I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini in The Adventure of the Spook House

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“No ghosts need
apply” [SUSS] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWqddoarSzCUiDdaALnjwNvXKnsDBVs1veqLNWCYeHnjUjWVdzsZG023_KK6kzCr4-LoTpQJVUJYnAmSr3vXsGF2QvW5_yQrZqkKrvC_fe5Lyrd9910gY2qsN8isLwXUKjSbo92S6BJQd/s1600/HOUDINI_-_FRONT_COVER.only_hi-def.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini in The Adventure of the Spook House by C. Michael Forsyth" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWqddoarSzCUiDdaALnjwNvXKnsDBVs1veqLNWCYeHnjUjWVdzsZG023_KK6kzCr4-LoTpQJVUJYnAmSr3vXsGF2QvW5_yQrZqkKrvC_fe5Lyrd9910gY2qsN8isLwXUKjSbo92S6BJQd/s1600/HOUDINI_-_FRONT_COVER.only_hi-def.jpg" title="The Adventure of the Spook House" width="422" /></a></div>
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Several volumes have been written about the friendship of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> These include <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1fRHG0o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle</a></i>, by Massimo Polidoro,</span> <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1moDfCH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Masters of Mystery: the Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini</a></i> by Christopher Sandford, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> of course Daniel Stashower's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1f6BEcT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teller of Tales: The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</a></i>. </span>These biographical accounts explore this rather unusual friendship between
one of the world’s most ardent spiritualists and one of the world’s most famous
magicians and phony medium debunkers.<br />
<br />
But a new novel, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1dDEZQc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini in The Adventure of the Spook House</a></i>, is a ripping good yarn about a fictitious adventure of the
two men that incorporates interesting and accurate background information on
each. The book is available as of March 24 - appropriately enough, the 140th anniversary of Harry Houdini's birth - in both paperback and Kindle. (<a href="http://amzn.to/1dDEZQc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1f6Dtqo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>)<br />
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Author C. Michael Forsyth did a
commendable job of researching their relationship, and has more than a passing
knowledge of their individual biographies as well. In his Afterword he notes that he “fudged
almost no details about their lives prior to the . . . fictional events . . .
set in 1922.”  He even uses their own
words verbatim from published letters, speeches and interviews in order to
capture their personalities and manner of speaking. You definitely notice their different
speaking patterns and their very different attitudes as they encounter a very
‘spooky’ mystery.</div>
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The mystery is introduced by a fellow M.D. from the United States who
seeks out the help of Sir Arthur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He
describes the mysterious disappearance of a close friend in an old, abandoned
mansion. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir Arthur prevails upon his
friend Houdini to journey with him to investigate and determine if spirits were
involved or if a more mundane explanation can be provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry and Sir Arthur journey together to
Virginia where they hear of the history of the old house which was converted to
an inn by its architect owner who went mad after the death of his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They hear rumors of occult rituals, possible
murders, other disappearances over the years, and a phantom disappearing dining
room with the bodies of the missing victims, very dead indeed, sitting around
the table.</div>
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While Houdini and Conan Doyle both look for explanations that fit
their own biases, they do proceed methodically, attempting to eliminate the
impossible and find the improbable answer to the mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry, of course, is extremely skeptical but
willing to work with Sir Arthur who arranges a séance in the house with a
medium known to Houdini (the medium apparently was modeled on the real life
‘Margery,’ who was subjected to an examination by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scientific American</i>, and whom Houdini did attempt to unmask as a
fraud).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir Arthur is appreciative of
Houdini’s expertise at uncovering fraud, but continues to believe that Houdini
himself has ‘mystic’ powers to which he will not admit.</div>
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It was a fun read and I especially enjoyed the cover artwork
by Ronilson Freire – it would make a great poster if available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini in The Adventure of the Spook House</i>
by C. Michael Forsyth is available on Amazon in print and electronic versions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="http://amzn.to/1dDEZQc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1f6Dtqo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>) </div>
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[<i>Editor's note</i>: Bob Stek, BSI is ‘the mysterious scientist’ and co-author of
“Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini: Their Friendship (and Debates) Continue?” in the<i> Journal of Spirituality and Paranormal
Studies</i>, July 2011 – Vol. 34, # 3]</div>
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<i>(Disclosure: a complimentary electronic copy was provided
for review purposes)</i><br />
--<br />
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Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini in The Adventure of the Spook House

“No ghosts need apply” [SUSS] Several volumes have been written about the friendship of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini. ...

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by Spocklock

Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (March 1 - March 14, 2014)

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<b>"...the fellow must be some poor bibliophile who, either as a trade or as a hobby, was a collector of obscure volumes." [EMPT]</b></h4>
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<b>* <i>Update</i>:</b> This post is dedicated to the recently departed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ruber"><b>Peter Ruber</b></a> (1940 - 2014) who passed away on Thursday March 6, 2014. Mr Ruber was best known in Sherlockian circles for his work as a Vincent Starrett scholar, having edited the remarkable tribute volume <a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/VincentStarrett/03-Starrett.htm"><i>The Last Bookman: A Journey Into the Life & Times of Vincent Starrett (Author-Journalist-Bibliophile)</i></a> (1968) with an introduction by Christopher Morley and contributions from over 20 friends and admirers ranging from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Derleth">August Derleth</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sandburg">Carl Sandburg</a>, as well as being the first editor of <a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/PDFs/The%20Vincent%20Starrett%20Memorial%20Library.pdf"><i>The Vincent Starrett Memorial Library Series</i></a>, the collected works of Starrett published over the years by <a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/VincentStarrett/">The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box</a>. Next week I'll have a more comprehensive entry dedicated to Peter Ruber, but for now I plan on pouring a stiff drink and spending the evening re-exploring <i>The Last Bookman</i> in memory of a late, great Starrettian scholar.<br />
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The Sherlockian world never sleeps, hence the growing length of these Weekly Links posts....<br />
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In the first half of March 2014, the great Starrettian scholar Peter Ruber passed away, the BSI Dinner 2014 group photo, Sherlockian.net added a dedicated fanfic section, Portsmouth announced a Sherlockian theme park in the works, Sherlock items on Etsy, the Beacon Society teams up with 221B Con, the domestic side of 221B Baker Street, an interview with MX Publishing's Steve Emecz, a list of essential Starrettian works, breaking news: BBC's Sherlock Holmes totally acts like a jerk sometimes, the Sisyphean task that is collecting Sherlock Holmes works, Snoopy as Sherlock, common Sherlock misconceptions in video, Doyle and the Olympics, a rare illustration uncovered, events galore and much more in the latest Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium by Matt Laffey.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Baker Street Irregulars Dinner 2014 at the Yale Club - January 17, 2014. Picture by </span><a href="http://www.gruberphotographers.com/blog/baker-street-irregulars-banquet-2014/" style="text-align: start;">Gruber Photographers</a><span style="text-align: start;">. Be sure to read my review of the BSI Weekend 2014 in the upcoming Spring 2014 issue of the Baker Street Journal - and if you don't subscribe, </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html" style="text-align: start;">now is the time</a><span style="text-align: start;">!]</span></span></td></tr>
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Sherlockian.net announced a recent collaboration with <a href="https://twitter.com/mistyzeo">Elinor Gray</a> consisting of a new feature called "<a href="http://sherlockian.net/pastiches/fanfic.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Fanfic List and Commentary</a>". As a companion to the new fanfic page on <b><a href="https://twitter.com/darkgreendesk" target="_blank">Chris Redmond</a></b>'s perennially relevant Sherlock website, Ms Gray compiled an extensive database of Sherlockian-centric fanfic available for download as a spreadsheet titled <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqq83J52pRS1dE0tYzZKbEEtOUtNWjY4TDdSWnhldEE&usp=sharing#gid=0"><i>Sherlock Fandom Classics</i></a> which can be sorted by title, author or even by sub-fandom category. The list is made up of Gray's own preferences as well as those of her fandom comrades on Twitter, LiveJournal and Tumblr. (Click <a href="http://www.mistyzeo.net/category/sherlock-holmes-acd/">here</a> to read some of Elinor Gray's own fanfiction.) For those new to the wide and wonderful world of Sherlock fanfic, a good starting point is AO3's "<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Sherlock%20Holmes%20*a*%20Related%20Fandoms/works">Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms</a>" which contains 54,317 (and counting) fanworks all of which can be sorted and filtered using criteria such as Categories (M/M, F/M, F/F, etc.), Fandom Type (Sherlock TV, ACD, Elementary, and crossovers such as Sherlock/Doctor Who, Sherlock/Harry Potter, etc.), Characters, Relationships (Holmes/Watson, Mycroft/Lestrade, Moran/Moriarty, etc.) plus additional tags such as Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe, Post-Reichenbach, etc. I even found a story inspired by Vincent Starrett's <i>221B</i> entitled "<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/382597">Always 1895</a>" by <b>Aurora_Kira</b> that's Rated: Mature; Relationship: M/M; Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms; Relationship: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson; additionally tagged: 'Angsty Goodness but Wait There’s More,' 'John and Sherlock Heart Each Other,' '“Who Never Lived and So Can Never Die,”' 'Old Poetry Kicks Ass.' (Even if you strongly dislike fanfic you have to admit they're extremely meticulous and precise.) Here's a sample from the text of the "Always 1895" fanfic for those new to the genre:<br />
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"John adores these moments of quiet, just the two of them. He’ll always love the cases, always love running after Sherlock, fantastic deductions, the danger, the insanity, the hard brilliance that makes up the majority of their life together. Still, it takes the one to make him appreciate the other. It’s the contrast that gives these times of softness their meaning...Sometimes John thinks about what the distant future might hold for them both. He has hopes he hasn’t yet discussed with Sherlock involving country cottages, beehives, the occasional case, maybe even non-homicide-related travel...He snuggles closer to Sherlock, nuzzling gently at the lapel of his dressing gown." ("Always 1895" by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Kira/pseuds/Aurora_Kira">Aurora_Kira</a>)</blockquote>
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My only real complaint is that the author doesn't mention the color of Holmes' dressing gown which, based on the tone of the piece, I presume to be mouse-colored. To give you some perspective: remember when you thought Philip K. Jones' <a href="http://sherlock-holmes.es/database.php">database of Sherlockian pastiches</a>, clocking in at over 10K entries, was mind-boggling insane? Well, that's not even a drop in the fanfic bucket. (On a personal note, I admit that for the briefest of moments I considered writing a Sherlock/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fringe_(TV_series)"><i>Fringe</i></a> crossover story but alas I fear the world is not yet prepared - not to mention there already exists, I kid you not, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fringe/works">1,536 entries for <i>Fringe</i> + Sherlock crossover fanfic</a> (!) on AO3.)</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;">[The above image includes a quote by </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/70402125" style="text-align: start;">Cumberbatch from an episode of BBC's Top Gear</a><span style="text-align: start;"> (for non-British readers, </span><a href="http://www.topgear.com/uk/" style="text-align: start;">Top Gear</a><span style="text-align: start;"> is a wildly popular talk show about cars and driving which features celebrity guests) in response to a question about 'Johnlock' fanfic to which this Sherlockcares blogger responded with a fanfic piece called "</span><a href="http://sherlockcares.com/sherlock-is-lost-in-space/" style="text-align: start;">Sherlock Is Lost In Space</a><span style="text-align: start;">"- by now you can probably guess where this one is heading.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-26917-sherlock-holmes-theme-park-to-open-in-england/" target="_blank">Construction Week Online reported</a> that "A $40 million theme park celebrating the life of the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is set to be built in Portsmouth, England, where author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - who created the character in 1887 - used to live." [<i>Editor's note</i>: <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/what-would-sherlock-holmes-theme-park.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">we covered that here</a>.]<br />
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I was rather dubious upon first hearing about the proposed Portsmouth-based Sherlockian amusement park, but recent articles in places as diverse as <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/02/portsmouth-announces-25m-sherlock-holmes-theme-park/"><i>BBC America</i></a>, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2561719/Sherlock-theme-park-Detective-set-25m-attraction-plot-enactments-holograms-bringing-characters-life.html"><i>Daily Mail</i></a> and <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/02/26/sherlock-holmes-theme-park-set-to-open-in-england/"><i>Fox News</i></a> all point to the truth of this rather bizarre undertaking. So what can we expect from a Holmes theme park? According to the Portsmouth Cultural Partnership's Steve Pitt: "What we are talking about is a world class, Sherlock Holmes experience." Most of the reports allude to the park containing rides and hi-tech holograms of Holmes, Watson and friends solving crimes and living the Baker Street lifestyle.<br />
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If I were called upon to design aspects of the park, you could be sure Sherlock Land (or whatever) would be packed with Canonical references and themes at every turn. One ride would mimic Disneyland's <a href="http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Mad_Tea_Party">Mad Hatter Tea Party</a> but instead of oversized teacups, riders would sit inside giant spinning deerstalkers. 'Watson's Guide to the Turf' - based on SILV and SHOS - would give riders the chance to sit atop Silver Blaze or Shoscombe Prince (or Desborough, Pugilist, etc.) in a mock race. For those looking for a little more excitement, 'The Reichenbach Fall' would strap riders into a box that ascends to a height of 221 feet on a faux waterfall, pausing just long enough to hear a pre-recording of Moriarty's dialogue from FINA, then plunge straight down into artificial mist. The 'Mind Palace' house of mirrors would be fun for the whole family where as the 'Valley of Fear Coaster' would feature a roller coaster made to look like a harrowing coal mining car run amuck as animatronic Scowrers attempt to behead riders at every turn.<br />
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Games such as 'The Six Napoleon Smash-Up,' 'Black Peter's Harpoon-o-rama', 'Find the Missing Carbuncle,' 'Col. Moran's Big Game Hunt and Air-Gun Shooting Gallery', etc. would entertain those uninterested in rides. I'll end my speculation (for now - but <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/what-would-sherlock-holmes-theme-park.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">other readers have contributed numerous options here</a>) and leave you with a quote from <i>Fox News</i> that most likely sums up what we're all really thinking: "<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/02/26/sherlock-holmes-theme-park-set-to-open-in-england/" target="_blank">From the sound of it, the park is going to be anything but elementary</a>." (Ha! I see what they did there.)</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;">[Fanart from </span><a href="http://art-blog-of-madwomanlexie.tumblr.com/" style="text-align: start;">Madwomanlexie</a><span style="text-align: start;"> featuring Sherlock and John riding a roller coaster; one can hope that Sherlock Land will contain at least one Canonically-inspired roller coaster - perhaps based on the <i>Aurora</i> chase on the Thames in SIGN?]</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Buzzfeed's</b> "<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/33-fabulously-geeky-sherlock-items-you-can-buy-right-now" target="_blank"><b>33 Fabulously Geeky Sherlock Items You Can Buy Right Now</b></a>" lists a unique set of Holmes/BBC-centric items - some of rather dubious taste, others remarkable for their originality and creativity - that range from pillows to plates and everything in between, all of which can be purchased on Etsy. My favorite items include #31 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/154398139/embroidered-sherlock-bib">221B Baker Street baby bib</a>, #26 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/110141823/sherlock-triple-panty-set">Sherlockian pantaloons</a> for the ladies (pictured below), #25 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/160164688/sherlock-pill-bottle-necklace-or?ref=sr_gallery_31&ga_search_query=benedict+cumberbatch">Sherlock arm gloves</a>, #20 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/177011030/sherlock-holmes-cookie-cutter">Cumberbatch cookie cutters</a>, #19 221B-inspired <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/175255887/sherlock-bbc-bored-smiley-wallpaper">wallpaper leggings</a>, #9 rapturous <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/179653573/mini-matte-art-print-benedict">renderings of Benedict Cumberbatch</a> (in this case BC is depicted as <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-03-04/neverwhere-launch-benedict-cumberbatch-was-always-the-angel-islington">the Angel Islington</a>), #7 <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/162777817/bbc-sherlock-sherlock-holmes-plush-doll">Cumberbatch plush dolls</a> and #1 handmade hypoallergenic <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/112979379/sherlock-holmes-pillow-watson-plush">Sherlock/Watson/Moriarty pillows</a> (though I'm partial to the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/150268535/grumpy-cat-pillow-plush-throw-pillow">'Grumpy Cat' pillow</a> style made by the same person). This list sh<span style="font-family: inherit;">ould give you the means to satisfy any Sherlock fan who has a birthday coming up or just needs some cheering up</span>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-2yjDF1zWtkKWi9jD-8uGmFdPSgQL9RLPVlJ3m0DYzycFrjFdTJC76Egc9zDqJbJnj3CV23Nf4kMGS8z2-fRCeelXY0OkHz_5cT_KbtNrjvDZHV1YCayui8S2Kh9L0GVDq4n-lEB2nI/s1600/SherlockUndies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-2yjDF1zWtkKWi9jD-8uGmFdPSgQL9RLPVlJ3m0DYzycFrjFdTJC76Egc9zDqJbJnj3CV23Nf4kMGS8z2-fRCeelXY0OkHz_5cT_KbtNrjvDZHV1YCayui8S2Kh9L0GVDq4n-lEB2nI/s1600/SherlockUndies.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[I was torn over whether to include an image of these slightly recherché delicates or an image of a painting of Cumberbatch/Sherlock depicted as the Angel Islington from <b>Neil Gaiman</b>'s short lived TV series and highly successful novel </span><a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-03-04/neverwhere-launch-benedict-cumberbatch-was-always-the-angel-islington" style="text-align: start;"><i>Neverwhere</i></a><span style="text-align: start;"> - which was adapted for radio in 2013 featuring BC as Islington, along with <b>Christopher Lee</b> as The Earl of Earl’s Court, <b>Bernard Cribbins </b>(Yay!) as Old Bailey and <b>Anthony Steward Head</b> (Yay! x 2) as Croup.] </span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://teachsherlock.tumblr.com/post/78509309766/the-official-charity-of-221b-con"><b>The Beacon Society</b></a> announced that it is the official charity of <a href="http://www.221bcon.com/">221B Con</a> happening April 4 - 6, 2014 in Atlanta, GA. For those unfamiliar with what exactly the <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/AboutTheBeacons.html">Beacon Society</a> does, it's a non-profit Sherlockian organization that provides grants (2014 application <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/JanStauberGrant.html">here</a>) as well as rewarding creative/exemplary educational experiences that introduce impressionable young minds to the world and stories of Sherlock Holmes. At 221B Con they'll have "a “Teaching Sherlock” panel with Beacon Award winners <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/BeaconWinner2013.html">Shannon Carlisle</a> (2013) and <a href="http://beaconsociety.com/BeaconWinner2014.html">Tim Greer</a> (2014) along with cartoonist Chris Schweizer and Beacons <a href="https://twitter.com/always1895/status/259720809134825472">Marilynne McKay</a> and <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780921204">Marino Alvarez</a>." <br />
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If you're lucky enough to be in Atlanta for the conference, make sure to check out one of Beacon's panels and/or speak to Ms. McKay or Prof. Alvarez, particularly if you're interested in education and keeping the memory green. At last count I heard over 3 kazillion Sherlockian enthusiasts were registered for 221B Con, which I hope translates into significant exposure for the Beacon Society who continue to do fantastic work helping to corrupt enlighten the youth of today who will become the Holmesians of tomorrow. </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;">["Light-houses, my boy! Beacons of the future! Capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring the wiser, better England of the future." (</span><a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/nava.htm" style="text-align: start;">NAVA</a><span style="text-align: start;">)]</span></span></td></tr>
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Doyleockian considers the interest Sherlockians have for the home life of Holmes in "<a href="http://alistaird221b.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-study-in-domesticity.html" target="_blank"><b>A Study In Domesticity</b></a>", suggesting that due to the relatively sparse, though tantalizing, tidbits of information revealed throughout the Canon, readers' imaginations are given free reign to speculate as much as their heart's desire. Though hard data concerning the domestic lives of Holmes and Watson is scarce, descriptions of the contents of 221B can certainly be found among the 60 stories. It should be no surprise that Sherlockian scholars have made multiple attempts to systematically and exhaustively enumerate the contents of 221B Baker Street, two of the most successful being <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1233496.The_Baker_Street_File"><i>The Baker Street File</i></a> (1982/2002) and Clarkson's <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/5821375"><i>The Canonical Compendium</i></a> (1999).<br />
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The former is Granada's bible/guide to the appearance and habits of Holmes and Watson whose chapter "Inside 221B" offers 96 separate entries pertaining to the minutia of Holmes' domestic life including: #1054 <i>The Standard</i> was one of the regular papers found in the sitting room (SIGN), #1071 Ice crystals formed thickly on the windows on a frosty day (BLUE), #1104 Holmes had a velvet-lined armchair (SIGN), etc. Clarkson's volume is made up of 444 pages consisting of a Topical Index showing Canonical references that fall into one or more of 80 categories and 144 subcategories, a percentage of which are items relevant to Holmes' domestic life, e.g. Contents of 221B, Holmes Room, Watson's Room (documenting over 180 items in these categories alone) which include everything from the trusty gasogene (surprisingly, mentioned in only two stories) to Holmes' Stradivarius (mentioned in seven stories). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-SYp0mig5eIYXWxMlglRDcF_hyb3ihl-8P9cAU7SQRAGhzogouTsu414rlRufdacOWLoAMvn1EZqCc5AW9AIA-FA7lFBdKlQOpkhySJOcwynvQ7lj7CziXn76vIXLPE1kYmgZuUv1No/s1600/GasogeneYELL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-SYp0mig5eIYXWxMlglRDcF_hyb3ihl-8P9cAU7SQRAGhzogouTsu414rlRufdacOWLoAMvn1EZqCc5AW9AIA-FA7lFBdKlQOpkhySJOcwynvQ7lj7CziXn76vIXLPE1kYmgZuUv1No/s1600/GasogeneYELL.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[<b>Sydney Paget</b>'s depiction of Holmes and a distraught Grant Munro in </span><a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/yell.htm" style="text-align: start;">YELL</a><span style="text-align: start;">. Note the gasogene in the upper, center portion of the illustration sitting on the mantel, presumably next to Holmes' unopened letters held in place by the legendary jackknife. Paget uses the exact location/angle in an illustration for </span><a href="http://168.144.50.205/221bcollection/canon/scan.htm" style="text-align: start;">SCAN</a><span style="text-align: start;">, except Holmes and Watson appear instead of a client.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/2014/02/meet-my-publisher-steve-emecz.html" target="_blank">Dan Andriacco interviewed the owner of MX Publishing <b>Steve Emecz</b></a> who has also published a variety of <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/brand/Dan+Andriacco">Andriacco's own books</a> including the McCabe/Cody cycle, his collection of essays <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Beat-Sherlockian-Scribblings/dp/1908218924/"><i>Baker Street Beat</i></a> (2011), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Amateur-Executioner-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1780924011"><i>The Amateur Executioner: Enoch Hale Meets Sherlock Holmes</i></a> (2013), etc. To date Mr Emecz has published an impressive 150+ Sherlock-centric books on a variety Sherlockian topics, some of my personal favorites being: <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/product/9781780922850/A+Chronology+of+Arthur+Conan+Doyle+Revised+and+Expanded+Edition"><i>A Chronology of Arthur Conan Doyle Revised and Expanded Edition</i></a> (2012) by Brian Pugh, <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/product/9781780924045/The+Lighter+Side+of+Sherlock+Holmes%3A+The+Sherlockian+Artwork+of+Norman+Schatell+Hardback+Edition"><i>The Lighter Side of Sherlock Holmes: The Sherlockian Artwork of Norman Schatell</i></a> (2013) and <a href="http://always1895.net/post/8879677041/wheels-of-anarchy-classic-review"><i>Wheels of Anarchy</i></a> by Max Pemberton and edited by Paul Spiring - in fact, there's just too many fantastic titles to list here so when you have a moment or three make sure to thoroughly peruse the <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/category/Sherlock+Holmes+Books">MX Sherlock Holmes and ACD books catalogue</a>. On a related note, Philip K. Jones <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3MNZMBQYNASVD/">reviewed</a> Andriacco's third book in the McCabe/Cody series <i>The 1895 Murder</i> (MX, 2012) on Amazon giving it a well-deserved five stars. Finally, be sure to follow MX Publishing on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BooksSherlockHolmes">Facebook</a> page for updates and news. In an era that makes independent book publishing almost impossible, your support for MX, a publisher that has dedicated its existence to spreading the Sherlockian word to both novice and experienced Sherlockians the world over, is imperative.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKD-jyF0Euy7_Akk72AsDSJMJySMbofcE6fC8hcIyp2QuU3T_Vrbn8Bj1qkMCp9xS5oBKdC0dAulE3Uv8G1ETYUkyOcV4MDHqoXDXkbbiyRO0o1QQyZ0vIQ_r59Jqnvc7cwXBSywPDGI/s1600/IdiotWatson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKD-jyF0Euy7_Akk72AsDSJMJySMbofcE6fC8hcIyp2QuU3T_Vrbn8Bj1qkMCp9xS5oBKdC0dAulE3Uv8G1ETYUkyOcV4MDHqoXDXkbbiyRO0o1QQyZ0vIQ_r59Jqnvc7cwXBSywPDGI/s1600/IdiotWatson.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Watson-Not-Idiot-Eddy-Webb-ebook/dp/B00ED1SZYU" style="text-align: start;"><i>Watson Is Not An Idiot</i></a><span style="text-align: start;"><i> </i>(2013) is just one of a myriad of new titles - though perhaps the best title of a Sherlockian book ever - from Sherlockian specialists MX Publishing based in the UK but whose releases are available the world over in a variety of languages and formats (paperback, hardcover and e-books). Click </span><a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-have-i-been-reading-lately-im-glad.html" style="text-align: start;">here</a><span style="text-align: start;"> for a few more reviews of new MX titles by Mr Andriacco.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/blog/2014/2/8/so-you-want-to-collect-books-by-vincent-starrett"><b>Studies in Starrett</b></a> posted a list of essential books written and edited by Vincent Starrett, most of which should reside in every respectable Sherlockian's library. First and foremost is Starrett's brilliant <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/privatelife.html"><i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i></a> (1933/1960), a tome unrivaled in historical importance that's just as relevant and fresh today as it was upon it's release in 1933. Wessex Press released a 75-year anniversary facsimile edition, edited by 'Studies in Starrett' proprietor <a href="https://twitter.com/BooksandBipeds">Ray Betzner</a>, which is almost as awesome as owning the first edition (and thanks to a truly generous and remarkable Sherlockian I'm fortunate enough to actually own a first edition) and should be at the top of every burgeoning Sherlockian's want list. Almost as essential is Starrett's edited collection of early Sherlockian papers entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/221-Studies-Sherlock-Penzlers-Library/dp/1883402077"><i>221B, Studies in Sherlock Holmes by Various Hands</i></a> (1940). Collecting some of the greatest minds from the golden age of Sherlockiana, Starrett's collection is still one of the greatest readers in Sherlockian scholarship available - thankfully republished as an affordable paperback by <a href="http://www.librarything.com/topic/122167">Otto Penzler's Sherlock Holmes Library</a>. Read the rest of Betzner's post for further explorations in Starrettian studies.</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;">[Also on Betzner's Starrettian book list is </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Born-Bookshop-Chapters-Chicago-Renascence/dp/B000ILI026" style="text-align: start;"><i>Born in a Bookshop: Chapters from the Chicago Renascence</i></a><span style="text-align: start;"> (1965) which among other virtues features one of the single best book covers you will ever come across.] </span></span></td></tr>
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The Island Now, a local Long Island news source, <a href="http://www.theislandnow.com/great_neck/news/article_e204b96a-a560-11e3-8173-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">ran a lengthy article on Sherlockian <b>Terry Hunt</b></a> and his recent elevation into the ranks of the Baker Street Irregulars this past January, receiving the titular investiture of "The Something Hunt" (a quote from HOUN). Hunt first encountered the Canon in 5th grade though it wasn't until the last decade that he became involved with the BSI: </div>
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"While working as the supervisor of historic sites for the Nassau County Parks Department in 2007, Hunt said he was approached by members of the Baker Street Irregulars who wanted to plan a trip to <a href="https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/parks/wheretogo/active/morley.html">Christopher Morley Park</a> in Roslyn Estates and see the late author’s writing studio, the Knothole. In exchange for helping the organization plan a trip to the park in 2009, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of its founding, Hunt met with other Sherlockians in the New York area and began attending their dinners." </blockquote>
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Terry is also a co-host of the Morley Birthday Lunch happening in Hoboken, NJ on Sunday, May 4, 2014 (cf. 'Events' below for details), an event not to be missed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJom_yrRjaJoz0pzLkFWeGq1PHMSRkdLKZMPe19EHQRvUb-NE0Q79zs45AVz_J2KoNzDgGU2Yk38TwyDxaW8bGgcVhp0B80OQpp1b5J6ZSI8EfgNEOTDwE3G5g0Uma-WKbndkwYgkTdk/s1600/HuntBSI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJom_yrRjaJoz0pzLkFWeGq1PHMSRkdLKZMPe19EHQRvUb-NE0Q79zs45AVz_J2KoNzDgGU2Yk38TwyDxaW8bGgcVhp0B80OQpp1b5J6ZSI8EfgNEOTDwE3G5g0Uma-WKbndkwYgkTdk/s1600/HuntBSI.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Harrison Hunt receiving a coveted Irregular Shilling from <b>Mike Whelan</b> aka Wiggins at the BSI Dinner 2014.]</span></span></td></tr>
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What Culture<b> </b>in "<a href="http://whatculture.com/tv/10-moments-sherlock-complete-jerk.php" target="_blank"><b>10 Moments When Sherlock Was A Complete Jerk</b></a>" successfully argues, with images and text, that Sherlock's brilliance is matched only by his utter jerktasticness. My favorites include: 10) missing the emotional context behind cases, 9) terrorizing a hallucinating John, 8) humiliating Sally Donovan (and Anderson) in front of her colleagues, 7) denying he has friends to John, 5) belittling Molly Hooper, 3) failing to tell John they weren't going to die in the Tube, 2) using Janine (<i>à la</i> Escott the plumber in MILV) and 1) failing to understand why John might be upset in the immediate aftermath of presenting himself as definitely not-dead. Fans, in order to deal with BBC Sherlock's overwhelming jerkiness, simply turn to the following line for comfort and vindication: Sherlock: "Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them." "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942614/quotes">The Reichenbach Fall</a>" (2x03).</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;">[Crossing the pond for a moment, here's <b>Jonny Lee Miller</b> aka Mr Elementary: I have no idea what he's doing in this photo but there's an 87% probability that he's being a huge jerk of some sort.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.sherlock-guide.com/b"><b>My Sherlock Books</b></a> is a listing of Sherlockian book recommendations curated by the proprietor of <a href="http://www.sherlock-guide.com/">Guide To Sherlock Holmes & BBC's Sherlock</a>, a site dedicated to how new BBC <i>Sherlock</i> episodes and characters relate to the original Canon. The book recommendations are divided into Sherlockian tomes "For the General Reader" as well as slightly more advanced reading for those looking to delve deeper into Sherlockian scholarship. Also included is an extremely comprehensive 'Want' list that includes titles that every serious Sherlockian book collector would surely enjoy seeing on their shelves. As a point of reference, the author has included prices he paid for various volumes so that collectors and potential collectors know what they're getting into financially once they allow the Sherlockian collector bug into their brain. (But, you know, I can quit whenever I want...)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzMfvUpPjj138byZiQ89hVsU7_3NEmH8ptZsGfX2g-aPcyCpizUbcOv6JiNxBOvXmY9QDLqMdZXYXYWfkcHimwj7oMG2nG0x6KQBEq2TeWUeLtv1OvFXusblS2ILLQJ2sTqKBu-IG5H4/s1600/Standard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzMfvUpPjj138byZiQ89hVsU7_3NEmH8ptZsGfX2g-aPcyCpizUbcOv6JiNxBOvXmY9QDLqMdZXYXYWfkcHimwj7oMG2nG0x6KQBEq2TeWUeLtv1OvFXusblS2ILLQJ2sTqKBu-IG5H4/s1600/Standard.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[The definitive collection of writings by Christopher Morley </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/269692.The_Standard_Doyle_Company" style="text-align: start;"><i>The Standard Doyle Company</i></a><span style="text-align: start;">, edited by Morley expert and current editor of the <i>Baker Street Journal</i> Steve Rothman - just one of the many 'must have' volumes featured on this list.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/JohnHWatsonMD/status/441890196351881216/photo/1"><b>@JohnHWatsonMD</b></a> posted this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts"><i>Peanuts</i></a> strip featuring Charlie Brown reading the "they were the footprints of a gigantic hound" scene from <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> to poor Snoopy before bed. If someone knows of a database of <i>Peanuts</i> cartoons that reference Sherlock Holmes please let me know - I absolutely love coming across Peanuts/Sherlock strips, most of which I've never seen. I'm familiar with "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It">It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown</a>" (watch <a href="http://youtu.be/Ghf8WRsWzE4">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/Zj7uNQFaNxQ">Part 2</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/CAG1A799dxc">Part 3</a>) where Snoopy dons deerstalker, inverness cape and bubble pipe, in order to help Woodstock find his missing bird's nest, but I know there must be so many more Sherlockian references. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzY84AcR3BmvBmbhyMSLIykBFqdVtd4XG34tnaJ46R0uMsolovi0OkNhBJ1zX9t-EHsIog-xNkZqhw_0S_ABbKMLLyjx7MB2gzcbWxqWwtYwtkZuEZiWzKKtQmxUcGP5fiT_PtMaH2kY/s1600/Peanuts-HOUN-FULL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzY84AcR3BmvBmbhyMSLIykBFqdVtd4XG34tnaJ46R0uMsolovi0OkNhBJ1zX9t-EHsIog-xNkZqhw_0S_ABbKMLLyjx7MB2gzcbWxqWwtYwtkZuEZiWzKKtQmxUcGP5fiT_PtMaH2kY/s1600/Peanuts-HOUN-FULL.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[I'm sure someone, somewhere has written 'Hound slash Snoopy' fanfic.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Quick Sherlock Links:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVhk2NSY2Qk"><b>"The Mistress of Lord Maulbrey"</b></a> Episode 4 of the new Russian Sherlock is now available with English subtitles, news which will make many a non-Russian speaking Holmes fan happy. For an overview of what to expect from the newest Holmes adaptation, check out the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/01/new-russian-sherlock-holmes-tv-show.html">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere review</a> by Ms. <a href="https://twitter.com/artemisfowlIII">Anastasia Klimchynskaya</a>, one of the newest contributors to IHOSE as well as the 2013 winner of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/morleymontgomeryaward.html">Morley-Montgomery Award</a> for her Baker Street Journal piece "<i>A Study in Scarlet</i> and the Study of Mankind: Sherlock Holmes and Pope's <i>Essay on Man</i>". (Video posted at <a href="http://221b-bakerst.livejournal.com/613879.html">221b-bakerst</a> by Alexander Sedov.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaxQTym87Q_HTVFqnSRZXmW3Chkkhs5kBVYQlj84XQC-OMFti1tKerLK6dzy9SEAQzCtWxn5FfwPejsBVIxVCYSOPntBk3Xf5M2YK3XTa3EBjODwm8JXdppWAdULkVUIxNwbjsOJeKQo/s1600/RussianHolmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaxQTym87Q_HTVFqnSRZXmW3Chkkhs5kBVYQlj84XQC-OMFti1tKerLK6dzy9SEAQzCtWxn5FfwPejsBVIxVCYSOPntBk3Xf5M2YK3XTa3EBjODwm8JXdppWAdULkVUIxNwbjsOJeKQo/s1600/RussianHolmes.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214581/" style="text-align: start;">Igor Petrenko</a><span style="text-align: start;"> as Sherlock Holmes in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(2013_TV_series)" style="text-align: start;">2013 Russian adaptation</a><span style="text-align: start;"> of the great detective. Fans of Holmes qua 'profound chemist' will delight in Petrenko's frequent use of 221B's acid-stained, deal-topped table.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/7D1CZeH9ncE"><b>Sherlockian-Sherlock</b></a> put together a video documenting the most common misconceptions about Sherlock Holmes, based on their previously mentioned article "<a href="http://www.sherlockian-sherlock.com/common-misconceptions-about-sherlock-holmes.php">The Most Common Misconceptions About Sherlock Holmes</a>". Though I don't agree with every item on here, I would suggest this list to be mandatary reading for any mainstream news outlet planning on running a segment about the recent upsurge in Holmes popularity. ("Quick Watson, the remote!")<br />
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<a href="http://umbookworm.blogspot.com/2014/02/sir-arthur-and-olympic-games.html"><b>Special & Rare on a Stick</b></a>, blog of <a href="https://twitter.com/UMBookworm">Tim Johnson</a>, curator of the <a href="http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/taxonomy/term/740">Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> at the University of Minnesota, reflects on a Preface that ACD wrote in 1914 for <a href="https://archive.org/details/evolutionofolymp00websrich"><i>The Evolution of the Olympic Games, 1829 B.C.—1914 A.D.</i></a> by Frederick Annesley Michael (F. A. M.) Webster. There's quite a bit of ACD Olympics lore out there and this piece by Tim "I have the greatest job in the Universe" Johnson is a great place to start.<br />
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<a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/951397-129/arts-the-sherlockians-assess-benedict-cumberbatch"><b>Seattle Weekly</b></a> sought out John Longenbaugh in order to get the perspective of a hardcore Sherlockian regarding BBC <i>Sherlock</i> and CBS's <i>Elementary</i> and related popular culture 'boomings'. It's a nice article but make sure to read the comments which had me in stitches. Then check out <a href="https://twitter.com/BradKeefauver">Brad Keefauver</a>'s latest post on <a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/2014/03/when-less-that-great-wont-do.html"><b>Sherlock Peoria</b></a> which was inspired by the above review of "The One Percent Solution" for the full experience. Mark my words, in a few years when Sherlock Holmes goes back out of style you're going to desperately miss these fun little sparks ignited by mainstream pop culture bumping-up against our little, die-hard Sherlockian world. <br />
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<a href="http://twitpic.com/dxl5wm/full"><b>Steve Doyle</b></a>, proprietor of <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press/Gasogene Books</a>, dug up and scanned this rare illustration from the dust jacket of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (Looking Glass Library, 1961), sharing it via his Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/129581877077394/photos/a.131363403565908.11943.129581877077394/646524322049811/"><i>Sherlock Holmes For Dummies</i></a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnKxJ9Btv71fBOQznjCOi5ywUZ9q2FdinxT8p_Y5J501GLKwNFAD_WARtSQFkKvvIDc9TmWs3H-AKtSqj306BDWmRwmaxWiMtewGG824RqGqCZuzv9oeiIr48n2f64vMXOzPXGKbEjY8/s1600/HOUN-1961-dustjacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnKxJ9Btv71fBOQznjCOi5ywUZ9q2FdinxT8p_Y5J501GLKwNFAD_WARtSQFkKvvIDc9TmWs3H-AKtSqj306BDWmRwmaxWiMtewGG824RqGqCZuzv9oeiIr48n2f64vMXOzPXGKbEjY8/s1600/HOUN-1961-dustjacket.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">[Click </span><a href="http://twitpic.com/dxl5wm/full" style="text-align: start;">here</a><span style="text-align: start;"> for larger version of this very cool HOUN illustration.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<h4>
<br />Sherlockian Scion and Event Links:</h4>
<a href="http://www.sherlockology.com/news/2014/2/7/sherlocked-convention-announcement-070214"><b>Sherlockology</b></a> announced an event of (purportedly) epic proportions titled <a href="http://massiveevents.co.uk/sherlocked/">Sherlocked</a> (a reference to Irene Adler's iPhone password in "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Scandal_in_Belgravia">A Scandal In Belgravia</a>") billed as </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"the first ever official <i>Sherlock</i> convention dedicated to our favourite BBC series, will take place in 2014 over 3 days. The event will be run by Massive Events in association with Hartswood Films and Showmasters Ltd - a combination of the talents of specialist producers in dedicated fan conventions and the hugely experienced team behind the renowned London Film & Comic Con, and the <i>Sherlock</i> production team. In addition, it is intended to take place in Europe and in the USA." </blockquote>
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From the press release it even appears that the BBC <i>Sherlock</i> producers are supporting it: "Sherlock's producer Sue Vertue exclusively told [Sherlockology]: </div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We're very excited to be announcing our first official Sherlock convention for later in the year, aptly named 'Sherlocked'. Massive Events have been pestering me for ages to get a date for this in the schedule but we wanted to make sure that we had the time and energy to make it a great, high quality and fun event, and now we have! Watch this space...."</blockquote>
So what do you think? Do we really need 'outsiders' putting together a massive Sherlock-themed event when there are already a wide variety of high quality, intellectually stimulating, homegrown Sherlock gatherings such as <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend.html">BSI Weekend</a>, <a href="http://www.scintillation.org/">Scintillation of Scions</a>, <a href="http://www.221bcon.com/">221B Con</a>, Wessex Press' <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/html/g2b4.html">From Gillette to Brett IV: Basil, Benedict & Beyond</a>, and numerous other Sherlockian events that have taken place around the world for decades prior to a corporate group of "specialist producers"? On the other hand, maybe a professional group would put together an event entirely different than anything we're used to, mustering resources above and beyond what is available to the average Sherlockian? I'm keeping an open mind and will be curious to see how 'Sherlocked' develops - and I'm equally curious to see how the Sherlockian internet reacts.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxxjC2405e-9z4aVbUceOBQBdNOAJHf1GA6HxtLJUXzkRhZNSlJHBzn5xwpaXAhyphenhyphentwww3odSbs-TpOil-YCEwBNMoDuYaoIrHGkMC3mCym-5WArQX_TSAdpvuHIZkNCk1_vfczDaz6IU/s1600/sherlocked1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxxjC2405e-9z4aVbUceOBQBdNOAJHf1GA6HxtLJUXzkRhZNSlJHBzn5xwpaXAhyphenhyphentwww3odSbs-TpOil-YCEwBNMoDuYaoIrHGkMC3mCym-5WArQX_TSAdpvuHIZkNCk1_vfczDaz6IU/s1600/sherlocked1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[At the end of the day, I think my 'authenticity-o-meter-spider-sense' tends to tingle whenever I see the word "official" prefixing something I care deeply about (ie. "The Official Sherlock X"). Only time will tell in this case.]</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=markgatissintroducestheprivatelifeofsherlockholmes"><b>BFI Films</b></a> announced a screening of Billy Wilder's incredibly brilliant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Private_Life_of_Sherlock_Holmes"><i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i></a> on April 9, 2014 at 8:20 PM at <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/">BFI Southbank</a>, London. Wilder's take on Holmes, Watson and the entire Baker Street scene is marvelous, but don't take my word for it because Mark Gatiss (Mycroft on <i>Sherlock</i>, writer for <i>Doctor Who</i>) will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss how Wilder's adaptation inspired and influenced his work on BBC <i>Sherlock</i>. If London was only a little closer I would risk life and limb to ensure that I had a seat for what sounds like a magical evening.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sh-whoswho.com/index.php?refsociety=259"><b>The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes</b></a> will hold their first gathering of 2014 on March 29 at 6:00 pm in Chatham, NJ at their usual spot, the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/158+Southern+Blvd/@40.729112,-74.409942,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c3a57c425937d3:0x4eecbbb143a14a53">Quaker (Friends) Meeting House</a>. For those unfamiliar with these beloved Sherlockian meetings hosted by the newly invested Peter McIntyre, BSI ("Arthur Cadogan West") and Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree"), the evening begins with a sumptuous feast (wild caught shrimp, lump crab cakes, salads, refreshments and home made ice cream for only $10 per person) and then eases into an unparalleled discussion, led by Katz, of two seemingly disparate stories from the Canon (this time it's "<a href="http://168.144.50.205/221bcollection/canon/thor.htm">The Problem of Thor Bridge</a>" and "<a href="http://168.144.50.205/221bcollection/canon/redc.htm">The Red Circle</a>"). Saving the best for last, Katz typically concludes the discussion by proposing a link - sometimes subtle, other times radical - between the two stories which inevitably sparks further debate and discussion up until the moment when the Quakers kick us out and we all must regrettably return to reality. Make sure to contact <a href="mailto:%20pslpete@optonline.net">Peter McIntyre</a> and RSVP by March 22 so an accurate head count can be determined. For those arriving by train, be sure to let Bob or Peter know so arrangements can be made to ferry you from the station to the meeting. If you've never had the Epilogues experience, I highly recommend making the trip as you'll be hard pressed to find a more intellectually and gastronomically satisfying Sherlockian event on the entire east coast. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszreT7wmHJiKvS3g2B220XCk_6OzQ3eFveRCWSVT3y8TaDLo50-eH_JcoilqgbRVuknBsKgH2vS6sEEHX8mlUDrWdOH4dJ-6urCcb_7ilDkpRsnjmFkvGSgLlB2dHqpDvQE__MXt63G4/s1600/KatzAtEpilogues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszreT7wmHJiKvS3g2B220XCk_6OzQ3eFveRCWSVT3y8TaDLo50-eH_JcoilqgbRVuknBsKgH2vS6sEEHX8mlUDrWdOH4dJ-6urCcb_7ilDkpRsnjmFkvGSgLlB2dHqpDvQE__MXt63G4/s1600/KatzAtEpilogues.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Classic Katz! Bob calls the Canonical shots during the discussion portion of an Epilogues meeting.]</span></span></td></tr>
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The Grillparzer Club of the Hoboken Free State will hold its Second Annual Christopher Morley Birthday Celebration in the sacred city of Hoboken this year on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arthurs/@40.7398525,-74.0300461,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x1e0cc292d6655309">Arthur's Restaurant</a>. "The cost is $50.00 per person, including a house salad; choice of Arthur’s ribeye steak, fish of the day, ribs or surf & turf; soft drinks; and dessert. We will have a private street-level room, and our own bartender. Cash bar." Email the Hunts at Hobokenfreestate [at] mhcable.com for information about payment and reservations and to get on the e-mailing list for the <i>Newsletter of The Grillparzer Club of the Hoboken Free State</i>. On a related note, you can read almost all of Morley's "The Bowling Green" columns from the <i>Saturday Review of Literature</i> online: click to read <a href="http://www.unz.org/Author/MorleyChristopher?View=Article">Morley's SRL columns from January 3, 1925 - February 12, 1955</a> (along with a variety of other magazines in which Morley published, eg. <i>The Bookman</i>, <i>The Harper's Monthly</i>, <i>The New Republic</i>, etc.).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n-rVsBMFEasEAIdIy1NAR1rLWUgHbZX4mqW5rf4m5q6TPL0uOti5Zr3wBNknbbKp7t9mYgw-vfQnTNjZBJNoRU_j5mbjFltLViKAtREc9Rry_NKF1n4pmqbwFqs1n-tR9s8KycW5flk/s1600/MorleyLunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n-rVsBMFEasEAIdIy1NAR1rLWUgHbZX4mqW5rf4m5q6TPL0uOti5Zr3wBNknbbKp7t9mYgw-vfQnTNjZBJNoRU_j5mbjFltLViKAtREc9Rry_NKF1n4pmqbwFqs1n-tR9s8KycW5flk/s1600/MorleyLunch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Fact: “The Bowling Green” was the title of Christopher Morley’s longstanding column, first published in The New York Evening Post from 1920 until 1923, and then in The Saturday Review of Literature from 1924 until 1938." ]</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>* <a href="http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com/">The Sherlockian Calendar</a> </b>is a Holmes-enthusiast’s best friend maintained by Ron Fish - visit and visit often.<br />
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<b>*</b> If you have a Sherlock Holmes-related event or meeting you would like listed, or any news, gossip or announcements that might interest readers of <a href="http://always1895.net/"><b>Always1895.net</b></a>, please email matt [at] always1895.net.<br />
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Weekly Sherlock Links Compendium (March 1 - March 14, 2014)

"...the fellow must be some poor bibliophile who, either as a trade or as a hobby, was a collector of obscure volumes." [EMPT] ...

+ Read more »

by campunity

Remembering Peter Ruber, BSI

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XpX0NGRyaVL0lrB5LYWpxDJukibEzAMOtQqNSnnANB6_QIYxGnZ55nuVkQUU4zw4hJHQMPKIKC42EHlmZLajlvIKVhLHOot3OspKV_l9odkwgeNBaYY5ZNUQxU0fpotgo-3679POX3-m/s1600/Peter+Ruber,+BSI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Peter Ruber" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XpX0NGRyaVL0lrB5LYWpxDJukibEzAMOtQqNSnnANB6_QIYxGnZ55nuVkQUU4zw4hJHQMPKIKC42EHlmZLajlvIKVhLHOot3OspKV_l9odkwgeNBaYY5ZNUQxU0fpotgo-3679POX3-m/s1600/Peter+Ruber,+BSI.jpg" title="Peter Ruber" /></a></div>
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Peter A. Ruber, BSI ("Camden House") died on Long Island on March 6, 2014 at the age of 73. He was born in Vienna and emigrated to the US in 1948. He was an executive with the New York advertising agency Kenyon & Eckhardt in the 1960's and for the past two decades was a consultant and free-lance journalist for many leading business information technology magazines. There was a time that he had thirty- seven different computer systems operating in his office. At one time Peter also owned and operated a catering business, and then operated a business selling bulk food supplies to senior citizens and institutions.<br />
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In the early 60's Peter traveled to Chicago and met both Vincent Starrett and Jay Finley Christ. In 1961 he published <i>Sherlock's Anniversaries</i>, a collection of Christ's columns from the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> from his Crowborough Private Press and <i>Finch's Final Fling</i> in 1963 from his Candlelight Press created the same year. He edited and published four issues of <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1ipviJx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street Gasogene</a></i> (1961-1962). <br />
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In 1963 his Candlelight Press reprinted Conan Doyle's <i>Strange Stories from Life</i> published by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Society. As a young man in his twenties, he became friends with Vincent Starrett and took every chance he could get to visit him in Chicago. He collected many letters to and from Starrett and, at the age of 28, published a tribute volume <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1eyUkFj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Last Bookman</a></i>, which is perhaps his best-known publication, edited and published from his Candlelight Press in 1968.<br />
<br />
He came to know and publish many books by Arkham House founder August Derleth between 1962-1971, some under his Candlelight Press imprint, and had been researching Derleth's life and time for many years. Peter published many collectible Solar Pons volumes including Derleth's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1jmWDv6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Praed Street Papers</a></i> and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1nOfNAi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Orient Express</a></i> from his Candlelight Press, and worked with Luther Norris to found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Praed-Street-Irregulars/107156039322358" target="_blank">The Praed Street Irregulars</a> in the mid-1960s.<br />
<br />
Peter was appointed as the editor of Arkham House Publishers from 1997 through 2007, worked as a editor with <a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/" target="_blank">The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box</a> from 1994 through 2004, was the initial editor for The Vincent Starrett Memorial Library, and edited, for Ash-Tree Press, a collection of previously unpublished ghost stories <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1gn8FH7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reunion at Dawn</a></i> by H. Russell Wakefield (2000) and <i><a href="http://www.ash-tree.bc.ca/atp97nightcreatures.htm" target="_blank">Night Creatures</a></i> by Seabury Quinn (2003).<br />
<br />
Peter is survived by his wife Gail, his three boys, two granddaughters and one grandson. He was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1964 as "Camden House."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Special thanks to George Vanderburgh for his contribution to this piece.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Image credit: Karen Murdoch</i> </div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Remembering Peter Ruber, BSI

Peter A. Ruber, BSI ("Camden House") died on Long Island on March 6, 2014 at the age of 73. He was born in Vienna and emigrated...

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by Francine Kitts

Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes - A Review

<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
“this preposterous company” [STOC]</h4>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNcQ-uICY6UKR1rhIGGowijKd9T_OZscPsluefUYLi0VvLmXbjfBRdlUwKBxN8cJNrLR69rv1ao1BkRPNz3TRa35jM5jAs6uELIiqxplL9NXwhBBpEnXF3NpbqUzYEORDMPuNLxPGqXU/s1600/Titan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNcQ-uICY6UKR1rhIGGowijKd9T_OZscPsluefUYLi0VvLmXbjfBRdlUwKBxN8cJNrLR69rv1ao1BkRPNz3TRa35jM5jAs6uELIiqxplL9NXwhBBpEnXF3NpbqUzYEORDMPuNLxPGqXU/s1600/Titan.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
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Not every Sherlockian is a fan of the pastiche, and
nowhere in this hobby will you find a larger difference of opinion as to what
reflects “quality” in a pastiche. Does the writer need to copy and evoke the
style of the original stories, or is it more important they deliver good
mystery stories? As a Sherlockian with a large pastiche library of his own, the
former measure is an added bonus, but the latter remains absolutely essential.
How fortunate then, that <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1mleCqv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FurtherEncounters of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, the newest collection of short stories from Titan
Books, delivers enough strong mysteries to make the volume entertaining. Those
looking for Watson’s voice should look elsewhere, but the writers do contribute
unique and memorable takes on the sleuth of Baker Street. Editor George Mann
discusses in the introduction how Sherlock Holmes can be continually reimagined
and recreated, and that is the spirit in which the stories for this collection
seem selected. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are two outstanding stories in this volume. In “The
Girl Who Paid for Silence,” a young girl comes to Baker Street to seek Watson’s
aid, but Watson is utterly confused when Holmes cannot see the girl in
question. The resulting mystery reads more like an episode of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> than anything else,
but it is one of the strongest stories in the group. “A Betrayal of Doubt,” the
final story in the collection, tells the story of John Watson Jr. meeting the
elderly Sherlock Holmes and investigating a series of murders that have
overtones of the occult. The elderly Holmes struggles with the waning nature of
his abilities, but the focus of the short story remains on the mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Some of the stories start with great potential, such as
when a thief gains access to Baker Street and raids Holmes’ cross-indexed
reference books in “The Curious Case of the Compromised Card-Index.” Or when a
foreign diplomat insists that he was almost murdered by a house in “The Case of
the Devil’s Door.” But too often, the intriguing puzzles are left with endings
that are a little too simplistic and mundane. Other stories feel as if the
writer tried to jam two disparate elements together into a single story, with
mixed results.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Overall, the stories in <i>Further Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes</i> are enjoyable and compelling, even if they do not have the flavor of
Watson-authenticity. In fact, many of the stories read like they would have
been part of the radio series, and we all know what tall tales Dr. Watson would
tell to the various representatives of Petri wine. It is a solid collection of
short stories that makes me interested in the other releases from Titan Books,
but if you aren’t already a fan of pastiches, this is probably not the place to
start.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>
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Further Encounters of Sherlock Holmes - A Review

“this preposterous company” [STOC] Not every Sherlockian is a fan of the pastiche, and nowhere in this hobby will you find a larg...

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by Nick M

How Much Do We Really Know About Mrs. Hudson?

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
“Our worthy landlady” [SIGN]</h4>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSsJlD1-6_k7BsOQC2tbZGwjcY-rIRzoMzlLO-ZZ63JPSjHOrHKn7tCoouFbkr6qAuoqNbXq2XNCa1pUvUpUeM47aRETkdNXg_5rq5zBa-t0YgIpFi-6YKNYhQvtjEILmJ02fYvvKiE9H/s1600/Rosalie+Williams+as+Mrs.+Hudson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rosalie Williams as Mrs. Hudson in the Granada Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett" border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSsJlD1-6_k7BsOQC2tbZGwjcY-rIRzoMzlLO-ZZ63JPSjHOrHKn7tCoouFbkr6qAuoqNbXq2XNCa1pUvUpUeM47aRETkdNXg_5rq5zBa-t0YgIpFi-6YKNYhQvtjEILmJ02fYvvKiE9H/s1600/Rosalie+Williams+as+Mrs.+Hudson.jpg" title="Mrs. Hudson" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
"Mrs. Hudson leave Baker Street? England would fall!"---Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in <a href="http://amzn.to/1gEB4Hm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Scandal in Belgravia"</a>
<br />
<br />
That sentiment probably sums up most Sherlockians' feelings of literature’s most famous landlady; Baker Street would not be Baker Street without Mrs. Hudson. But the fact is she is barely in the Canon and we know next to nothing about her. In the first Holmes and Watson adventure, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1mgmt8D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Scarlet</a></i>, where we might expect one of Watson’s insightful thumbnail sketches of the woman she is unnamed and unseen.
<br />
<br />
What do we know about her?<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">At one time she was married.</b> </h4>
Yes, she is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mrs.</i> Hudson but nowhere is it stated she was a widow or ever married. "Mrs." could have been an honorific, a title of respect for a businesswoman. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs.">Wikipedia</a> has it: "In several languages the title for married women, such as <i>Madame</i>, <i>Señora</i>, <i>Signora</i>, or <i>Frau</i>, is the direct feminine equivalent of the title used for men; the title for unmarried women is a diminutive: <i>Mademoiselle</i>, <i>Señorita</i>, <i>Signorina</i>, or <i>Fräulein</i>. For this reason, usage had shifted towards using the married title as  the default for all women in professional usage. This had long been followed in the United Kingdom for some high-ranking household staff, such as housekeepers, cooks, and nannies, who were called <i>Mrs.</i> as a mark of respect regardless of marital status." Those of a certain age may well remember calling their elementary school teacher "Mrs. Jones" whether she was married or not.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>She was Scottish.</b> </h4>
Holmes says in "The Naval Treaty," "Mrs. Hudson has risen to the occasion. Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotswoman." Is Holmes saying that because as a Scotswoman she has a good idea of breakfast or her idea of breakfast compares favorably to a generic Scotswoman’s? The wording of Holmes’ statement is ambiguous at best.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
She was a portly, motherly (or grandmotherly) woman.</h4>
Much has been made of the unnamed landlady's "stately tread" in STUD, the closest thing we get to a physical description of her. From it scholars have inferred her weight and age, but the statement has been taken out of context. "Ten o'clock passed, and I heard the footsteps of the maid as they pattered off to bed. Eleven, and the more stately tread of the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">landlady</span> passed my door, bound for the same destination." The landlady's tread is "more stately" than the maid's patter. The maid may well have been a young teen, a common enough occurrences for the time, and the adult Mrs. Hudson would have a statelier tread by comparison. Nowhere else in the Canon do we get any hint of her age. Manly W. Wellman and Wade Wellman postulate that she was a young widow and in their pastiche <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Further-Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/1848564910"><i>Sherlock Holmes’s War of the Worlds</i></a> make her Holmes’ love interest.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Her first name may have been Martha.</b></h4>
<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/episode-61-private-life-of-vincent.html#.Uxzxb859Kuk">Vincent Starrett's</a> essay "The Singular Adventures of Martha Hudson" in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/OA7VCr" target="_blank">Baker Street Studies</a></i> (an essential for any Sherlockian library) has had a profound influence on the popular conception of Mrs. Hudson. He writes:
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whether she owned the building or rented it from another is not clear; but---although it is nowhere explicitly stated---there can be no reasonable doubt that she retired with Holmes in Sussex….Writing, in his retirement, of the curious mystery of The Lion’s Mane, it is Holmes himself who furnishes the clue. "My house is lonely," he tells us. "I, my old housekeeper, and my bees have the estate all to ourselves."</blockquote>
Starrett then baldly states that it was Mrs. Hudson that Holmes placed in Von Bork’s household (<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"That is Martha, the only servant I have left.") in "His Last Bow." There is no evidence to suppose Mrs. Hudson was either or both women and plenty to suggest she was neither. In LAST, there is no recognition or greeting from Watson that Martha is the old Baker Street landlady that he had probably not seen in ten years. And it seems
unlikely that Mrs. Hudson would voluntarily take a decrease in social rank from independent businesswoman to housekeeper to stay with a former lodger that "must have sorely tried her patience" over the years. Further, in LION, it seems more probable that Holmes is speaking of his <i>aged</i> housekeeper, not his <i>former</i> landlady-now-domestic. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
If we look at the Canon as a series of plays we can see what a bit player she really was on the Baker Street scene. On-stage in 11 out of the 60 stories; out of 11 stories speaks only 3 times; 26 lines of dialogue. Contrast that with Professor Moriarty, who is in only one story out of 60, "The Final Problem" (although mentioned in several), and is off stage—present only in Holmes’ reminiscence—but has 21
lines of dialogue.</span><br />
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STUD  p offs nd         REIG                           WIST ons nd</div>
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SIGN  ons d               CROO                         BRUC</div>
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SCAN ons nd             RESI                           <span style="color: blue;">DEVI</span></div>
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REDH                         GREE                         REDC</div>
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IDEN                          NAVA ons nd              LADY np m</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">BOSC</span>                         <span style="color: red;">FINA</span>                          DYIN ons d</div>
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FIVE np m                  HOUN                        VALL ons nd</div>
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<span style="color: red;">TWIS</span>                          EMPT  ons d               <span style="color: blue;">LAST</span></div>
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BLUE np m                 NORW                        MAZA np m</div>
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SPEC  np m                DANC ons nd              THOR</div>
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ENGR                         SOLI                           CREE</div>
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NOBL                         PRIO                           SUSS</div>
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BERY                         BLAC ons nd               3GAR ons nd</div>
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COPP                         CHAS                         ILLU</div>
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SILV                           SIXN                          3GAB</div>
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CARD                         <span style="color: blue;">3STU</span>                           BLAN</div>
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YELL                          GOLD                         <span style="color: blue;">LION</span></div>
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STOC                          MISS                          RETI</div>
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GLOR                         ABBE                         VEIL</div>
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MUSG                        SECO  ons nd             SHOS</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">TITLE</span>---no action at Baker Street<br />
<span style="color: red;">TITLE</span>---no action at Baker Street, but Baker Street is mentioned</div>
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 m—mentioned   p—present     np—not present   ons—on stage   offs—off stage  d—dialogue   nd—no dialogue</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>STUD </b>off-stage, no name given, present in sound effects only</div>
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<b>SIGN </b>on-stage, 10 lines of dialogue, delivers card on tray</div>
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</div>
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<b>SCAN </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, “Mrs. Turner”</div>
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<b>FIVE </b>not present, mentioned by Holmes as “the landlady”</div>
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<b>BLUE </b>not present, mentioned by Holmes as “Mrs. Hudson”</div>
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<b>SPEC</b> not present, mentioned by Holmes as “Mrs. Hudson”</div>
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<b>NAVA </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, brings breakfast trays</div>
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<b>EMPT </b>on-stage, 3 lines of dialogue</div>
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<b>DANC </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, brings cablegram</div>
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<b>BLAC </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, mentioned by Watson as having prepared breakfast and later relaying the arrival of three visitors</div>
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<b>SECO </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, brings card on tray<br />
<b>VALL </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, relays message that Cecil Barker is waiting</div>
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<b>WIST </b>off-stage lets Gregson and Baynes in, on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, lets Gregson, Baynes and Scott Eccles out</div>
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<b>DYIN </b>on-stage, 13 lines of dialogue, visits Watson</div>
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<b>LADY </b>not present, mentioned by Holmes as “Mrs. Hudson”</div>
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<b>MAZA </b>not present, mentioned by Billy the page as “Mrs. Hudson”</div>
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<b>3GAR </b>on-stage, 0 lines of dialogue, brings card on tray</div>
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Special note: in <b>ENGR </b>Watson brings Victor Hatherley to Baker Street where Holmes was "<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">lounging about his sitting-room in his dressing-gown, reading the agony column of <i>The Times</i>, and smoking his before-breakfast pipe….He received us in his quietly genial fashion, ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal." Mrs. Hudson--not present, not mentioned, not even a thought to Holmes or Watson; it's as if breakfast magically appeared.</span> </span><br />
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Even in those adventures where she has a large part to play we are aware of her separateness from Holmes and Watson. In "The Dying
Detective," Mrs. Hudson goes to the home of the married Watson to seek help for the apparently dying Holmes. After seeing Holmes, Watson goes to Culverton Smith leaving Mrs. Hudson "waiting, trembling and weeping,
in the passage". At the end, after Smith is lead away from Holmes’ bedroom in handcuffs by Inspector Morton, do we get a scene with Mrs. Hudson relieved that Holmes is not dying and anger at him for being fooled ("It was very essential that I should impress Mrs. Hudson with the reality of my condition, since she was to convey it to you, and you in turn to [Smith]. You won't be offended, Watson?")? No, it’s off to Simpson's for the pair and the reader is left to conjecture on Mrs. Hudson's mental, emotional and physical state. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />In "The Empty House," after hours during which she crawled into a sitting room where an air gun bullet could fly at any moment, she is brusquely dismissed by Holmes.
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"I hope you preserved all precautions, Mrs. Hudson?" said Holmes.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"I went to it on my knees, sir, just as you told me."</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"Excellent. You carried the thing out very well. Did you observe where the bullet went?"</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"Yes, sir. I'm afraid it has spoiled your beautiful bust, for it passed right through the head and flattened itself on the wall. I picked it up from the carpet. Here it is!"</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Holmes held it out to me. "A soft revolver bullet, as you perceive, Watson. There's genius in that, for who would expect to find such a thing fired from an air-gun? <i><b>All right, Mrs. Hudson, I am much obliged for your assistance</b></i>. And now, Watson, let me see you in your old seat once more, for there are several points which I should like to discuss with you." </span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">[<i>Emphasis added-- ed</i>.]</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In the Granada series, Mrs. Hudson brought up a bottle of champagne and three glasses to toast Holmes's return, but no such chummy scene in the Canon exists. Holmes and Watson were no cronies of the landlady, no matter how much affection they may have had for her. Perhaps the relationships between Holmes, Watson and Mrs. Hudson were governed more by Victorian class and social mores and gender politics than we care to think about. "The Man With the Twisted Lip" ends with Holmes saying, "I think, Watson, that if we drive to Baker Street we shall just be in time for breakfast." After spending several days at Neville St. Clair's home, The Cedars in Lee, Kent, Holmes expects to arrive at 221B unannounced, with Watson in tow, and get a hot cooked meal. The relationship is one of service provider and consumer, with "breakfast" being the closest thing to an acknowldgement of Mrs. Hudson and her role.
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">It is, then, the Sherlockian scholars, the pasticheurs, the writers of plays and screenplays, and the generation of readers who bring Mrs. Hudson into the inner circle of Baker Street life, who give the blank slate Watson presents us with any sort of detail. For indeed, "Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, was a long-suffering</span> woman." She not only had to put up with "the very worst tenant in London"
but a physician, who, in his writings, treated her like an extra in her own house. 
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