGU8WtF89TBpdkPfXRHDMXHDWnK6VNyyvxdbIeYXF-eRXtAdlWrd8C1KYfCRfmLuKI5IZPyRTjTmvkdemBLOSyPNLxQius/s320/inclouds.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 294px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 186px;" /></a>Now Dr. Andrew Norman would like us to believe that - I suppose in addition to all of these other afflictions - <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2508919,00.html">Conan Doyle suffered from a form of schizophrenia</a>. Norman's assertion is that Doyle's fervent belief in faeries and voices from the afterlife are evidence that Doyle was a schizophrenic. Now, we're not a doctor - although we did have a year of medical school as part of our education - but Doyle, even with his later belief in psychics, was not a psychotic. He merely had different beliefs than the mainstream. Would current celebrities who embrace [insert wacky religion of your choice here] be diagnosed as schizophrenic? Okay, well maybe a few would.<br /> <br /> But the point here is a larger one. It seems that lately, authors in search of publicity simply attempt outrageous headlines to gain attention for their (sometimes controversial) work. This is not limited only to Conan Doyle. For example, a book last year called Abraham Lincoln a homosexual. Some of the examples we've seen recently mentioning Doyle include:<br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/ny-2know5002945dec06,0,7151644.story?coll=ny-features-headlines">Was the Great Houdini a Mata Hari?</a> - Harry Houdini as a spy</li> <li><a href="http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=ab53340d-c81d-4562-bf7a-0d4a9ac0513c&k=72517">Bio Suggests Houdini Killed by Holmes Author</a> - Conan Doyle responsible for Houdini's death</li> <li><a href="http://archives.cnn.com/2000/books/news/09/11/uk.conandoyle/">Master of Intrigue Conan Doyle Accused of Murder</a> - Conan Doyle accused in the death of Fletcher Robinson</li> </ul> Perhaps it's the nature of the fast-paced world in which we live. The mainstream media believe that the only way to reach mass audiences is with negative, shocking or sensational news. In the meantime, Sherlockians will continue on with our narrowly-focused and very singular interest and block out all of the noise.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Publicity, Famous Personalities from History, and Preposterous Claims

"Circumstantial evidence is a very trick thing" [BOSC]  "It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shif...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"One Singular Point..." [TWIS]

Here's an interesting point to ponder. On page 50 of the Autumn 2006 issue of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">Baker Street Journal</a>, the editor's "Commonplace Book" contained a note from a frequent contributor to the BSJ who was credited as being a member of the Baker Street Irregulars:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">“I am no longer a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, so while it was generous of you to include an investiture after my name in the Whodunit? section, it is neither appropriate nor welcome.” </blockquote>Wow. Quite a statement. So I throw the point to you, dear readers. Should a member of the BSI, after attaining an Investiture - admittedly a very coveted accreditation in the Sherlockian world - renounce his or her association with the group ? Or should an Investiture be treated like a religious ordination or regal investiture - it's yours for life?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGWURCBKxZXe4FegN1vXk5o5YLWWHWiTk-2WUNE7FuacdrwHN-FNu7AMG4QRMAGk_8loh-GGn-s7L73ijtvYCOVENaGCov3ldVzbzVLJp06lq7Tlwz_zaukO0HqdFiOJm9HN1d_wqjQJD/s1600-h/Edward8.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007132173582702754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGWURCBKxZXe4FegN1vXk5o5YLWWHWiTk-2WUNE7FuacdrwHN-FNu7AMG4QRMAGk_8loh-GGn-s7L73ijtvYCOVENaGCov3ldVzbzVLJp06lq7Tlwz_zaukO0HqdFiOJm9HN1d_wqjQJD/s200/Edward8.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>

"One Singular Point..." [TWIS]

Here's an interesting point to ponder. On page 50 of the Autumn 2006 issue of the Baker Street Journal , the editor's "Commonp...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"They Seemed to Be a Happy Couple." [COPP]

If you've never been to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillette_Castle_State_Park">Gillette Castle</a>, you're really missing a treat. It is the home that William Gillette, the actor who brought Sherlock Holmes to life on stage in the early 1900s. If you have been there, you may have had the opportunity to <a href="http://theday.com/re.aspx?re=a7cf2974-40e4-450b-be56-608430130e81">encounter Will & Helen Gillette in the flesh</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/210791/Nivers.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/320/537854/Nivers.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Personally, I've had the pleasure of knowing Tyke & Teddie Niver for 20 years. Wow. When I say it like that, it makes me feel old. It's because of Tyke & Teddie that I discovered the world of Sherlock Holmes. Tyke has been one of my Sherlockian mentors and continues to be a true friend and guiding light. Teddie, who can hold her own in any Sherlockian setting, is a pure joy to know. She can make anyone feel at ease and completely special when you talk to her.<br /><br />From my first experience with them - a phone call to interview Tyke for a high school term paper - they have been completely generous with their time and knowledge. As a young man at my first Sherlockian meeting, they made sure I met the right people and knew what was going on. Even when I moved away to attend college, Tyke and Teddie remained in touch and have been a special part of my life. Today, I call them my Sherlockian parents.<br /><br />They are a quintessential Sherlockian couple: they each have a strong interest in the Canon (and also associated topics such as Jack the Ripper and Dracula), they are both fonts of knowledge and great hosts, and are investitured members of the Baker Street Irregulars. As the article in the above link notes, they don their Victorian garb on weekends and act as pseudo-tour guides at the Castle simply because they enjoy it. And their joy translates to amusement and fun for all who meet them.<br /><br />Every budding Sherlockian should be so lucky to have mentors and true friends like this as part of their journey.

"They Seemed to Be a Happy Couple." [COPP]

If you've never been to Gillette Castle , you're really missing a treat. It is the home that William Gillette, the actor who brough...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Lost Forever in This World" [VALL]

As linked to in the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, the documentary <a href="http://www.gryphonproductions.com/thereallostworld/flash_content/flash_content.html">The Real Lost World</a> will debut on television over the next week or so: the U.S. premiere is on December 10 and 17 on Animal Planet, December 14 on Discovery HD Theater; the Canadian premiere is on December 17 on OLN.<br /><br />And here you may see the trailer.<br /><br /><center><embed style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-4713074599177408808&hl=en" flashvars=""></center>

"Lost Forever in This World" [VALL]

As linked to in the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, the documentary The Real Lost World will debut on television ove...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"This is Our Last Chance." [BRUC]

<a href="http://www.stencil-library.com/images/exclusives/flags.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.stencil-library.com/images/exclusives/flags.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" /></a>Our editor is standing by, ready to go to press before the holidays. The address labels are being printed. This is it! Your last chance to order the <span style="font-style: italic;">2006 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual, <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/christmasannuals.html">Quartering in the Fifties</a></span>.<br /><br />The original announcement and description of this issue can be found <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.blogspot.com/2006/10/its-annual-contribution-vall.html">here</a>.<br /><br />By placing your order now, you guarantee that you'll have a copy when we print. Last year's issue was a record print run, and we still ran out. Don't miss out this year!

"This is Our Last Chance." [BRUC]

Our editor is standing by, ready to go to press before the holidays. The address labels are being printed. This is it! Your last chance to...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"It Was the First Link in My Chain of Reasoning." [SILV]

Below you'll find the links to the November issue of <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a>, kindly submitted by Peter Blau. This list does not include those links that I have previously blogged.<br /> <ul> <li>Another event has been added to the BSI Weekend: a commemorative visit to <a href="http://www.morganshotel.com/morgans_hotel_morgans_bar.asp">Morgans Bar</a>, the site of the former Hotel Duane Grill Room, where the BSI dinner was first held on January 6, 1934. (Full information available in the link in the upper right of the blog.)</li> <li>Frogware's game <a href="http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1325">Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened</a> is scheduled for release in the U.K. in January and in the U.S. in March.</li> <ul> <li>Further to Peter's link: here's <a href="http://www.sherlockholmes-thegame.com/">the official Web site of the game</a>, where screen shots are available</li> </ul> <li>Another entry in the Latin translation of the Canon is a version of "The Stockbroker's Clerk," <a href="http://ephemeris.alcuinus.net/holmesiaca.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">Proxenetae functionarius Lutea</span></a><a href="http://acornonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_12911_A_name_E_Sherlock+Holmes+Watch" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/200/971603/Watch.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 183px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 183px;" /></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amherst.edu/magazine/issues/06summerfall/amh_creates">An interesting review</a> from the Amherst College alumni magazine of Debby Applegate's<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385513968?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385513968">The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385513968" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></li> <li>The latest issue of Acorn Magazine offers <a href="http://acornonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_12911_A_name_E_Sherlock+Holmes+Watch">a Sherlock Holmes</a><a href="http://acornonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_12911_A_name_E_Sherlock+Holmes+Watch"> watch</a> for $39.00, just in time for the holidays</li> <li>Mosaic Records has issued a excellent jazz CD <a href="http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1009">Rich In London: Buddy Rich Recorded Live at Ronnie Scott's (MCD-1009)</a> which features two Sherlockian tracks: "Dancing Men" and "Watson's Walk." You can listen to an audio sample of the former at the site.</li> <li>There is an <a href="http://www.cinfo.jp/holmes/">audio recording of <span style="font-style: italic;">A Study in Scarlet</span></a> available in Japanese</li> <li><a href="http://www.audioeditions.com/showsearch.cfm?searchall=Conan+Doyle&x=0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;y=0&exact=1&advsearch=0">Audio Editions</a> offers a wide variety of audio books by and about Arthur Conan Doyle (41 entries, at last count), from the Canon to entries like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Poison Belt </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lost World</span>, as well as works by Hesketh Pearson, Laurie R. King and others.</li> <li>In December, the documentary <a href="http://www.gryphonproductions.com/thereallostworld/flash_content/flash_content.html">The Real Lost World</a> will debut on television: U.S. premiere on December 10 and 17 on Animal Planet, December 14 on Discovery HD Theater; Canadian premier on December 17 on OLN.</li> </ul> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/597474/RealLostWorld.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/320/961577/RealLostWorld.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 217px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 163px;" /></a><br /> <ul> <li>The latest edition of the <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/e_times16.htm">Sherlockian e-Times</a> from Joel & Carolyn Senter is here</li> <li>Irregular Bill Dorn offers his 2007 Sherlockian calendar; this year the theme is <a href="http://www.thesherlockstore.com/2007calendar.htm">Honoring the Baker Street Irregulars</a></li> <li>The new film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470765/">For Your Consideration</a> contains a Sherlockian reference of sorts: Fred<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/562928/foryourconsideration.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/200/927519/foryourconsideration.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a> Willard as a movie reviewer wearing a deerstalker cap</li> <li>"Harrier Angel" is a rock musical which features a song <a href="http://www.nine3.com/X0022_HA_Sherlock_Jones.html">Sherlock Jones</a>. Lyrics and a sample are available through the link</li> <li>The band The Baker Street Irregulars has a MySpace page; the current streaming audio includes "Reichenbach Falls"</li> <li><a href="http://www.juvelisbooks.com/">Priscilla Juvelis Rare Books</a> offers an edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Land Press, limited edition with all of the Sidney Paget illustrations and a hitherto unpublished portrait of Sherlock Holmes for $2,500</li> <li>Sherlockian items of note from the BBC America Shop: an <a href="http://www.bbcamericashop.com/default.asp?cpa=product&id=4053&amp;amp;ctl=83&cc=21282&tt=">umbrella</a>, the <a href="http://www.bbcamericashop.com/default.asp?cpa=product&id=4051&amp;amp;ctl=83&cc=21290&tt=">Sherlock Holmes stamp & coin collection</a>, a <a href="http://www.bbcamericashop.com/default.asp?cpa=product&amp;amp;id=4052&ctl=83&cc=21302&tt=">Christmas tree ornament</a>, and a <a href="http://www.bbcamericashop.com/default.asp?cpa=product&amp;amp;id=3727&ctl=83&cc=21308&tt=">marble coaster set</a></li> <li>Available in paperback and hardcover in print-on-demand from Lulu is <a href="http://www.lulu.com/content/478332">Watson's Sampler: The Lost Casebook of Sherlock Holmes</a> by William Watson</li> <li>Freddy the Pig appeared in Sherlockian costume in the past; he now has <a href="http://www.freddythepig.org/">a Web site</a> brought to you by the Friends of Freddy - which, if you look closely, has a background image of Freddy wearing a deerstalker</li> <li>Dana Martin Batory's A Baker Street Dozen+: Essay Excursions into the Sherlockian Mythos is available from <a href="http://gryphonbooks.com/cgi-bin/database-7a.cgi">Gryphon Books</a><br /></li> </ul> That wraps up this month's links. Questions? Comments? Submit them below.

"It Was the First Link in My Chain of Reasoning." [SILV]

Below you'll find the links to the November issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press , kindly submitted by Peter Blau. This list d...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"A Singular Case." [SIGN]

I'm not usually a pastiche kind of a guy. I've managed to enjoy Nicholas Meyers' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GSCRT8?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GSCRT8">The Seven Percent Solution</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000GSCRT8" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> and both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GLS2L2?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GLS2L2">The Revenge of Moriarty</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000GLS2L2" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425050939?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0425050939">Return Of Moriarty</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0425050939" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by John Gardner, but that's about the extent of it.<br /><br />I was just informed of a set of stories first released in 2003 that has recently been revised and expanded. I refer to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1846855047?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1846855047">The Singular Adventures of Mr Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1846855047" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Alan Stockwell. While the titles of the (oh-so-Canonical number of 17) stories can be a little off-putting - "The Sulky Pony," "The Bride of the Moon," and "The Blue Silk Underwear" to name a few - evidently, the plots themselves are quite workmanlike in their construct.<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.mrsherlockholmes.co.uk/">Mr. Stockwell's Web site</a>, I found two very worthwhile recommendations. One from David Stuart Davies: "What makes the tales so enjoyable is the ingenuity of the plots: they are engagingly inventive."<br /><br />And another from Roger Johnson, one of our regular readers and commenters, noted "The style is a simulacrum of Dr Watson’s, and Mr Stockwell clearly knows his period and his Canon."<br /><br />While I can't comment on having read the stories myself, I'm more inclined to purchase this pastiche than any other.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1846855047?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1846855047" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5683/1768/320/Singular.0.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>

"A Singular Case." [SIGN]

I'm not usually a pastiche kind of a guy. I've managed to enjoy Nicholas Meyers' The Seven Percent Solution and both The Reven...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"By Special License..." [COPP]

I know there are a number of Sherlockians out there with vanity plates (personalized license plates for automobiles). As a matter of fact, I seem to recall someone about 10 years go putting together a database of Sherlockian vanity plates. Does anyone know if it still exists?<br /><br />Well, I thought it might be interesting if we created our own right here. I found a <a href="http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/">License Plate Generator</a> that allows you to see your plates as they would appear, should you choose to spend the extra cash on them.<br /><br />I'm thinking that I might like to have one, but in my state, there are restrictions against beginning the plate with a numeral. So, in order to adhere to the guidelines of the Commonwealth and to seem a little more clever - and let's face it, to torment the already distracted Massachusetts drivers even more - my vanity plate would look like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/vanity_plate.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5683/1768/320/vanity_plate.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />What would your Sherlockian vanity plate look like?<br /><br />Hey, while you're at it, pimp out your Holmesmobile with an <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/10/rooms-at-no-221b-baker-street-stud.html">oval sticker</a> and you're set!<br /><br /><a href="http://beaconsociety.com/supportthesociety.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5683/1768/200/221B.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>

"By Special License..." [COPP]

I know there are a number of Sherlockians out there with vanity plates (personalized license plates for automobiles). As a matter of fact, ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Gene Weingarten Doesn't Understand Dr. Watson

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "to make some reply in defence" [SILV]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusBZKSFKJEDzxrSI6JEyDCLiEh6e9SCmJfFC76rT7FmVtJvA3jLMIWYNE5ddi3yEUk0D6ilRRwGj3jjhKpBGYbhSFMIfgFNzSLBXUC9ZAud_e4q7YUbwFkuM4tdhPbqQ-NzOBviMgo3Pa/s1600/Nigel+Bruce+as+Boobus+Britannicus+Dr.+Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusBZKSFKJEDzxrSI6JEyDCLiEh6e9SCmJfFC76rT7FmVtJvA3jLMIWYNE5ddi3yEUk0D6ilRRwGj3jjhKpBGYbhSFMIfgFNzSLBXUC9ZAud_e4q7YUbwFkuM4tdhPbqQ-NzOBviMgo3Pa/s1600/Nigel+Bruce+as+Boobus+Britannicus+Dr.+Watson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Would anyone like to give Gene Weingarten at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington Post</span> a piece of their mind? In his column <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111400973_pf.html">No Shot Sherlock</a>, he tries his deductive abilities to no avail as he attempts to correctly identify the owner of a lost address book.<br /> <br /> In the process, he calls Watson a " knuckleheaded, mealy-mouthed, jowly, boring" sidekick.<br /> <br /> We all know that Watson was anything but the <i>Boobus Britannicus</i> that Nigel Bruce played him as. He was a Doctor of Medicine, for goodness sake! But while he was intelligent in his own right, when compared with Sherlock Holmes, he naturally fades a bit - and his own humility plays it down as well. It doesn't help when Holmes tells him, "you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light." [HOUN]<br /> <br /> If any mere mortal pairs himself up with Sherlock Holmes, there's bound to be an element of perceived stupidity about the individual. But that doesn't mean that one is a knucklehead. And when one has seen war service and experienced women "over three separate continents," we struggle to think how a journalist could possibly call him "boring."<br /> <br /> Yes, Gene Weingarten doens't understand Dr. Watson. And he needs some enlightened Sherlockians to conduct some light in his general direction.<br /> <br /> The article allows comments. Go for it.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Gene Weingarten Doesn't Understand Dr. Watson

"to make some reply in defence" [SILV] Would anyone like to give Gene Weingarten at the Washington Post a piece of their min...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"It Was in a City in Russia..." [GOLD]

Connoisseurs of Sherlockian sculpture have another city to visit if they care to indulge their artistic preferences. Interfax is reporting that <a href="http://mosnews.com/news/2006/11/18/holmesstatue.shtml">a Sherlock Holmes statue will appear in Moscow</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/929963/Moscovite%20Sherlock.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/200/884647/Moscovite%20Sherlock.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>Sergei Petrov, the head of Moscow's Monuments Committee, says that the committee "has decided that there needs to be a monument of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in Moscow." According to the article, <br /> <blockquote> "The statue is to open near the British Embassy on the banks of the Moscow River under the auspices of the Moscow-based non-profit foundation Cultural Dialogue/One World. The organisation has said it wants to unveil the monument later this year or early 2007.<br /> <br /> "No design has yet been chosen, however, and Petrov, of the monuments committee, said a closed competition would determine the architect."</blockquote> While it may seem a little odd that Holmes should appear in Moscow, it should come as no surprise to those attuned to the distant whine of the Russian television set. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Livanov">Vasily Livanov</a> has made the character immensely popular again - and he himself is up for an Order of the British Empire.<br /> <br /> <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="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Livanov.jpg#/media/File:Livanov.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Livanov.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/Livanov.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">"</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Livanov.jpg#/media/File:Livanov.jpg" style="text-align: start;">Livanov</a><span style="text-align: start;">". Licensed under </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Livanov.jpg" style="text-align: start;" title="<a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Non-free_use_rationale_guideline" title="Wikipedia:Non-free use rationale guideline">Fair use</a> of copyrighted material in the context of <a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes_and_Dr._Watson" title="The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson</a>">Fair use</a><span style="text-align: start;"> via </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/" style="text-align: start;">Wikipedia</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <br /> Let's hope that the sculptor isn't too liberal in his approach. If he uses Livanov as a model, I'm sure many fans will be pleased.<br /> <br /> For those of you who are able to understand it, <a href="http://www.kp.ru/daily/23809/60014/">here is an article about the statue in Russian</a>.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">[Special thanks to Peter Blau for the link to the Russian article & photo]</span><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">--</span><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>

"It Was in a City in Russia..." [GOLD]

Connoisseurs of Sherlockian sculpture have another city to visit if they care to indulge their artistic preferences. Interfax is reporting ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Richard Lancelyn Green, BSI

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "even his voice was gentle" [IDEN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9XT90N8gGtGBt_KuB16tjnO1FtSo8DpETyxzTbaITKkc30BIzE66mZ3Pg6rAJCOjqyHhFRXTnHgwgDDORC9poxT8gHfLHHIiphebMcrqsebiazMY5334Gb3n-RSJ9xvxQpnyXAzjR7DT/s1600/Richard+Lancelyn+Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9XT90N8gGtGBt_KuB16tjnO1FtSo8DpETyxzTbaITKkc30BIzE66mZ3Pg6rAJCOjqyHhFRXTnHgwgDDORC9poxT8gHfLHHIiphebMcrqsebiazMY5334Gb3n-RSJ9xvxQpnyXAzjR7DT/s640/Richard+Lancelyn+Green.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Many readers of this blog will remember a true gentleman - and gentle man - of the Sherlockian world, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lancelyn_Green">Richard Lancelyn Green</a>, BSI ("The Three Gables"). Richard's untimely death two and a half years ago was a shock to all who knew him and still remains a mystery.<br /> <br /> Much was <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3653645.stm">written in the press</a> at the time - naturally the event was sensationalized to the degree that the tabloids typically do. Ultimately, the city of <a href="http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/history/213.htm">Portsmouth was named the beneficiary</a> of Richard's legendary and massive collection.<br /> <br /> Late last year, the BBC released a documentary called <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074s10" target="_blank"><i>The Man Who Loved Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, narrated by Stephen Fry. Here's <a href="https://www.paulcornell.com/2005/12/the-man-who-loved-sherlock-holmes/">a quick impression of the film</a> from Paul Cornell.<br /> <br /> Feel free to share your personal memories of Richard in the comments section.<br /> <center> <br /></center> <center> </center> <center style="text-align: left;"> </center> <center style="text-align: left;"> <i>Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/jukg5z" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Society of London (Flickr)</a></i></center> <center style="text-align: left;"> </center> <center style="text-align: left;"> --</center> <center style="text-align: left;"> </center>

Remembering Richard Lancelyn Green, BSI

"even his voice was gentle" [IDEN] Many readers of this blog will remember a true gentleman - and gentle man - of the Sherloc...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

An Honor for Al Rosenblatt

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "keen as mustard" [COPP]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLI7GmT6MmVRznbI7Mnmw9Q3JHC3WzFqHaK_AHQB2sUj0kbIeOU_I1NiaujctcTiCLGI7wyUhFX7JOyDvZJ8CKXLfxUHAvDgE_qB85ZtVcS1fuAbNtJk3t5TUEYYqG5gFbB1kqq3EnAfg/s1600/Al+Rosenblatt+%2526+Scott+Monty+BSIWeekend+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLI7GmT6MmVRznbI7Mnmw9Q3JHC3WzFqHaK_AHQB2sUj0kbIeOU_I1NiaujctcTiCLGI7wyUhFX7JOyDvZJ8CKXLfxUHAvDgE_qB85ZtVcS1fuAbNtJk3t5TUEYYqG5gFbB1kqq3EnAfg/s640/Al+Rosenblatt+%2526+Scott+Monty+BSIWeekend+2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Fellow Baker Street Irregular Albert Rosenblatt ("Inspector Bradstreet") has just completed his term on the New York Court of Appeals, after serving 8 years. The Albany Times Union just published <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?StoryID=535743&Category=STATE&LinkFrom=RSS">a story on Judge Rosenblatt's final day in court</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/1600/329945/Rosenbl04.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5683/1768/200/593682/Rosenbl04.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>Not that his retirement was a surprise. Last month, over 400 friends and colleagues <a href="http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061014/NEWS01/610140325/1006">gathered to honor him</a> at a retirement dinner. To give you a measure of the man honored that evening, here's one of Al's remarks:<br /> <span class="bodystory"></span><br /> <blockquote> <span class="bodystory">"As I look out at you and see your warm faces," Rosenblatt said,"I also see a sea of shoulders. And I have no illusions — you have carried me on your shoulders."</span></blockquote> <span class="bodystory">You get the same self-deprecating, humble and honest style when you speak with him personally as well.<br /> <br /> For a number of years, Al has served as the BSI's poet laureate, commemorating the previous year and the BSI Weekend in verse, presented at the annual <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend/schedule.html">BSI Cocktail Reception</a>. As someone who has dabbled in doggerel, it's one of the highlights of the Weekend for me. Subscribers to <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale.html">The Baker Street Journal</a> are treated to his witty writing in the Spring issue.<br /> <br /> In recent years, Al's daughter Betsy has joined him at the podium to give a familial assist on the reading (she also pulls a semi all-nighter to craft the verse with her dad the night before). Betsy has followed her father's footsteps in the law as well as in the Sherlockian movement. In coverage of the retirement dinner in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Poughkeepsie Journal</span>, Betsy mentioned that, when she visits her parents at home, she enjoys discussing legal points with her father:</span><span class="bodystory"></span><br /> <blockquote> <span class="bodystory">"I don't always reach a conclusion," she said, "but talking to Dad about the law sure opens the breathing passages. He's sort of the hot mustard of legal thought."</span></blockquote> <span class="bodystory">Indeed. He's an essential spice as far as the BSI is concerned. One with which we cannot do without.<br /> <br /> Congratulations on your retirement, Al. The Court of Appeals' loss is the BSI's gain.</span><span class="bodystory"><br /> <br /><br /><b>BONUS CONTENT</b>: Listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose103" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 103 of IHOSE</a> in which we interviewed Al and Julie Rosenblatt:<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/280596458&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /> <br /> [<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks to Pat Ward for the link to the Times Union story</span>.]<br /> <br /> Update, 11/20/06: reader Ken Lanza sent along <a href="http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/NEWS01/611190332">a link to a very nice story written by the Poughkeepsie Journal</a>.</span><br /> <div> <span class="bodystory"><br /> </span></div> <div> <span class="bodystory">--</span></div> <div> <span class="bodystory"><br /> </span></div>

An Honor for Al Rosenblatt

"keen as mustard" [COPP] Fellow Baker Street Irregular Albert Rosenblatt ("Inspector Bradstreet") has just complete...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"I Think I Hear the Fairy Footstep..." [MAZA]

The blog <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/strangerfruit/2006/09/the_coming_of_the_fairies.php">Stranger Fruit</a>, written by an evolutionary biologist and historian of biology John M. Lynch, recently featured an excerpt from the introduction that he has written for the new edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803266553?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0803266553">The Coming of the Fairies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0803266553" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0803266553/thebakerstree-20" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/5683/1768/320/Coming_Fairies.0.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><blockquote>In November 1920, the celebrated author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle announced the beginning of a new "epoch in human thought." He believed that he was presenting "a strong <i>prima-facie</i> case" for the existence of fairies, based on photographs taken by two pseudonymous young girls in July and September 1917. Noting that "in a matter involving so tremendous a new departure one needs overpowering evidence before one can say that there is no conceivable loophole for error," he laid out the case for the existence of fairies in the village of Cottingley, Yorkshire. Some have seen this announcement in <i>The Strand Magazine</i> and Doyle's subsequent book, <i>The Coming of the Fairies</i>, as the writings of a sixty-one year old who was losing his ability to think rationally. But to truly understand why the creator of Sherlock Holmes, one of the most unsentimental and logical characters in literature, would believe in fairies requires an understanding of Doyle's life, his general acceptance of Spiritualism, and what he felt would be the result of widespread recognition of the Cottingley photos.</blockquote>And another entry on <a href="http://torchwoodtv.blogspot.com/2006/11/cottingley-correction.html">Torchwood.TV</a> delves into it as well, mentioning Harry Houdini in the process. For background information on the Cottingly fairies, you might consider reading <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies">this link</a>.

"I Think I Hear the Fairy Footstep..." [MAZA]

The blog Stranger Fruit , written by an evolutionary biologist and historian of biology John M. Lynch, recently featured an excerpt from the...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty