I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (January 25 - February 14, 2014)

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"like a fire in a snowstorm." [GLOR]</h4>
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While much of the East Coast and Midwest in the U.S.A. prepares to be buried under mounds of snow, I must confess that this latest post might bury even the bravest of Sherlockians under piles of links and information. Below you will find an exploration of early Canonical illustrations, a celebration of the life and work of Vincent Starrett, a look at three Japanese translations of Starrett's <i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i>, an interview with Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue on the future of <i>Sherlock</i>, why we live in the most interesting of Sherlockian times, a review of the original 1979 Russian Sherlock, an interview with Cumberbatch discussing his upcoming role as Alan Turing, elements of the BBC <i>Sherlock</i> fandom, a list of Sherlock-related films available for streaming online, connections to Sherlock Holmes and Cumberbatch from Shanghai to Long Island, and much more in this fully winterized Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium by <a href="http://always1895.net/" target="_blank">Matt Laffey</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.solarpons.com/BakerStreetEssays_5.pdf"><b>Baker Street Essays #5</b></a> (February 2014) the irregularly published PDF newsletter of Sherlockian Writings by Bob Byrne focuses on various aspects of illustrations from the Canon. The feature essay "The Illustrated Holmes," inspired by the classic Walter Klinefelter book <a href="http://amzn.to/1go8mK8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes in Portrait and Profile</i></a>, traces the illustrations of Holmes (from the original STUD illustrations by D.H. Friston to those of Sydney Paget) that accompanied each story as it was first published. Also to be found in issue #5 is the short essay "Thoughts on The Evolution of a Profile: Vincent Starrett’s Classic Essay" exploring the final chapter of Starrett's seminal <a href="http://amzn.to/1go8x8n" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i></a> (1933) entitled "The Evolution of a Profile".<br />
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In another essay "Sidney Paget’s Enduring Influence," Byrne traces the importance of Paget's illustrations to historical and contemporary conceptions of the Great Detective by comparing original Paget illustrations with later adaptations - for example comparing Paget's classic "Silver Blaze" train car depictions of Holmes and Watson with screenshots from Granada and BBC adaptations which both pay homage to Paget's original (cf. image below). Finally, "A Classic Scene" takes a close look at Paget's famous depiction of Holmes and Professor Moriarty in the final moments of their struggle on the precipice of the Reichenbach, noting a small but significant feature of the drawing which I had never noticed: Paget "had every reason to believe that ["The Final Problem"] would the last Holmes story, I think that Paget understood the weight of the moment and spelled out his name, instead of using the usual “SP”." And indeed, if we look at <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Sherlock_Holmes_and_Professor_Moriarty_at_the_Reichenbach_Falls.jpg" target="_blank">the illustration</a><span id="goog_227511018"></span> we see that it is signed "Sydney Paget, 1893" opposed to the usual "SP". I highly recommend downloading BSE #5 (it's free!) and then exploring earlier PDF issues which can be found at <a href="http://www.solarpons.com/BakerStreetEssays.htm"><i>Baker Street Essays</i></a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The Paget illustration from SILV (top) re-created by Granada (bottom) is just one example of Holmes adaptors (film, TV, etc) paying tribute to the immense importance of Paget's imaginings of Canonical persons, places, scenes and outfits.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/episode-61-private-life-of-vincent.html" target="_blank"><b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere - Episode 61</b></a> was released a few days ago and I couldn't be more pleased! The announcement of a new IHOSE episode is always a cause for joy but in this particular case, the subject matter of this podcast is one nearest and dearest to my Sherlockian heart. I'm sure many of you have already surmised that episode 61 is all about that enigmatic but celebrated Chicago bookman, author of the finest book on matters Sherlockian aka <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1go8x8n" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> (1933) who was instrumental in the founding of the BSI yet only attended a single BSI Dinner (in 1934). "<b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/episode-61-private-life-of-vincent.html" target="_blank">The Private Life of Vincent Starrett</a></b>" is an hour and half conversation between venerable Starrettians Susan Rice and <b><a href="https://twitter.com/BooksandBipeds" target="_blank">Ray Betzner</a></b> about Starrett's life, work, trials and tribulations, kept expertly on track by the gentle nudge of IHOSE hosts Scott Monty and Burt Wolder's keen sense of when expertise is being used to make a biographical or historical point versus expertise leading the expert (and listener) astray. I consider myself to be fairly well-versed in the life, times and work of Starrett but it felt like every two minutes or so I was hearing some hitherto unknown Starrettian fact coming straight out of Rice or Betzner's brains. Personally, I learned a great deal but I was particularly impressed with the masterful way in which Rice and Betzner narrated their story, making the life of a cerebral book hound with quasi shut-in tendencies a thing of excitement and accessible to all levels of listener. I know I always recommend finding a 90 minute chunk of time to treat yourself to the latest IHOSE podcast, but there's no doubt in my mind that old and new Sherlockians alike will want to focus completely on this show - so do yourself a huge favor, find a quiet corner where no person (red-headed or otherwise) can vex you and lose yourself in contemplation of "<a href="http://always1895.net/post/11857862603/starrett1-birthday-week-2011">only those things the heart believes are true.</a>"</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Starrettian soldiers Susan Rice and Ray Betzner, along with a copy of Rice's opus on VS entitled <i><a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/OrderStarrett.htm" target="_blank">The Somnambulist and the Detective</a></i> (2000, Musgrave Monograph Number 10 ), recording their IHOSE segment during BSI Weekend 2014 at the Player's Club in Gramercy Park, NYC.] </span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/" target="_blank">Studies in Starrett</a> (as if a 90 minute podcast dedicated to the man wasn't enough), the blog of longtime Sherlockian and Starrettian <a href="https://twitter.com/BooksandBipeds"><b>Ray Betzner</b></a>, details his quest to obtain Japanese translations of Starrett's seminal <i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i>. Even though I don't read Japanese, this is the sort of quest that gets a red-blooded American blogger like myself all hot and bothered. But I'll take a quick cold shower and let Betzner explain where his quest started...<br />
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"<a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/blog/2014/1/21/the-private-life-of-sherlock-holmes-in-japan-part-i"><b>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes in Japan Part 1</b></a>": "I was able to determine that there had also been two Japanese editions. Both were translations by Tsukasa Kobayashi and Akane Higashiyama, who have translated a number of Sherlockian classics for Japanese readers. A hardback edition of <i>Private Life</i> was published in 1987, while a paperback version came out in 1992." Not surprisingly, given enough time and patience - and the Internet and some collector friends - both editions were tracked down and dutifully added to Betzner's impressive Starrett library. Not long after Betzner secured his hardback and paperback editions, he accidentally came across a folded-up, one sheet advertisement for the 1992 paperback which revealed that "before the first Japanese edition was published, chapters of <i>Private Life</i> translated by Kobayashi and Higashiyama were serialized in the Japanese edition of <i>Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine</i>....so the hunt goes on!"<br />
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"<a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/blog/2014/1/22/the-private-life-of-sherlock-holmes-in-japan-part-2"><b>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes in Japan Part 2</b></a>": Betzner shows off the fruits of his labor and explains the differences between both Japanese editions plus some further information about the earlier <i>EQMM</i> Japan translation, stressing one important caveat: "I am tempted to say this is the complete history of <i>Private Life</i> in Japanese, but I’ve been burned too many times in the past to be confident of such a claim. Just when I think I know something definitive about Vincent Starrett, some new tidbit comes to light and I realize I’m still several puzzle pieces short of the full picture." </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Above you'll see the cover of the 1992 paperback edition of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes in Japanese, which is a translation of the original 1933 edition opposed to the hardback Japanese translation which is based on the 1975 Pinnacle Books paperback edition (similar to the 1960 updated version originally published by University of Chicago Press).]</span></span></td></tr>
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Collider sat down with Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue <a href="http://collider.com/sherlock-season-4-5steven-moffat-sue-vertue-interview/" target="_blank">for an in depth discussion of what's next for BBC <i>Sherlock</i></a>, when fans can (maybe) expect Seasons 4 and 5 and the advantages of not being bound to a standard TV season/series model. Even if you are not a fan of BBC <i>Sherlock</i>, Moffat's comments on challenging the television season format status quo is a tremendous breath of fresh air:<br />
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"If we made <i>Sherlock</i> the ordinary way, and did a run of 6 or 12, it would have been over by now...<b>Who says that the only way to make television is to make loads and loads of episodes for five years, until everybody is absolutely sick of it</b>, particularly the people who are making it. Who says that’s the only way you can do it? There are other ways to make television. I’ve heard so many American showrunners talk about the shorter run – which for them is 12 or 13, but that’s quite a long run for us – and that all you’re losing are the filler episodes, and I think that’s true. I do think that sharpening the appetite and having shorter runs of more shows is a better way." </blockquote>
Hallelujah! Next time you find yourself or a friend complaining about the perceived dearth of BBC <i>Sherlock</i> episodes, consider the 'less is more' philosophy advocated by Moffat.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue, ostensibly pleasant and good-natured people, are secretly (and delightfully) plotting the emotional destruction of their legions of fans - or so listening to the perennial lamenting of a portion of the Sherlock fandom might lead you to believe. The truth? Let's just assume it's somewhere in the middle.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Sherlock Peoria's<b> "<a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/2014/02/our-little-town.html" target="_blank">Our Little Town</a>"</b> muses on the current state of the Sherlockian world, comparing the effect which recent Sherlock-mania has had on the traditional Holmes world to that of a small, quiet village suddenly finding itself in the midst a giant modern housing development replete with big box chain stores and all the traffic and congestion which inevitably follows. An odd metaphor to choose, yet the point is clear: the Sherlockian world of 2014 is radically different than the Sherlockian world of just a decade before (and there's no going back). Regardless of your personal stance on said changes most observers would agree with <b><a href="https://twitter.com/BradKeefauver" target="_blank">Brad Keefauver</a></b> when he adds that "watching the Sherlock boom's effect on the old school Sherlockian world has been interesting." For long time readers of Mr. Keefauver's blog, it's sometimes unclear where exactly he stands regarding the brave new Holmesian world we find growing around us every day. Note: I don't claim to be an expert in Keefauverian Studies, but just an attentive Sherlock Peoria reader - P.S. Please bring back <a href="http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/AaaActionSherlockBrainTheater/ASBT2012/ASBTheater052712.html">Action Sherlock Brain Theater</a>!<br />
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I sense that Keefauver's personal view is a nuanced, pragmatic conception which goes beyond a simple reactionary, binary world view (ie. not 'totally good' and not 'totally bad'), though perhaps he's leaning a bit more toward the positive than the negative, which would explain Keefauver's explanation: "<b>But man, is this a cool time to be a Sherlockian</b>," a sentiment shared by many a Sherlockian. After finishing the essay, a single deafening quote frantically ran circles around my brain: I of course refer to that famous Chinese curse: "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_you_live_in_interesting_times">May you live in interesting times...</a>" In order to get said quote out of my head, I looked up the actual origin of the phrase (surprise, it's not really an ancient Chinese proverb at all) and the only actual ancient Chinese proverb it even remotely resembles goes something like this: "<b>It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period.</b>" Strangely comforted, I held myself back from mentioning the dog that did nothing in peaceful times and instead found the following image to accompany this entry:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[For a fascinating perspective on Sherlockian 'boom' times, check out back issues of <i>Baker Street Miscellanea</i> from the late 1970s (or order the entire run on disc from </span><a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/octoganproject/e-BakerStreetMiscellanea.htm" style="text-align: start;">Battered Silicon Dispatch Box</a><span style="text-align: start;">) when the Sherlockian world was then dealing with an enormous upsurge in Holmesian interest generated by the recent book and film versions of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven-Per-Cent_Solution" style="text-align: start;"><i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i></a><span style="text-align: start;"> as well as a smattering of other new Sherlock pastiches. As you can probably guess some welcomed the newcomers and praised the new conduits that sparked the interest of new recruits - and others were up-in-arms over the dawning apocalypse being visited upon their Sherlockian world. ]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://the-consulting-detective.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-study-in-subtitles-adventures-of.html"><b>The Consulting Detective</b></a> describes the author's recent first encounter with the original <a href="http://www.bakerstreetdozen.com/russianholmes.html">Russian Sherlock Holmes (1979 - 1986)</a> - featuring Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes and Vitaly Solomin as Dr. Watson:<br />
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"overall it's an excellent representation of the Arthur Conan Doyle canon. Despite the fact that Vasily Livanov's Holmes is played somewhat against type, he lends an excellent performance as a humane Holmes. The friendship between Holmes and Watson is excellently characterized, defined with good humor and rapport." </blockquote>
Every time I read a new review of the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes_and_Dr._Watson">Russian Sherlock Holmes series</a> I immediately want to drop whatever it is I'm working on (i.e., usually another round of Weekly Links), turn on the series somewhere near the early-middle (perhaps the scene where you're never really sure whether you're watching Moriarty and Moran or the Wolfman and his monster associates) and thoroughly enjoy what I often times feel is the second best Holmes adaptation of all time (Granada/Brett taking first place). I'm shocked when Sherlockian friends - often times with decades more experience behind them - casually mention they have never seen Livanov & Solomin as the Dynamic Duo of Victorian crime fighting. Seriously, if you haven't seen this series yet, make the time! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Hey, remember when Sherlock Holmes was not just a chemist but a profound chemist? Unlike pretty much every Holmes adaptation ever (excluding Granada), the classic Russian Holmes series never lets you forget that Holmes is a chemist of no small talent, just like it should be.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>"<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/01/29/benedict-cumberbatch-talks-sherlock-film-stage-success/4838037/" target="_blank">Benedict Cumberbatch's Very Big Year</a>"</b>, in a recent <i>USA Today</i>, is mostly a puffy puff interview piece with Benedict Cumberbatch discussing the possibility of being cast in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Abrams" target="_blank">JJ Abrams</a>' potentially bizzaro-world take in upcoming editions to <i>Star Wars</i> and whether or not Cumberbatch has a paramour or is completely single and enjoying being the most popular man on the planet. Wading through the fluff, BC does speak-up about his upcoming roll as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing"><b>Alan Turing</b></a>, mathematician, WWII code breaker hero and, at the end of his life, shamefully and completely disgraced by the UK Justice system (which still prosecuted accusations of sodomy):<br />
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"[Cumberbatch] expresses displeasure only when an interviewer mentions that the late <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10536246/Alan-Turing-granted-Royal-pardon-by-the-Queen.html" target="_blank">Turing received a royal pardon</a> recently for 1950s criminal charges of gross indecency related to homosexuality. "The only person that should be pardoning anybody is him. Hopefully, the film will bring to the fore what an extraordinary human being he was and how appalling (his treatment by the government was). It's a really shameful, disgraceful part of our history," [Cumberbatch] says of his <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084970/"><i>The Imitation Game</i></a> character." </blockquote>
Without the genius of Alan Turing, computers might not exist or not exist at the level in which they do today as well as a variety of other artificial intelligence and information theory concepts. I can only hope that BC's fame will help bring greater awareness to Turing's heart wrenching story.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqD4-HmZEFwNCon0lJA-lE7Vt3oFHFD1vmlTmrekY_EXaOAoj6dD-crfPGskygsFhMKe9G99Z8kqEbeoaWlDa-WnvzVQO-yKNllB_-y1MbJjEFlNAaa-AavSbf86AFys7CbJf1kyO16c/s1600/CumberbatchAsTuring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqD4-HmZEFwNCon0lJA-lE7Vt3oFHFD1vmlTmrekY_EXaOAoj6dD-crfPGskygsFhMKe9G99Z8kqEbeoaWlDa-WnvzVQO-yKNllB_-y1MbJjEFlNAaa-AavSbf86AFys7CbJf1kyO16c/s1600/CumberbatchAsTuring.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Sherlock Holmes, Smaug, Julian Assange, Khan from <i>Star Trek</i>, Stephen Hawking (seriously, in a made for TV movie called </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395571/" style="text-align: start;"><i>Hawking</i></a><span style="text-align: start;">) and now Alan Turing - is there anyone famous who doesn't happen to look like Benedict Cumberbatch? ]</span></span></td></tr>
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Doyleockian's<b> "<a href="http://alistaird221b.blogspot.com/2014/01/some-elements-of-fandom-need-to-get-grip.html" target="_blank">Some Elements of Fandom Need to Get a Grip</a>"</b> gently suggests that certain extreme wings of the so-called fandom "need to get a grip" further explaining "I don’t pretend to know an awful lot about the activities of fandom – and by this I am referring  to the social media savvy fans whose Sherlockian interest largely revolves around BBC <i>Sherlock</i> – but as a body it can be awfully touchy and has a tendency to the very intolerance it seems to identify and abhor in others." Strong words of course, but well thought-out and sincere words all the same - for those familiar with <a href="https://twitter.com/alistaird221b"><b>Alistair Duncan</b></a> and/or his Sherlock-centric writings it should come as no surprise to see Duncan not only develop his own, independent views on the topic at hand (in this case, the collective behavior of at least part of the Sherlock fandom) but also prepare in advance a defense should the need arise.<br />
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Frankly, I'm rather surprised his post, originally published 30 January, 2014 under a clearly provocative title only generated ten or so direct comments. Secretly I thought that Duncan's short post might possess the perfect mix of <i>l'attitude provacative</i> and measured objectivity triggering a larger dialogue between various fandom culture supporters and detractors leading to....leading to where and to what I don't know. Regardless, there are points to Duncan's original post that many 'observers' (all those Sherlockians unconcerned with battling out the finer semantic points of "fandom" regularly in the social media trenches) as well as self-identified fandom denizens would be interested in seeing addressed and discussed - though not confronted savagely or uncivilly leading to predictably unproductive 'flame wars' and the like. I'll continue to look out for the next big 'argument' brewing, not for voyeuristic or sadistic purposes but because these sorts of continually simmering, though never quite boiling over, disputes tend to have a way of staying below the radar until the moment that they don't - exploding with all the passion and madness inherent in the creative minds of the types of people who choose to socialize within the framework of a literary or quasi-literary social group opposed to something more traditional. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajZAod7-fKB4uw7Oeqd__1ywVNvBLPDTSuHAhv-h6Vf5FeXmK7YT85Ot3vUZP9GzIxbsBNz4_SdKzzmwhWfQg8BTevAotc9YxO3YSNXsWT2O_vYK7kc0doQ6UhugTeoI3FNthg5JFpmY/s1600/Fandom.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajZAod7-fKB4uw7Oeqd__1ywVNvBLPDTSuHAhv-h6Vf5FeXmK7YT85Ot3vUZP9GzIxbsBNz4_SdKzzmwhWfQg8BTevAotc9YxO3YSNXsWT2O_vYK7kc0doQ6UhugTeoI3FNthg5JFpmY/s1600/Fandom.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[No doubt Boromir has a firm grip on whatever the current controversy might be. ]</span></span></td></tr>
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In <b><a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/podcast/episode-52-a-finger-slip-webseries/" target="_blank">Baker Street Babes - Episode 52</a></b> top Babe Kristina spoke to the team behind ‘<a href="http://afingerslipofficial.tumblr.com/">A Finger Slip: The Webseries</a>’ a project meant to take a specific popular fan fiction and turn it into a video series, funded in part by a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1879289266/a-finger-slip-web-series" target="_blank">current Kickstarter campaign</a>....Already I hear a few Sherlockian heads exploding out there - and giving vent to some fine and violent oaths - but let's step back for a moment and tease out a few points (re: 'fanfic' etc.) just so that we're all on the same page. The fanfic is called "A Finger Slip" (AFS) and was originally authored by Pawtal and is based on the premise that "John and Sherlock accidentally meet through texts as teenagers". Got it so far? From what I've seen the entire Finger Slip adventures are told in the form of text messages between our two protagonists along with other BBC characters like Greg (Lestrade) and Molly (Hooper). It's all online and free and you can start here with "<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/601000/chapters/1083777">Chapter 1</a>", where you'll find young, college-aged John and Sherlock meeting and getting to know each other via text messages. Remember, this is fanfic and not burlesque or pastiche so as much as the two main characters are 'John Watson' and 'Sherlock Holmes', don't be surprised if the narrative particulars and personalities stray quite far from what you would expect from a fan created (for example) 'BBC Sherlock-inspired pastiche' story. Anyway, if you had no idea what anything in the first few sentences of this entry meant, now you at least have a vague idea of what's happening. Give Episode #52 a listen then if you're curious come back and check out the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1879289266/a-finger-slip-web-series">Kickstarter page</a> (for more info about the page-to-screen transformation) and the series website <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/edit/afingerslipofficial.tumblr.com">afingerslipofficial.tumblr.com</a> and Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/afswebseries">@AFSwebseries</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHMeltpTH8aI9y-ymrXiJINpPoduORXNu-dCpuxK34Jl84_7CkEV8d3rx-yvyHVmZ64INrwr5X9G3afM9jxb_sB5lCyWD__TMxXpI_MHtAqebyIXQj1GDMX48DNa6pTjDNuAEjmEVQp8/s1600/AFSlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHMeltpTH8aI9y-ymrXiJINpPoduORXNu-dCpuxK34Jl84_7CkEV8d3rx-yvyHVmZ64INrwr5X9G3afM9jxb_sB5lCyWD__TMxXpI_MHtAqebyIXQj1GDMX48DNa6pTjDNuAEjmEVQp8/s1600/AFSlogo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[If fanfic stuff isn't your cup of tea, I'm right there with you, generally speaking, but the AFS project appears to be popular enough that a basic working knowledge of how Sherlock fanfic culture works could be useful to a better understanding of the fanfic corner of the greater Sherlockian world.]</span></span></td></tr>
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In <b>"<a href="http://flavorwire.com/434548/50-essential-mystery-novels-that-everyone-should-read" target="_blank">50 Essential Mystery Novels That Everyone Should Read</a>"</b> Flavorwire compiled an eclectically comprehensive list of fifty novels which all fall under the rubric of 'Mystery Novels' to one degree or another (crime, spy, detective, etc.). For starters, three cheers to Flavorwire author Emily Temple for actually putting thought into a "Top 50 Best X's" list - it contains plenty of titles/authors you would exactly expect to find on a 'best of' list like <b>Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler</b>. But hardboiled detectives are not <i>sui generis</i> aberrations of Nature lacking parents and lineage: hence a healthy sampling of 'classic mystery' including the likes of Poe, Sayers, Wilkie Collins and Watson's Literary Agent. Then the choices get a bit more interesting, diverse and dare I say literary: Umberto Eco's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1hms4cl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Name of the Rose</a></i> (OK, this is an obvious and overly popular choice but just once I would love to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault" s_pendulum=""><i>Foucault's Pendulum</i></a> appear instead), Paul Auster's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1gNepGF" target="_blank">The New York Trilogy</a></i> and one of my favorite novels from the last decade <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1gNesST" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Yiddish Policemen’s Union</a></i> by Michael Chabon. Perhaps the most interesting and impressive selections is by a scrappy, young, living, female author whose <a href="http://amzn.to/1b8nvzD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Dust and Shadow</i></a> transcends the sub-sub-genre of Sherlock Holmes pastiche: I refer to one of Always1895.net's favorite contemporary Sherlockians and authors, Lyndsay Faye! (Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/lklinger">Les Klinger</a> for the tip!) <a href="http://irishamerica.com/2013/09/the-copper-star-lyndsay-faye/"><i>Irish America</i></a> posted a recent interview with Ms Faye about her latest novel <a href="http://amzn.to/19LJ30J" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Seven For a Secret</i></a> as well as future projects.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAaKD77n_-rJBXM8WhKGx0JZUD_IlzYiExRO8_z7X_8OK_QCQ_DrQBdIpsddvAvogq98yQDfEoXnXEfb2S8KGkxq_mQVWuLQMma_AGdmmCANkjlwz6vCo96fmVgIfFKocXN2cjfRYGQM/s1600/Poe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAaKD77n_-rJBXM8WhKGx0JZUD_IlzYiExRO8_z7X_8OK_QCQ_DrQBdIpsddvAvogq98yQDfEoXnXEfb2S8KGkxq_mQVWuLQMma_AGdmmCANkjlwz6vCo96fmVgIfFKocXN2cjfRYGQM/s1600/Poe.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Don't get me wrong, I think Poe can sometimes be a genius and there's no question his <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Auguste_Dupin" target="_blank">Dupin</a></b> stories inspired a genre that lives on after 150+ years but seriously, check out this cover: do they really need to scream "The First Detective Auguste Dupin!!" in giant letters to convince readers to buy a set of Dupin stories, two of which are probably the most famous mystery/detective stories ever: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and "The Purloined Letter"?]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/best-netflix-other-sherlock-holmes-to-stream.html"><b>Vulture</b></a> compiled a list of Sherlock Holmes film and TV adaptations currently available from various online streaming services such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=sjCcHgq3To8">YouTube</a>, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, etc. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=sjCcHgq3To8"><i>The Woman in Green</i></a>, <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Sherlock_Holmes_and_Saucy_Jack/70004151"><i>Murder By Decree</i></a>, my personal favorite Billy Wilder's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Private-Life-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/B001EYSCF6/"><i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, Buster Keaton's silent classic (though not an adaptation per se) <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Sherlock_Jr./70180139"><i>Sherlock, Jr.</i></a>, all <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes">39 episodes</a> of the 1954 Ronald Howard TV series, Arthur Wontner as Holmes in what is possibly the most confusingly titled adaptation of all time <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjruXx22Fnc"><i>Murder at the Baskervilles</i></a> (set in the environs of the Baskerville estate, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029565/">the plot</a> is roughly based on "Silver Blaze" with Moriarty thrown in to properly ruin Holmes' vacation plans) and many more. Not mentioned in the article is the great repository of free, classic films <a href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=sherlock%20holmes%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies">Archive.org</a> which has most of the public domain Sherlock adaptations available for streaming/downloading.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf7XHgThabFL-I33sXCbGK_tAp3B5YreNcQDBPapDwL5kcWzaSokqr2z3lSchScUZfM5CliDe04Vd8SA7edDImAC-hDal3SMPLZpUR7ymjxKtJDRabayl10_yYXl4lhmaoOSQnYmjCOA/s1600/WontnerTriumph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf7XHgThabFL-I33sXCbGK_tAp3B5YreNcQDBPapDwL5kcWzaSokqr2z3lSchScUZfM5CliDe04Vd8SA7edDImAC-hDal3SMPLZpUR7ymjxKtJDRabayl10_yYXl4lhmaoOSQnYmjCOA/s1600/WontnerTriumph.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Movie poster for Wontner in </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027136/" style="text-align: start;">The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes</a><span style="text-align: start;"> (1935), which can be downloaded directly at </span><a href="https://archive.org/details/The_Triumph_of_Sherlock_Holmes" style="text-align: start;">Archive.org</a><span style="text-align: start;">.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<i>Explore Long Island</i>'s<b> "<a href="http://long-island.newsday.com/events/spy-like-sherlock-holmes-on-li-1.6805201" target="_blank">Spy Like Sherlock Holmes on LI</a>"</b> made a myriad of excellent suggestions for the aspiring Sherlockian: Warren Randall's 'The Long Island Cave Dwellers' scion meetings, Long Island's Murder Mystery Players club, the Spy Shop of Long Island in Northport, the comic shop <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CollectorsKingdom">Collector's Kingdom</a> with a selection of Holmesian titles, and more. Extra props for a reference to founder of the BSI and longtime Roslyn resident Christopher Morley as well as his writing studio, the Knothole, which lives at <a href="http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/parks/wheretogo/active/morley.html">Christopher Morley County Park in Roslyn-North Hills</a>. (The article says the Knothole is currently closed to visits by the public, but I can't find any more news on that; possibly it's just closed in the Winter?)" It's no mystery why Sherlock Holmes is alive and well on Long Island!<br />
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<b>UPDATE:</b> Former Supervisor of Historic Sites for the Nassau County Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Museums, <b>Terry Hunt</b>, BSI ("The Something Hunt") after reading this entry wrote me the following regarding the state of Morley's Knothole: "The Knothole has been closed to the public since the BSI's Morley Pilgrimage in Jan. 2009. We used to open it seasonally; in the spring we'd furnish it as shown in your picture, and in the fall remove most of the furnishings from the unheated building and put them in storage...The big problem is that the County is broke and the museum division essentially no longer exists. I have hopes that we can get The Knothole re-opened for some time next year for Morley's 125th birthday year, if the Christopher Morley Knothole Assn. and other Morley supporters can show enough interest and volunteer support." Thanks for the info and congratulations on your recent investiture <b>Terry Hunt</b>! Let's hope with enough support Morley's Knothole will one day be open to the public again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F5MbxPLK7F-tWi3iOnxABDC9nfUa4iupEhAMuFRBPcs_D2rJ0M9ZGojvEZCishP-3oq6c__2B4-h9V8ODcJbS0fhF_adglcNtsF7v3YjoM0qP8h4qT3PDlF-hCN5doyiOFMHexs1et0/s1600/Knothole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0F5MbxPLK7F-tWi3iOnxABDC9nfUa4iupEhAMuFRBPcs_D2rJ0M9ZGojvEZCishP-3oq6c__2B4-h9V8ODcJbS0fhF_adglcNtsF7v3YjoM0qP8h4qT3PDlF-hCN5doyiOFMHexs1et0/s1600/Knothole.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The interior of The Knothole, the writing studio used by Christopher Morley - which was moved to the Christopher Morley Park after Morley's death.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Buzzfeed ran a story "<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiefullerton/theres-a-benerdict-cumberbatch-themed-cafe-hagd" target="_blank"><b>There Is a 'Sherlock' Themed Cafe in Shanghai</b></a>" about a Sherlock-themed coffee shop called <a href="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=50+Ruijin+Road,+Shanghai,+China&hl=en&sll=51.505568,-0.09425&sspn=0.14104,0.359116&oq=50+Ruijin+&gl=uk&hq=50+Ruijin+Road,+Shanghai,+China&t=m&z=16">221B Baker Street</a>. It's worth perusing the pictures but I tend to agree with the author that the cafe is less about Sherlock Holmes and more about being a literal shrine to Benedict Cumberbatch in the guise of Sherlock. I've been making a point of not getting swept up in the <a href="https://news.google.com/news?ncl=dvw-TdNJXMNTOeMBuSCcdtWd28oLM&q=sherlock+china+%22Curly+Fu,%22&lr=English&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0jXeUp6DPNXSsATzzIHoBA&ved=0CDMQqgIwAA">recent torrent of Western News articles</a> - ie. "Wow! Check out how 'totally wacky' China is over BBC <i>Sherlock</i> (cf. Curly Fu and Peanut), etc.." - but since this cafe is so over-the-top I'll make a one time exception.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcmfYDbAaE_qu6pw5g8aUNFDpgN-zlGnOwxgL8DdHOgk0eb4FJvQxreQbW5gf1Wq5hBYV6fI5fViJVMAhs3rGT3OML519JnX7RvgZWgzK70g_0n0LhrMlPIJL78HRX530tKhsx0WqqUE/s1600/221BBakerStreetCafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcmfYDbAaE_qu6pw5g8aUNFDpgN-zlGnOwxgL8DdHOgk0eb4FJvQxreQbW5gf1Wq5hBYV6fI5fViJVMAhs3rGT3OML519JnX7RvgZWgzK70g_0n0LhrMlPIJL78HRX530tKhsx0WqqUE/s1600/221BBakerStreetCafe.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The daily menu board for China's shrine...I mean cafe dedicated to Benedict Cumberbatch and to a less extent other actors who've donned the deerstalker of the Great Detective.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sherlock-Holmes-WHO-TOOK-THE-DRUGS-rare-US-Stash-Comix-anti-drug-comic-book-/231145901839" target="_blank">A random eBay auction</a></b> is where I found this rather odd and harrowing image of the Great Detective smoking a suspiciously non-Canonical looking pipe on what appears to be the mean streets of the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London where one can only hope Holmes is lecturing the 'street arabs' of drug-ravaged Baker Street that "Crack is Wack" (or words to that effect). According to the description, this is an anti-drug comic from 1979 put out by a company called Stash Comix titled "Who Took the Drugs" and features Holmes in at least one story about the perils and pitfalls of drug use. For posterity's' sake, I grabbed the cover image off the eBay auction so that one can still marvel at the infinite variety of situations artists have placed the likeness of Sherlock Holmes. It is of course understandable if you assumed this image was an outtake from BBC's "<a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.com/sherlock-his-last-vow-review/">His Last Vow</a>", particularly in light of the recently revealed lifestyle choices of one 'Bill Wiggins' within the BBCverse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5XfV2eNkz8Hd3bbl7BzaoMfXIMfRAnx_F_BVUc4kodPk9EPkXWO2QktxrBwBa3IQmWOrVFtt8kKZ9H019weup4DNmFO2cgQ9YVirObPns8HHPonuQwqhAi-0zSegEwPiq9j9U205Y3g/s1600/DrugsHolmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5XfV2eNkz8Hd3bbl7BzaoMfXIMfRAnx_F_BVUc4kodPk9EPkXWO2QktxrBwBa3IQmWOrVFtt8kKZ9H019weup4DNmFO2cgQ9YVirObPns8HHPonuQwqhAi-0zSegEwPiq9j9U205Y3g/s1600/DrugsHolmes.jpg" width="439" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[My money is on Mrs Hudson in answer to "Who Took the Drugs?" Click this rather disturbing but also highly entertaining image for the full-sized version. Extra blog points if anyone has ever read this comic and can email me a recap the Holmes story contained within.]</span></span></td></tr>
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To offset the bleak 1970s version of Holmes seen above, here's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/benedict-cumberbatch-meets-muppets-in-pbs-video/2014/02/04/b0c08df6-8d9c-11e3-99e7-de22c4311986_story.html"><i>The Washington Post</i></a> covering Benedict Cumberbatch's recent appearance alongside <a href="http://www.sesamestreet.org/muppets/murray-monster">Murray the Monster</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_von_Count">Count von Count</a> as they attempt to teach kids the concept of 'greater than' in relation to numbers. Warning: will melt even the most ice-hardened hearts of anti-Cumberbunny Sherlockians. Watch the entire two and a half minute video segment here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7jS7X-2ggA" target="_blank">Benedict Cumberbatch and the Sign of Four (or is it Three?)</a>.<br />
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<br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The boys from Sesame Street call in the man from Baker Street to help solve the seemingly intractable mystery of whether or not there are more apples or more oranges.]</span></span></div>
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--<br />
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<br />

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (January 25 - February 14, 2014)

"like a fire in a snowstorm." [GLOR] While much of the East Coast and Midwest in the U.S.A. prepares to be buried under ...

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by campunity

A Quick Look at Baker Street the RPG on Kickstarter

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Imaginary robbers should play a part" [ABBE]</h4>
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<br />
Whether it be <a href="http://amzn.to/1lQCTlz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">television,</a> <a href="http://amzn.to/1lQD1By" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">movies,</a> <a href="http://amzn.to/1mhSGNH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">board games,</a> or <a href="http://amzn.to/1c87WpM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">computer games,</a> there's no denying the abundance of Sherlock Holmes themed entertainment available. Now <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fearlightgames/baker-street-roleplaying-in-the-world-of-sherlock" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a new Kickstarter project</a> adds role-playing games to the list.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">

<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="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/576/400/3e9089d1c88da8930e32e8e9e7b3bb94_large.jpg?1391019278" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/001/576/400/3e9089d1c88da8930e32e8e9e7b3bb94_large.jpg?1391019278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sherlock Die</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample character</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The heart of the game is in the investigation scenes, which the Kickstarter page describes this way: <br />
<blockquote>
"Investigating a scene is the driving engine of this game. The trick is to get enough clues fast enough so that the criminals don't have enough time to get away or further their plans. Played in a series of rounds, Investigation Scenes have investigators making Observation, Reason, and Deduction Skill Rolls to uncover clues, weed out false clues, and uncover possible leads to help them in their investigation."</blockquote>
The reason I find RPGs entertaining is the role-playing part. It's like a strange sort of improvisational theater within the guidelines of your character's scores. With the right group of people playing, these Investigation Scenes could be great opportunities to get into character and delve into the case.

Of course, it’s impossible to tell how well “Baker Street” is going to work without actually playing the game, but it's at least intriguing enough to be worth trying out. If this is the sort of project you'd be interested in supporting, you have until March 16th to back the project.<br />
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--<br />
<br />

A Quick Look at Baker Street the RPG on Kickstarter

"Imaginary robbers should play a part" [ABBE] Whether it be television, movies, board games, or computer games, there...

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by Katie Magnusson

Review: They Might Be Giants

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Great Scott!" [REDH]
</h4>
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<br />
If you're a fan of quirky music, as I am, you've no doubt encountered the duo known as They Might Be Giants.  What you might not know is that the band borrowed their name from the title of a 1971 film starring George C. Scott (based on a play by the same name).  <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067848/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">They Might Be Giants</a></i> tells the story of a millionaire named Justin Playfair who, after the death of his wife, begins to think he is the great detective, Sherlock Holmes. He wears the famous deerstalker cap, smokes the calabash pipe, and makes Holmesian deductions about strangers he meets. He is befriended by a psychiatrist named Dr. Mildred Watson, who at first attempts to analyze him.  The two develop a friendship that is not unlike the friendship between the canonical Holmes and Watson.<br />
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You can read a fair review of the film in Alan Barnes' book <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1mXUAOx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes on Screen</a></i>, and the film is available for streaming at <a href="http://www.netflix.com/">Netflix</a>. The <a href="http://youtu.be/q2oB0pMWh0Q">YouTube clip below</a> (from early in the film) shows George C. Scott's rather straightforward and competent Holmes imitation. (Sherlockians will enjoy the presumably intentional canonical reference of Dr. Watson's patient being named "Mr. Small," a character from <i>The Sign of the Four</i>.)  Although the plot of the film is a bit hard to follow at times, Scott's performance is always enjoyable, and the relationship that develops between Justin Playfair and Mildred Watson is alternately touching and humorous. Meanwhile, the presence of a female "Watson" in this film is more evidence that <i>Elementary</i>'s Joan Watson, who has been so controversial for so many Sherlockians, is not as groundbreaking as everyone seemed to think!<br />
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Although it's not really a "Sherlock Holmes film," in the strictest sense, <i>They Might Be Giants</i> is well worth watching for the Sherlockian material that makes the film's premise so intriguing.  Think of it as a "Sherlock Holmes as Don Quixote" tale in a contemporary setting.  Indeed, the title of the film appears to be an indirect reference to Don Quixote's predilection for "tilting at windmills," under the impression that they are terrible giants.  The following dialogue from the film makes this connection explicit, and sums up the basic thrust of the film:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Watson</b>: God! You're just like Don Quixote, you think everything's always something else.<br />
<b>Playfair/Holmes</b> [Laughs]: Well he had a point. Of course, he carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be... well… all the best minds used to think the world was flat. — But, what if it isn't? — It might be round — and bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes.</blockquote>
 Have you seen the film? What did you think of it?<br />
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--<br />
<br />
<br />

Review: They Might Be Giants

"Great Scott!" [REDH] If you're a fan of quirky music, as I am, you've no doubt encountered the duo known as They...

+ Read more »

by Cory Howell

Sherlock Holmes Teaching Grants: Deadline May 1, 2014

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"hundreds of bright little seeds..." [NAVA]</h4>
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<br />
<a href="http://beaconsociety.com/" target="_blank">The Beacon Society</a>, a not-for-profit scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars that supports and recognizes exemplary educational experiences that introduce young people to the Sherlock Holmes stories, is offering grants of up to <b>$500</b> to fund the development of such programs. The grants honor the memory of Jan Stauber (above), a New Jersey middle school teacher who for 10 years visited classes in the guise of Sherlock Holmes to encourage students to discover the joys of reading.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://beaconsociety.com/JanStauberGrant.html" target="_blank">Jan Stauber Grants</a> have been awarded to creative teachers and librarians in the USA since 2004 and in Canada since 2012. Previous awardees have used Sherlock Holmes to teach English, literature, history, mathematics, forensics, deductive reasoning, and critical thinking to students in elementary school through high school.<br />
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The deadline for 2014 grant applications is May 1. An application form, guidelines and other details about the Jan Stauber Grants are at <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/JanStauberGrant.html" target="_blank">BeaconSociety.com</a>. For more information about the grants, contact <a href="mailto:adevitt@comcast.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Allan Devitt</a>.<br />
<br />
We've previously covered the Beacon Society: <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/10/would-you-recommend-then-houn_13.html#.Uvr7GMRDuSo" target="_blank">"Whom Would You Recommend, Then?" [HOUN]</a> - you may want to read a little more. Also, you may follow the Beacon Society on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TeachSherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://teachsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, and Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/TeachSherlock" target="_blank">@TeachSherlock</a>).<br />
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<i>Image credit:  <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/JanStauberGrant.html" target="_blank">BeaconSociety.com</a></i><br />
<br />
[<b>Editor's note:</b> this is Marilynne's first post for us on IHOSE. She'll be covering the Beacon Society and any topics related to children as part of her beat. Please join us in welcoming her to the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/our-contributors.html#.Uvr5C8RDuSo" target="_blank">team</a>.]<br />
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Sherlock Holmes Teaching Grants: Deadline May 1, 2014

"hundreds of bright little seeds..." [NAVA] The Beacon Society , a not-for-profit scion society of the Baker Street Irregul...

+ Read more »

by Unknown

Updated Show Archives

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"among your extensive archives" [DEVI]</h4>
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<br />
Since we recently relaunched our site, we've discovered a small glitch that makes getting to some of our older shows a bit difficult. There are navigational aids on the site such as the Interviews drop-down in the right column on the web, and the Podcast Episodes and Interview Shows sections below, but they are each limited.<br />
<br />
We've created a new navigation in the toolbar above under "Listen" that includes our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/episodes" target="_blank">Latest Episodes</a> and our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/show-archives.html" target="_blank">Show Archives</a>. We hope that these will help you find what you need. We've also reproduced the Show Archives page here and will update it with each new episode we post.<br />
<br />
And if you're just finding your way here for the first time, please be sure to read our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/new-here.html#.UuX0t8Qo5w0" target="_blank">New Here?</a> and <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/resources.html#.UuX1m8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Resources</a> pages, which contain a veritable plethora of valuable information not only about this site, but about the Sherlockian world in general.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Show Archives</h4>
This is where we chronicle the full archive of all of the I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere episodes, the first podcast for Sherlock Holmes devotees. We like to think of ourselves as Car Talk for Sherlockians, but most of all, we hope you'll find us an enjoyable and valuable resource.<br />
<br />
Each link in the list will take you to the page with that episode's notes, a player and the ability to download each episode. You'll find our most recent episode queued up in the player below. And of course, be sure to subscribe to our podcast via <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=917393" target="_blank">email</a>, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=C*JE*kqZKe8&offerid=78524.10006064&type=4&subid=0" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, or with our<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZUTGYS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DZUTGYS&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">IHOSE Android</a><img border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DZUTGYS" />, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/podcast-box/id419361759?mt=8">IHOSE iOS app</a>, or <a href="http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/d1029dc0-f4b0-470e-bff5-3d6e787aaf9e">IHOSE Windows apps</a>.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/episode-61-private-life-of-vincent.html#.Uv2m0cRDuSo" target="_blank">Episode 61: The Private Life of Vincent Starrett</a> (interview with Ray Betzner and Susan Rice)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/01/episode-60-sherlock-holmes-first-60_10.html#.UuXHw8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 60: Sherlock Holmes - The First 60 Years</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/special-episode-free-sherlock.html#.UuXHwsQo5w0" target="_blank">Special Episode: Free Sherlock</a> (interview with Les Klinger and Betsy Rosenblatt)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/episode-59-sherlockology.html#.UuXHwcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 59: Sherlockology</a> (interview with Jules Coomber and David Mather, of the popular fan site)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/11/episode-58-thankful-for-sherlock-holmes.html#.UuXHucQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 58: Thankful for Sherlock Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/10/episode-57-sherlockian-halloween.html#.UuXHt8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 57: A Sherlockian Halloween</a> (interview with Charles Prepolec)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/09/episode-56-sherlock-peoria.html#.UuXHtcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 56: Sherlock Peoria</a> (interview with Brad Keefauver)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/08/episode-55-central-press-syndicate.html#.UuXHm8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 55: The Central Press Syndicate</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/07/episode-54-how-to-think-like-sherlock.html#.UuXHCMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 54: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes</a> (interview with author Maria Konnikova)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/06/episode-53-for-sake-of-trust.html#.UuXHBsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 53: For the Sake of the Trust</a> (interview with Tom Francis, chairman of the Baker Street Irregulars Trust)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/05/episode-52-sherlockian-mythbusting.html#.UuXHA8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 52: Sherlockian Mythbusters</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/04/episode-51-who-is-sherlockian.html#.UuXHAcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/01/episode-50-golden-passage.html#.UuXFrMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 50: A Golden Passage</a> (interview with Bob Katz and Andy Solberg, editors of the BSI Manuscript Series entry for "The Golden Pince-Nez")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/episode-49-ill-have-blue-christmas.html#.UuXFssQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 49: I'll Have a Blue Christmas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/episode-48-dangerous-work.html#.UuXFqcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 48: Dangerous Work</a> (interview with Jon Lellenberg and Dan Stashower about Conan Doyle's arctic whaling diary)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/10/episode-47-re-vampires.html#.UuXFpsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 47: Re: Vampires</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/10/episode-46-elementary-my-dear-cbs.html#.UuXFo8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 46: Elementary, My Dear CBS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/09/episode-45-sherlock-holmes-and-politics.html#.UuXFnMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 45: Sherlock Holmes and Politics</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/08/episode-44-watson-and-holmes.html#.UuXFlsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 44: Watson and Holmes</a> (interview with Brandon Perlow, Justin Gabrie and Karl Bollers, creators of the African-American duo in modern-day New York)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/06/episode-43-fathers-in-canon.html#.UuXFksQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 43: Fathers in the Canon</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/05/episode-42-sherlock-pbs-cumberbatch.html#.UuXFjsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 42: Sherlock @PBS - Cuberbatch Returns</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/04/episode-41-woman.html#.UuXFiMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 41: The Woman</a> (interview with Lara Pulver, who played Irene Adler in "A Scandal in Belgravia")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/03/episode-40-one-voice-of-sherlock-holmes.html#.UuXFgMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 40: One Voice of Sherlock Holmes</a> (interview with voice actor David Ian Davies)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/02/episode-39-believeinsherlock.html#.UuXETsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 39: #BelieveinSherlock</a> (interview with the Baker Street Babes)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/episode-38-on-conan-doyle.html#.UuXEScQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 38: On Conan Doyle </a>(interview with Michael Dirda)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/11/episode-37-lost-conan-doyle-manuscript.html#.UuXERMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 37: The Lost Conan Doyle Manuscript</a> (interview with Jon Lellenberg and Dan Stashower)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/10/episode-36-michael-hoey-and-fabulous.html#.UuXEQMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 36: Michael Hoey and the Fabulous Faces of Universal</a> (interview with Michael Hoey, son of Dennis Hoey, who played Lestrade in the Basil Rathbone movies)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/09/episode-35-sherlock-holmes-in-news.html#.UuXEO8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 35: Sherlock Holmes in the News</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/08/episode-34-william-gillette-americas.html#.UuXENcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 34: William Gillette, America's Sherlock Holmes</a> (interview with Henry Zecher)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/06/episode-33-remembering-edward-hardwicke.html#.UuXELcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 33: Remembering Edward Hardwicke</a> (interview with Steve Doyle and David Stuart Davies)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/04/episode-32-untitled-les-klinger-sequel.html" target="_blank">Episode 32: Untitled Les Klinger Sequel</a> (Part 2)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/episode-31-chat-with-les-klinger.html#.UuXEGsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 31: A Chat with Les Klinger</a> (Part 1)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/01/episode-30-sherlockian_30.html#.UuXEFMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 30: The Sherlockian</a> (interview with Graham Moore)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/12/episode-29-baker-street-irregular.html#.UuXD2sQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 29: Baker Street Irregular</a> (interview with Jon Lellenberg)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/10/episode-28-friendship.html#.UuXD1MQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 28: Friendship</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/08/episode-27-sherlockian-potpourri.html#.UuXBy8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 27: A Sherlockian Potpourri</a></li>
<li>Episode 26: A Musical Stroll Down Baker Street (interview with Fritz Weaver)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/04/episode-25-sherlock-holmes-for-dummies.html#.UuXB-8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 25: Sherlock Holmes for Dummies</a> (interview with Steven Doyle)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/04/episode-24-sherlock-holmes-and-his.html#.UuXB9MQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 24: Sherlock Holmes and His Worlds</a> (interview with Sally Sugarman)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/02/episode-23-weekend-in-review.html#.UuXB5MQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 23: The Baker Street Irregulars Weekend in Review</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/01/episode-22-sherlock-holmes-at-movies.html#.UuXB1sQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 22: Sherlock Holmes at the Movies (Part 2)</a> (interview with David Morrill)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/01/episode-21-sherlock-holmes-at-movies.html#.UuXBycQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 21: Sherlock Holmes at the Movies (Part 1)</a> (interview with David Morrill)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/12/episode-20-cleaning-empty-house.html#.UuXBvcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 20: Cleaning (The Empty) House</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/12/episode-19-return-of-i-hear-of-sherlock.html#.UuXCL8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 19: The Return of I Hear of Sherlock</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/03/episode-18-sons-of-copper-beeches.html#.UuXAbcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 18: The Sons of the Copper Beeches</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/01/episode-17-collectors-corner-otto.html#.UuXAbcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 17: Collectors' Corner - Otto Penzler</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/special-episode-compliments-of-season.html#.UuXITsQo5w0" target="_blank">Special Episode: Compliments of the Season 2007</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-16-collectors-corner-jerry.html#.UuXAfMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 16: Collectors' Corner - Jerry Margolin</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-15-michael-whelan-wiggins-of.html#.UuXAacQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 15: Michael Whelan, Wiggins of the Baker Street Irregulars (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-14-michael-whelan-wiggins-of.html#.UuXAZ8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 14: Michael Whelan, Wiggins of the Baker Street Irregulars (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html#.UuW9SsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 13: Arthur Conan Doyle - A Life in Letters</a> (interview with Jon Lellenberg and Dan Stashower)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/10/episode-12-bob-thomalen-part-2.html#.UuW_-8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 12: Interview with Bob Thomalen (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/10/episode-11-bob-thomalen-part-1.html#.UuW9SsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 11: Interview with Bob Thomalen (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/09/episode-10-secret-of-sherlock-holmes.html#.UuW9RsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 10: The Secret of Sherlock Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/09/episode-09-our-favorite-books.html" target="_blank">Episode 9: Our Favorite Books</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/08/episode-08-to-keep-memory-green.html#.UuW9RcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 8: To Keep the Memory Green</a> (interview with Steve Rothman and Nicholas Utechin about Richard Lancelyn Green)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/08/episode-07-peter-blau-part-2_27.html" target="_blank">Episode 7: Interview with Peter Blau (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/08/episode-06-peter-blau-part-1.html#.UuW9QMQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 6: Interview with Peter Blau (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/08/episode-05-sherlockian-101-part-2.html#.UuW9PsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 5: Sherlockian 101 (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/07/episode-04-sherlockian-101-part-1.html#.UuW9PcQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 4: Sherlockian 101 (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/07/episode-03-mike-berdan.html#.UuXAF8Qo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 3: Interview with Mike Berdan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/06/episode-02-wessex-press.html#.UuW9McQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 2: Interview with the Wessex Press</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/06/episode-01-welcome-and-introduction.html#.UuW9LsQo5w0" target="_blank">Episode 1: Welcome and an Introduction</a></li>
</ul>

Updated Show Archives

"among your extensive archives" [DEVI] Since we recently relaunched our site, we've discovered a small glitch that makes ...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 61: The Private Life of Vincent Starrett

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"...my little bookshop at the corner..." [EMPT] </h4>
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<br />
When we have the opportunity to sit on a couple of sofas and interview some of the most erudite and interesting Baker Street Irregulars of our time, we take it. And it seems that the BSI Weekend serves as just the spot to do that. Two years ago, we had an opportunity to do just that with Michael Dirda (ref. <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/episode-38-on-conan-doyle.html#.Uvg-asRDuSp" target="_blank">Episode 38: On Conan Doyle</a>), and we were again afforded that opportunity this year.<br />
<br />
On January 16, 2014, we had the great fortune to find an upstairs room in The Players in Manhattan, where we plunked our microphones down in front of <a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/" target="_blank">Ray Betzner</a>, BSI ("The Agony Column"), editor of the 75th anniversary edition of <i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i>, and the esteemed <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2020/10/remembering-susan-rice-ash-bsi-2s.html" target="_blank">Susan Rice</a>, BSI ("Beeswing"), ASH ("Some Observations  upon the Segregation of the Queen"), author of <i>The Somnambulist and the Detective: Vincent Starrett and Sherlock Holmes</i>, and got them to wax poetic about the great Sherlockian and bookman, Vincent Starrett.<br />
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While many people are familiar with the names of Edgar Smith and Christopher Morley when it comes to early Irregular history, Vincent Starrett may not be as widely known. He was certainly very well known in his own time, and particularly in his city of Chicago. His contributions to the world of Sherlock Holmes were immense, and his own magnum opus <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1h28jXg" target="_blank">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> is probably the most well known.<br />
<br />
But what else was known of this man? How did he become such a great scholar of Holmes? What of his professional life? What mysteries within his own personal life and commitments kept him from attending all but the first BSI Dinner, despite his death some 40 years later in 1974? Our interview subjects delve into all of these topics and many more as they help us explore the multifaceted bookman Vincent Starrett.<br />
<br />
We hear from Vincent himself in the opening strains of the show and we close not with a Gas-Lamp, but of a reading of his touching poem "221B." Both of these are available on <i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/starrettspeaks.html" target="_blank">Starrett Speaks: the Lost Recordings Audio CD</a></i>, available from the Wessex Press, our sponsor.<br />
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Listener comments are back (thank you!), both written and audio, and we give those some airtime. Finally, we have a <b><i>special item</i></b> - an article that Starrett wrote for <i>The Observer</i>, the catalog from Oppenheim's from Autumn 1929, titled "Fashions in Fiction" - that is available as a bonus item only for listeners who have downloaded our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZUTGYS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DZUTGYS&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">IHOSE Android app</a><img border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DZUTGYS" />, our <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/podcast-box/id419361759?mt=8">IHOSE iOS app</a>, or our <a href="http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/d1029dc0-f4b0-470e-bff5-3d6e787aaf9e">IHOSE Windows app</a>.<br />
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<h4>
Links:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Ray Betzner's new website: <a href="http://vincentstarrett.com/">VincentStarrett.com</a> - including "<a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/blog/2014/1/19/have-you-a-tamerlane" target="_blank">Have You a Tamerlane?</a>"</li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/privatelife.html" target="_blank">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> - 75th anniversary edition, edited by Ray Betzner (Wessex Press)</li>
<li>An excerpt from <i><a href="http://www.bsiarchivalhistory.org/BSI_Archival_History/DS_DB.html" target="_blank">"Dear Starrett--" / "Dear Briggs--"</a></i> (BSI Archival History)</li>
<li>"<a href="http://amzn.to/1o8CYms" target="_blank">The Real Sherlock Holmes</a>" in <i>The Golden Book Magazine</i> - available to one lucky collector (Amazon.com)</li>
<li><a href="http://archive.org/stream/uniquehamlethith00starrich/uniquehamlethith00starrich_djvu.txt" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Unique Hamlet</a> (via the Internet Archive)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hypable.com/2014/02/04/sherlock-series-4-six-stories-wed-like-to-see/" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock </i>Series 4: Six Stories We'd Like to See</a> (Hypable)</li>
<li>Our <a href="http://flip.it/oxPOZ">Flipboard magazine</a> aggregates lots of content for your enjoyment.</li>
</ul>
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Please <a href="http://pod.link/ihearofsherlock">subscribe to us on the podcast player of your choice</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable.<br />
<br />
Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or use the Speakpipe app right here on the site. Connect with us and other interested Sherlockians on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a>. And of course, our <a href="http://flip.it/oxPOZ">web- and app-based Flipboard magazine</a> is a nice collection of links, articles and images.<br />
<br />
And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us rant and rave about their excellence during the programme: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a>.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://batteredbox.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/update-on-vincent-starrett/" target="_blank">Matthew Zimmer</a></i><br />
--<br />
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<br />

Episode 61: The Private Life of Vincent Starrett

"...my little bookshop at the corner..." [EMPT] When we have the opportunity to sit on a couple of sofas and interview some...

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by Scott Monty

The Return of a Long-Lost Holmesian Forum

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Sit down and tell me how you came alive out of the dreadful chasm." [EMPT]</h4>
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<br />
For those who have been around these parts for a bit, you may recall the forum Holmesian.net. At one point early last year, the site lost its domain registry and the very robust set of discussion boards, chat rooms and forums were lost. It was too bad, as there was a good deal of information gathered there and the site acted as a resource and portal for many, just as Sherlockian.net has done.<br />
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<br />
Just as we had seemingly put it out of our minds, chalking it up as another unfortunate loss of the Internet through a missed deadline or hacked site, we were pleased to discover that the architecture and even some of the content of the site has been <strike>resurrected</strike> recreated as <a href="http://bakerstreet221b.boards.net/" target="_blank">221B Baker Street</a> (<a href="http://bakerstreet221b.boards.net/">http://bakerstreet221b.boards.net</a>). It's an entirely new set of administrators who were members of the old site.<br />
<br />
The site bills itself as "the internet's only complete and concise English-language Sherlock Holmes online community," and requires signup/login for membership, which is free. All one needs to participate is an email address and to select a login name.<br />
<br />
The site is neatly divided into a few sections to help members get around:<br />
<br />
<h4>
Greater London</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>The Vestibule</b> - new members, introductions, etc.</li>
<li><b>221B, Baker Street</b> - general Sherlock Holmes discussion</li>
<li><b>Professor Coram's Study</b> - essays, fanfic, pastiches, etc.</li>
<li><b>The British Museum</b> - discussion of Holmesian-era history, Victorian era, Edwardian era</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<h4>
The Lyceum Theater</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Sherlock Holmes on the Silver Screen</b> - discussion of all Sherlock Holmes feature films </li>
<li><b>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Granada</b> </li>
<li><b>BBC's "Sherlock"</b></li>
<li><b>Holmes on the Air</b> - discussion of Sherlock Holmes audio books, or classic Sherlock Holmes radio shows (1930s - 1950s)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<h4>
The Diogenes Club</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>The Diogenes Club</b> - off-topic discussions</li>
<li><b>St. James's Hall</b> - all musical discussion</li>
<li><b>The Suggestion Box</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
We suggest hopping over to the site and checking them out. Whether or not you're in the market for an online discussion forum that's outside of your usual path on the web, it might be good to see what's happening there - such as <a href="http://bakerstreet221b.boards.net/thread/44/why-books-canon-canonical" target="_blank">the discussion</a> around why the works that make up the <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1fUfJc5" target="_blank">Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> aren't included in the Canon.<br />
<br />
Were you a member of Holmesian.net? What do you think of the new iteration of the site?<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The Return of a Long-Lost Holmesian Forum

"Sit down and tell me how you came alive out of the dreadful chasm." [EMPT] For those who have been around these parts for ...

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by Scott Monty

Canonical References in Series 3 of Sherlock

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I am now about to summarize." [ENGR]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs-ChksL0L5-y8N8jb6vKvhqMdOBB99x6721QPYLZaxOlR4wvKJBKiEhX5oEc2TQQ_Yjl9Edn2pKiMatUTMJS3MQjo4NkZ6P1p3kRXYXcmX8f835AIMDRKk06fdw-Wzl2AMVaClfNlYJx/s1600/MUSG+-+Holmes+records+tin+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs-ChksL0L5-y8N8jb6vKvhqMdOBB99x6721QPYLZaxOlR4wvKJBKiEhX5oEc2TQQ_Yjl9Edn2pKiMatUTMJS3MQjo4NkZ6P1p3kRXYXcmX8f835AIMDRKk06fdw-Wzl2AMVaClfNlYJx/s1600/MUSG+-+Holmes+records+tin+box.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
<br />
As you may know, we were asked to host <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/features/twitter-event/sherlock-s3-twitter-event/" target="_blank">a live Twitter chat</a> by Masterpiece PBS for Series 3 of <i>Sherlock</i>. This marked the third consecutive season that we were honored to perform that duty.<br />
<br />
Our focus, as it always has been, was to highlight the elements of the original stories that made it into the updated series in one fashion or another. While we may not have captured everything in the flurry of tweets that we tried to crank out over the course of 90 minutes, we think we hit upon the main points.<br />
<br />
Rather than letting those tweets get lost to the ether of the Internet, we've collected them and we're presenting them here for your reference. If there are other points that we should include, please let us know.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="storify">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/canonical-references-in-sherlock-series-3/embed" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/canonical-references-in-sherlock-series-3.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/IHearofSherlock/canonical-references-in-sherlock-series-3" target="_blank">View the story "Canonical References in Sherlock Series 3" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Canonical References in Series 3 of Sherlock

"I am now about to summarize." [ENGR] As you may know, we were asked to host a live Twitter chat by Masterpiece PBS for Seri...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Ready to be #Sherlocked: The Official Sherlock Convention

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"evidently a great event" [HOUN]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP87zhp5TodQEFBIUcCmLQXSZ97W1FAJXTkK5J9j3LHjVy_0AdfHiHSqJv6CR_PMM_-2afFXQbxUB5mSIOQHll0CYLlmh8t1abfOMzu_yrOtLtTB7ZWgL9ns4TuL5eeHF_gBsIgTpRXUUg/s1600/Sherlocked.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP87zhp5TodQEFBIUcCmLQXSZ97W1FAJXTkK5J9j3LHjVy_0AdfHiHSqJv6CR_PMM_-2afFXQbxUB5mSIOQHll0CYLlmh8t1abfOMzu_yrOtLtTB7ZWgL9ns4TuL5eeHF_gBsIgTpRXUUg/s1600/Sherlocked.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Just announced today from <a href="http://www.sherlockology.com/news/2014/2/7/sherlocked-convention-announcement-070214" target="_blank">our friends at Sherlockolog</a>y is Sherlocked: The Official <i>Sherlock </i>Convention.<br />
<br />
Details are still unfolding, but later in 2014 over the course of three days, there will be a major event, run  by Massive Events in association with Hartswood Films and Showmasters Ltd. Of course, Hartswood are the producers/distributors of <i>Sherlock </i>and Showmasters and Massive Events are experienced with fan conventions and major trade shows that attract the likes of the rabid fanbase that we know Sherlock has.<br />
<br />
The event, which will take place both in Europe and the United States over the course of three days, was teased by Sherlockology over the course of the past week or so following the conclusion of Series 3 on PBS. They cleverly used a code to lure fans in:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIFeWcJoK0Zrm_3vIv2HVAHzTfIINvXaUD4876vwtPOUJpJaD4bxHIB6IsXTw97U2RycbMiM7i7CpClSJnUTwtt33qV-FQ0L7YzbMQn-W8wBpxJDNW_zO8xToawk8dtU67s49Ezl3Swad/s1600/sherlocked+code.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIFeWcJoK0Zrm_3vIv2HVAHzTfIINvXaUD4876vwtPOUJpJaD4bxHIB6IsXTw97U2RycbMiM7i7CpClSJnUTwtt33qV-FQ0L7YzbMQn-W8wBpxJDNW_zO8xToawk8dtU67s49Ezl3Swad/s1600/sherlocked+code.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For those paying attention at home, the code spelled: CONVENTION.<br />
<br />
At this point, all that we know is that the event will take place over 3 days in 2014 and will feature  an array of Sherlock themed activities, appearances from the cast and crew of the show, talks, photoshoots, autograph opportunities and more.<br />
<br />
To get more information on the event, visit the official <a href="http://massiveevents.co.uk/sherlocked/" target="_blank">Sherlocked: The Sherlock Convention</a> site and enter your information. You can also follow them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherlocked-The-Event/254831428026630" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and as <a href="https://twitter.com/SherlockedEvent" target="_blank">@SherlockedEvent</a> on Twitter.<br />
<br />
Do you think you'll attend? Let us know. We may need some correspondents.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />

Ready to be #Sherlocked: The Official Sherlock Convention

"evidently a great event" [HOUN] Just announced today from our friends at Sherlockolog y is Sherlocked: The Official Sherlock...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Holmes and Watson at Pebble Beach

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"...the pretense of playing golf." [BLAC]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUqZKzlUWmE0dOxCSDzysaxD9ctJwt6FCEUTI1dMuEuELyrU44c1K-aZPwHsOnbPgZyiU64mh5vl9HIe4Un5fSw_8AZMJytA0F4nzBUXaGiLvQ-KR-A5sdf073Z_m2D07PJCqtexRnK4Y/s1600/Pebble-Beach-CA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUqZKzlUWmE0dOxCSDzysaxD9ctJwt6FCEUTI1dMuEuELyrU44c1K-aZPwHsOnbPgZyiU64mh5vl9HIe4Un5fSw_8AZMJytA0F4nzBUXaGiLvQ-KR-A5sdf073Z_m2D07PJCqtexRnK4Y/s1600/Pebble-Beach-CA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We understand that there will be a sighting of Holmes and Watson at the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament today.<br />
<br />
No, not Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson but rather <a href="http://www.pgatour.com/content/pgatour/players/player.27141.j-b-holmes.html" target="_blank">J.B. Holmes</a> and John Watson, who will be making an appearance on the Spyglass Hill course. Holmes will be paired up with David Gill, and Watson, an amateur, will be paired with pro Retief Goosen.<br />
<br />
As you may know, Arthur Conan Doyle was a lifelong golfer. In his first North American tour, he stayed with Rudyard Kipling in Vermont, where the two enjoyed some golf together. As Conan Doyle recounted:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I had brought up my golf-clubs and gave him lessons in a field while the New England rustics watched us from afar, wondering what on earth we were at, for golf was unknown in America at that time.”</blockquote>
And it was <a href="http://www.diogenes-club.com/golf.htm" target="_blank">golf that was indirectly responsible for the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes</a>. One weekend in Cromer, along the Norfolk coast, Doyle engaged in a round of golf while staying at the Royal Links Hotel. That round was shot with Fletcher Robinson, who inspired him to write <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>.<br />
<br />
At any rate, it will be refreshing to see the names of Holmes and Watson televised throughout the Pebble Beach Pro-Am today. And here's hoping that the players take their golfing advice from Sir Arthur:<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVQwI_d49iLmUv4Y0hx4pKOIz7CRyqgkzMJNNX4cw_Q0UAMnJTWg-lCzs_IigYNf6ZQX01hQpALJqYNxMUELLF_KqeYgrhXX3udw_F_EKROVDX_7hpeyTAvh-odsuWt10-y6kbJMOBfHj/s1600/Doyle_Arthur_Conan_grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVQwI_d49iLmUv4Y0hx4pKOIz7CRyqgkzMJNNX4cw_Q0UAMnJTWg-lCzs_IigYNf6ZQX01hQpALJqYNxMUELLF_KqeYgrhXX3udw_F_EKROVDX_7hpeyTAvh-odsuWt10-y6kbJMOBfHj/s1600/Doyle_Arthur_Conan_grave.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steel true, blade straight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Images courtesy of <a href="http://www.chamoismoon.com/" target="_blank">Robert Campbell</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doyle_Arthur_Conan_grave.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i><br />
--<br />
<br />

Holmes and Watson at Pebble Beach

"...the pretense of playing golf." [BLAC] We understand that there will be a sighting of Holmes and Watson at the annual Pebb...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

A Brief Introduction to Sherlockian Societies

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">"Every form of society..." [SCAN] </span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
There's a piece of lore handed down in the Sherlockian community that states that all one needs for a Sherlock Holmes society is two Sherlockians, a copy of the Canon, and a bottle. In a pinch, one can do without one of the Sherlockians.<br />
<br />
I must, respectfully, disagree. In my view, it is the bottle, rather than the other Sherlockian, that could be dispensed with. The simple reason is this: the love of a story, a character, a world, demands to be shared. Every Sherlockian has his or her own unique journey in discovering the Canon, and those personal experiences are difficult to share. But the ensuing love of a world and its people is a love that demands to be shared. <br />
<br />
The world of Sherlock Holmes is no different - it is a world that begs to be lived in and shared, and it is, the world over, in the form of Sherlockian societies.The most famous and prestigious of these is the Baker Street Irregulars - dating from 1934, it is ancient, revered, and by-invitation-only. But, if you have no such invitation, there are a number of "scion" societies the world over which have no such barriers to membership, and thus many ways to join the Sherlockian community of scholarship and celebration. <br />
<br />
We have a short listing of societies with websites on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/resources.html" target="_blank">our Resources page</a>; but the most comprehensive<a href="http://www.sherlocktron.com/three.pdf"> list of societies</a> can be found at <a href="http://sherlocktron.net/">Sherlocktron</a>. And the <a href="http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com/">Sherlockian Calendar</a> keeps a running tally of events.<br />
<br />
If you seek to share your love of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, then joining is as simple a matter as finding the society closest to you (they are organized by place in alphabetical order) and contacting the appropriate person listed. Of note: a very few societies are still male-only, but the vast majority are more inclusive. Lest you stumble upon one for which you do not meet the criteria, it is my experience that you will be directed to a society you can join. Joining is usually as simple as expressing interest and being added to a mailing list of events and society news (though several societies do have dues). I must also add that, in my experience, at the meetings of such societies, both Sherlockians and bottles occur in copious quantities, and copies of the Canon are also rarely dispensed with. Furthermore, unlike our idol, who loathes every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul, Sherlockians are sociable creatures, always happy in the company of other like-minded aficionados. <br />
<br />
I have had the good fortune to belong to a number of Sherlockian societies - the <a href="http://www.criterionbar.org/" target="_blank">Criterion Bar Association</a> in Chicago, while I completed my studies in that beautiful city, and the <a href="http://www.sshf.com/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Society of France</a>, for the year that I lived in Paris. Both of these societies offered companionship, dialogue, and a myriad ways to bring Sherlock Holmes to life. I hope my details below of the various events I've engaged with give a taste of what exactly it is that Sherlockian societies do, and that these descriptions encourage those readers who have not joined a Sherlockian society yet to seek one out if time and location permits. <br />
<br />
My experience with the Criterion Bar Association was mostly that of meeting regularly with other members (somewhere around every two or three months) at a respectable restaurant; this was a time to mingle, feast, and discuss the Canon. However, each meeting would not be complete without a more intellectual component, for to be a Sherlockian means to be infinitely curious and constantly willing to fill that brain-attic with new facts both useful and useless. As such, each meeting, in addition to the quizzes, prizes, and conversation, involved a lecture (and discussion afterwards) of a  a particular topic relating to Sherlock Holmes or the Victorian period. (The ones that come to mind personally are a lecture on Aristotle's philosophy of friendship as it applies to Holmes and Watson, a lecture on indexing, and one on Victorian gardens). It is difficult to share that feeling of connectedness that comes from being gathered together to delve so deeply and intellectually into the same world, and even more difficult to describe that profound emotion each Sherlockian doubtless feels when we all rise, at the end of each meeting, to read the famous Vincent Starrett poem "221B" and toast the Detective. <br />
<br />
However, many Sherlockian society events range beyond an intellectual gathering. In my time with the Sherlock Holmes Society of France,  I have also had a chance to experience the stories in a way that one might call "first-hand." Joined by a number of other Holmesians, I dined at the Hotel du Louvre, where Holmes caught a spy in "The Bruce-Partington Plans" and toasted Conan Doyle in the hotel where he spent his second wedding night. The highlight of my year, of course, was the yearly Holmesian Christmas Dinner at the Gare de Lyon, the Parisian train station through which Holmes must have passed in order to reach Switzerland from London. Each experience was a little bit of living the Canon, made more meaningful by the company I shared it with. <br />
<br />
I hope that these (rather personal, I admit) reminiscences give at least a taste of the variety, creativity, and joy of the Sherlockian community the world over. If you are not yet a member of a Sherlockian society, I urge you to join. You will not regret the friends you will make, or the way that the activities and companionship will bring the Canon to life. And, should you be interested in a more detailed history of Sherlockian societies, <a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/celebrating">Sherlockian.net</a> offers an engaging summary. <br />
<br />
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>

A Brief Introduction to Sherlockian Societies

"Every form of society..." [SCAN] There's a piece of lore handed down in the Sherlockian community that states that all ...

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by Anastasia Klimchynskaya

The Italian Secretary: My First Pastiche

<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
<b>"He was a kind of Italian piecework" [SIXN]</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312352042/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312352042&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank"><i>The Italian Secretary</i></a> was the first taste of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche addiction I happily suffer from today. I was familiar with Caleb Carr's two books <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812976142/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812976142&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank">The Alienist</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345427637/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345427637&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20" target="_blank">The Angel of Darkness</a></i>, and his very Holmes like character, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. The difference being Kreizler is a psychiatrist (or alienist as they were called) not a consulting detective.<br />
<br />
So it's no wonder that the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. approached Carr to write a Sherlock Holmes story and had apparently asked that Carr's Kreizler, could somehow be in the book and work with Sherlock Holmes. Carr did not oblige and as much as I like the Alienist books, I'm glad he didn't.<br />
<br />
As it is, Carr suffers from the dilemma that many well published authors suffer from when writing a Holmes pastiche; do you write a book for your current fans or do you write a book for Sherlock Holmes fans? Most try and do both and sadly, many fail. Carr also tries to do both but I think because his topics are similar to Doyle and Holmes, he's able to pull off a valiant effort that succeeds better than most, but make no mistake, this isn't a Doyle story, it's not much of a mystery and the suspense is waiting to see how it all comes to a head rather than who the culprit is.<br />
<br />
This story takes Sherlock to one of my favorite cities in the World, (which could be partly why I liked this story as much as I do) Edinburgh Scotland. While writing this review it dawned on me that Doyle never sent Sherlock to Scotland, where Doyle is from. I find that a little odd, but Sherlock loved London and Sherlock stays firmly rooted there for the most part. However, in Sherlock's pastiche afterlife he does much more traveling. But I digress.<br />
<br />
Edinburgh is infamous for it's ghost sightings and Carr takes advantage of that fact. But like all stories where Holmes is faced with ghosts, he isn't having any of it and sets about getting to the heart of the matter.<br />
<br />
Multiple deaths occur while renovating the west tower of the Royal Palace of Holyrood complicating the already tense political climate in Scotland. The west tower is the wing where Mary, Queen of Scots, lived, and where David Rizzio (the Italian Secretary) was brutally murdered. Mycroft fears that this might be part of an attempt on Queen Elizabeth's life and sends his brother to investigate.<br />
<br />
I have to give Carr some credit with his version of Sherlock and Watson. I usually find that British writers do a better job with the voice of Doyle's characters. Generally British authors have a particular flair with the English language that all but the most anglophile American authors just don't have. Especially American mystery writers. With the exception of some of the heavily accented Scottish characters, Carr does an admiral job here.<br />
<br />
Carr, besides being a best selling fiction writer, is also a military historian and definitely did his research. When you read this book you get a feel for the political climate in Scotland and he does an especially good job building out the setting. Even if you've never had the privilege of visiting Edinburgh Carr makes it easy to visualize.<br />
<br />
Pulling from his military knowledge Carr creates a very extravagant ending which ends with a siege on Holyrood with trebuchets and flaming projectiles. Very fun stuff.<br />
<br />
It's easy to see why I got hooked on pastiches after reading <i>The Italian Secretary</i> and for that I owe a debt to Carr. But the last thing I found interesting was that the reception of <i>The Italian Secretary</i> is very mixed. If <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312352042/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312352042&linkCode=as2&tag=theconblo04-20">you look at the reviews of the book</a> they're almost equally spread across all 5 stars. Trust me, that almost never happens. So I'm curious, if you read the book, what was your take?<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=theconblo04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0312352042" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

The Italian Secretary: My First Pastiche

"He was a kind of Italian piecework" [SIXN] The Italian Secretary was the first taste of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche addi...

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by Tac Anderson

The Secret Message in the Closing Credits of Sherlock

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"these characters convey a message" [DANC] </h4>
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Series 3 of <i>Sherlock</i> concluded on PBS last night (in most markets), with "His Last Vow." We won't offer any spoilers here, for the sake of those who have yet to fire up their DVRs or whose affiliate stations haven't yet run it.</div>
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But for those who tuned into the January 19th premiere of the series on <b><i>Masterpiece</i></b> were provided with a great puzzle during the end credits, courtesy of show-runners Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt.</div>
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Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIMPBbfFT9c" target="_blank">this video</a> and observe:<div><br />
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<br />The letters spell out W-E-N-G-C-H-I-A-N-G.</div><div><br /></div><div>Or, Weng-Chiang, for those of you familiar with the Whovian universe. Which is from "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Talons_of_Weng-Chiang" target="_blank">The Talons of Weng-Chiang</a>," a six-part series in Season 14 of <i>Doctor Who</i>, in which we find Tom Baker dressed as Sherlock Holmes.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhBMQVAnH_bSmSRA8IuhUl8rC6EYMVBqEw5J-ka92jbwJiR9pbSeTOxJLPhMGnA891YBPRmBYXb-amtPYPT7CoISsyqoNfJkVNmrm6e29SU3cOge-sLzatpai7XHjaDxALhtSIuXliSxY9-_w-Es24iTj-dcAQAL_B1giFJRXW7pnD7IXYpyUjJyho7w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhBMQVAnH_bSmSRA8IuhUl8rC6EYMVBqEw5J-ka92jbwJiR9pbSeTOxJLPhMGnA891YBPRmBYXb-amtPYPT7CoISsyqoNfJkVNmrm6e29SU3cOge-sLzatpai7XHjaDxALhtSIuXliSxY9-_w-Es24iTj-dcAQAL_B1giFJRXW7pnD7IXYpyUjJyho7w=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Screenshot taken from an optical disc, television broadcast, web page, computer software or streaming media broadcast. Copyright holder: BBC, Fair use, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14411153" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div>
How's that for all of you Whovians out there?<br />
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We've written before about some curious connections between Sherlock Holmes and the Doctor. On of them is that after leaving <i>Doctor Who</i> in 1980, Tom Baker appeared as Sherlock Holmes in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL975NjlGoHlQINaFJIWAkz3kxzdrqVvsU">adaptation of </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL975NjlGoHlQINaFJIWAkz3kxzdrqVvsU"><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></a>. Thankfully, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL975NjlGoHlQINaFJIWAkz3kxzdrqVvsU">you can watch this adaptation via YouTube.</a></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL975NjlGoHlQINaFJIWAkz3kxzdrqVvsU"></a><br />
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Also, for more information about Talons of Weng-Chiang, please visit this <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/09/under-influence-houn_17.html#.UuwHxXYsVcc">earlier post</a> as well as <a href="http://comicrelated.com/news/12770/talons-of-weng-chiang">this more in-depth review</a>. (And please be sure to check out the Special Edition DVD, which contains numerous documentaries about the Victorian era, and are worth watching on their own)<br />
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The Secret Message in the Closing Credits of Sherlock

"these characters convey a message" [DANC] Series 3 of Sherlock concluded on PBS last night (in most markets), with ...

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by Gordon D

What Is It That We Love in Sherlock Holmes?

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"What ineffable twaddle!" [STUD] </h4>
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The benefit of living in the midst of a Sherlockian renaissance is that we have so much material at our fingertips. Of course, the detriment is that we have so much material at our fingertips.<br />
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With the rise in television programs, movies, books, games and other media entities dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, the commentary and punditry has risen concurrently. And because Sherlock Holmes is a figure deeply rooted in popular culture and history, everyone thinks he knows the character. While we're willing to begrudge the occasional swipe, at times it's difficult for those of us who have intimate knowledge of Holmes - indeed, those of us who have read the Canon multiple times, studied the stories and their characters, and even written scholarly papers on them - to accept the superficial criticism or commentary by those who simply are not quite as informed.<br />
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Recently, Esquire ran a piece titled "<a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/why-we-love-sherlock?%3Fsrc=rss" target="_blank">Why We Love Sherlock</a>" by Stephen Marche (<a href="http://twitter.com/StephenMarche" target="_blank">@StephenMarche</a>). The subtitle ("(Hint: we're all a little nuts)") should have given it away, but we read along anyway, thinking that there would be some insightful and universal truth that we could relate to. Instead, we were treated to a shallow analysis of the the character, whom Marche calls a "flat" character (as opposed to a "round" character) - one that is incapable of surprising us.<br />
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As you can imagine, our faithful fans on Facebook took issue with that:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/IHearofSherlock/posts/10151888154951625">Post</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IHearofSherlock">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>.</div>
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Marche spends most of his time on the three screen versions of Sherlock Holmes currently in the public's psyche, because evidently the public isn't capable of thinking beyond entertainment media. And even so, Elementary and the Ritchie films are respectively dismissed as nothing more than a branding exercise and an excuse for slow-motion action sequences. As to the BBC Holmes: he is summed up as a "basement-dwelling asshole genius" who knows how to wield technology. In an effort to spare you the need to read the entire article, Marche's final sentence sums up exactly why he thinks we love Sherlock Holmes - or at least the Holmes of the screen right now:<br />
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...we are, in turn, branding whores, rampantly violent, and trapped in a technologically enabled loneliness."</blockquote>
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Perhaps we have a more romantic notion of why Sherlock Holmes fascinates us. Ours is one that harkens back to the early days of the Baker Street Irregulars and the <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Journal</a></i>. For it is none other than Edgar W. Smith, BSI who penned "The Implicit Holmes" for the April 1946 edition of the <i>BSJ</i> (Vol. 1, No. 2) that in our view so rightly summed up then - and now - why we're so taken with this unique consulting detective.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/203991035/The-Implicit-Holmes" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View The Implicit Holmes on Scribd">The Implicit Holmes</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/ihearofsherlock" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere's profile on Scribd">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></div>
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For those among us who appreciate the Canon as a textbook of friendship, who can see the glimmers of humanity that occasionally pop from Holmes, who can discern between a series of well-told stories versus a litany of cryptograms, and who are able to dig deeper into the human psyche than the likes of a TV Guide analysis, we can brush aside the amusing ignorance of those who think they know Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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We prefer the eloquence of Smith and his willingness to think highly of his readers rather than Marche's lowest common denominator approach in <i>Esquire</i>.<br />
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[<b><i>Editor's note:</i></b> If you're interested in reading more of Smith's editorials or in seeing the deep scholarship and analysis that Sherlockians have been pursuing for nearly 70 years, <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/ebooks/ebsj.html" target="_blank">the eBSJ</a> puts all of the back issues from 1946-2011 available at your fingertips.]<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">276 issues of the BSJ <br />
in one DVD. <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/ebooks/ebsj.html" target="_blank">Order now!</a></td></tr>
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