I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Submissions Sought for 12-part Sherlock Holmes Novella Series

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"series of small mysteries which had succeeded each other so rapidly" [HOUN] </h4>
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<br />While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle left this earthly realm on July 7, 1930, his character of Sherlock Holmes has never been more alive.  Through the current films and TV shows starring the great detective, his popularity only increases.  Publishers such as <a href="http://wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Gasogene Books</a> and <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a> focus mainly on new books about the great detective, and many more presses have at least one new Sherlock Holmes book in their catalogues.  Now another publisher has an opportunity for pastiche writers to compose new tales for the Sherlock Holmes canon. <br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.7199993133545px; font-weight: bold;">Authors Needed</span></h3>
18thWall Publishing <a href="http://18thwall.com/2015/03/10/submissions-spotlight-the-science-of-detection-twelve-cases-of-sherlock-holmes/" target="_blank">is creating a 12 part Sherlock Holmes novella series</a> called <i>The Science of Deduction</i> that will be released in 2016.  One title will be released each month that year, and then in December, all 12 novellas will be bundled into a complete anthology. The stories themselves must be novellas of 15,000 - 30,000 words in length, with the author's voice and narrative style coming through.<br />
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"People rarely realize how short the Sherlock Holmes novels are," explained James Bojaciuk,  CEO Duobus of 18thWall.<br />
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"<i>A Study in Scarlet</i> and <i>The Valley of Fear</i> are short novellas (padded out by long memories of the United States), and <i>The Sign of the Four</i> is a longish one. Only <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> is, as they say, feature length -- but even then it is very short indeed. Yet when I look at my Sherlock Holmes shelves, it is overwhelmed with three-, four-hundred page novels and dozens of short story collections. I'd like to reclaim the novella form for Sherlock Holmes, which, personally, I think is the best length for his adventures."</blockquote>
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Authors seeking to submit a story for the series should note that submissions may be traditional or can feature a Holmes of an alternative universe. "We're especially keen on well-researched alternate history," said Mr. Bojaciuk. "All the more so if this alternate history is in the vein of Kelly Hale's "Black Alice" (which reimagines Holmes and Watson as Enlightenment Era gentlemen modeled on Samuel Johnson and his own Boswell), or Michael Kurland's "Four Hundred Slaves" (which examines what Holmes and his biographer would have been like if they were Roman citizens)."<br />
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Some Rules Apply</h3>
While writers have freedom to explore a unique take on Sherlock Holmes, there are some strict ground rules.  There can be no erotica, no parodies, and no tales which disrespect the great detective in anyway.  As stated on the 18thWall website, "please keep the characters as close to their canonical counterparts as possible. Sherlock Holmes is not a werewolf; Watson did not murder his wife; Mycroft is not Moriarty’s lieutenant; Professor Moriarty is not a tulpa. This stance on canonicity extends through political opinions, sexuality, biography, and characterization. You can work outside these bounds, but do note that this may or may not be a harder sell to the editor."</div>
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Submissions are due to 18thWall Publishing by <b>November 1st, 2015</b>.  For more information, please see <a href="http://18thwall.com/2015/03/10/submissions-spotlight-the-science-of-detection-twelve-cases-of-sherlock-holmes/" target="_blank">the 18thWall website</a>.  Authors retain full rights to their characters and stories. And for those of you stuck on where to start a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, Mr. Bojaciuk  did say, "While not outré at all, I'd love to see war stories (particularly in the First World War) with Holmes and Watson."  </div>
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Story submissions can be sent to <a href="mailto:submissions@18thwall.com" target="_blank">submissions@18thwall.com</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">.  </span>Happy writing!</div>
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Submissions Sought for 12-part Sherlock Holmes Novella Series

"series of small mysteries which had succeeded each other so rapidly" [HOUN] While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle left this earthl...

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by Belanger Books

Horrors Enough Before the Night Is Over

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"She listened with parted lips and shining eyes" [SIGN]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRI0vAe4LMHJQPJJEz-AtPNIwolhW3wR2ZGFXEPE9dvf6QJX8II5jdu3znKLMoovMp2EP6Ae-uomdgouiGsy5AnCPqLSo-GOBZqe15R8k7Glh5RAuD02viedPfKN6PpuCKBb8uIbiq6Zb/s1600/Charles+Gray+as+Narrator+in+Rocky+Horror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mycroft "No Neck" Holmes" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRI0vAe4LMHJQPJJEz-AtPNIwolhW3wR2ZGFXEPE9dvf6QJX8II5jdu3znKLMoovMp2EP6Ae-uomdgouiGsy5AnCPqLSo-GOBZqe15R8k7Glh5RAuD02viedPfKN6PpuCKBb8uIbiq6Zb/s1600/Charles+Gray+as+Narrator+in+Rocky+Horror.jpg" title="Charles Gray as the Narrator" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chuckie Gray, he's okay, but he's got no neck!<br />
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If you recognize that chant, or maybe have shouted it at a movie screen yourself in the after-midnight hours, and you know what it means when there's a light at the old Frankenstein place, well, you're not a <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2MGN3fj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rocky Horror Picture Show</a></i> virgin any more.<br />
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(Neither am I. A certain well-known Sherlockian saw to that back in October when she escorted me to a raucous performance at one of the many theatres that show the 1975 film <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i> each year or each month or each week, with a "shadow cast" and audience participation. The same good friend plans to have me repeat the late-night experience, as a sort of booster shot, a few weeks from now. Enough said about that.)<br />
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Chuckie, or rather Charles, Gray is the distinguished actor who played Mycroft Holmes in several of the Granada Television <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2MKXyhM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> and subsequent series 1985-1995. In <i>Rocky Horror</i> he is the scholarly Narrator (or Criminologist), with wing collar, cravat and cigarette holder — and, it has to be admitted, pretty much no neck. Audiences love to mock him, but then they love to mock all the characters. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0336509/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Gray</a>, who died in 2000, also appeared in a couple of James Bond films and scores of other vehicles, and had a long stage career at places like the Royal Shakespeare Company.<br />
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He's not the only <i>Rocky Horror</i> actor who appeared in the Granada series, which starred Jeremy Brett (or Charles Gray without Brett in the case of the regrettable late episode "The Mazarin Stone"). Jonathan Adams, who is Dr. Scott in <i>Rocky Horror</i>, played the scheming Jonas Oldacre in Granada's "The Norwood Builder."<br />
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Feverish imaginations have occasionally called for a Holmes-Rocky crossover. One fan's blog suggests a film that would be<br />
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"loosely based on "The Final Problem." Sherlock has to stop Moriarty (a global rock superstar) from dominating the music world after discovering his evil plan to delete all other recordings bar his. It all comes to a head during his final open air gig at the Reichenbach Falls."</blockquote>
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Playing, perhaps, Touch-a-touch Me? Maybe. For the time being, <i>Rocky Horror</i> fans are being titillated by news of a stage version this spring of <i>Shock Treatment</i>, a feeble 1981 film that follows some of the Rocky Horror characters into musical comedy territory. But there's a good chance the original <i>Rocky Horror Picture Show</i> will be in a cinema near you some Friday night soon, complete with audience yells aimed at Chuckie — sorry, Charles — Gray.<br />
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Horrors Enough Before the Night Is Over

"She listened with parted lips and shining eyes" [SIGN] Chuckie Gray, he's okay, but he's got no neck! If you recog...

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by Chris Redmond

Saturday Matinee: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case - The Sign of Four (1932)

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"for the fourth time" [BRUC] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzATV5AAWJdxwW7R9cHE5f30pB1Pssx9_W6Do5nqQ5AmM6R4B9WN7-VXCfTSp9HwONLjKn5upb3_oYolhYAcFOkpLgPIn_YSzcMJcyEbL2b5kYAwIF8iY5fPR7ei207Mw9qTnWILJ4_p7/s1600/The+Sign+of+Four+lobby+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of Four" border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzATV5AAWJdxwW7R9cHE5f30pB1Pssx9_W6Do5nqQ5AmM6R4B9WN7-VXCfTSp9HwONLjKn5upb3_oYolhYAcFOkpLgPIn_YSzcMJcyEbL2b5kYAwIF8iY5fPR7ei207Mw9qTnWILJ4_p7/s1600/The+Sign+of+Four+lobby+card.jpg" title="Lobby card for Arthur Wontner's The Sign of Four" width="640" /></a></div>
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[<i>Editor's note: this is the fourth in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Arthur%20Wontner#.VNZp7_nF_14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a series of four posts</a> on the Arthur Wontner Sherlock Holmes series, as reviewed by David Lee Andrews of <a href="http://www.comicbookandmoviereviews.com/2015/01/sherlock-holmes-greatest-case-sign-of.html#.VNWObfnF_14" target="_blank">Comic Book and Movie Reviews</a></i>]<br />
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After closer inspection I've deduced that the following 75 minute movie made in 1932 was directed by Graham Cutts; and starred Arthur Wontner, Isla Bevan, with Ian Hunter. And how did I know such a thing? Well, I purchased a copy and watched it of course. And so should you, too.<br />
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<b>The Story</b></h4>
Now calm down, Ms. Morstan (Isla Bevan). Please. There's no need for you to cry anymore. You're safe now, and completely out of harm's way. Although I wish I could have said exactly the same thing about some of your relatives.<br />
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Well, quite time ago your father partnered up with a Major from the British army called Sholto (Herbert Lomas), so they could both steal a box of treasure from a known felon named Small (Graham Soutten). However, during this arduous encounter Sholto murdered your father in cold blood and spent the reminder of his days over here in London.<br />
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Yet, the strange thing about this, my dear, is that as the years passed by he eventually came to the realization that his life of luxury was built on very fragile ground. And so, when it finally came time for Sholto to take his final breath, he told his two sons about what he had done, and they in turn hastily decided to send you some of his loot - in the form of a diamond necklace - for fear of Small''s return. <br />
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Of course, Small did return, didn't he? And that's why you're here to see me today. Indeed, earlier one of his tattooed henchmen approached you at your florist's.<br />
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But please, don't concern yourself, Ms. Morstan. I will now leave you in Doctor Watson's (Ian Hunter) more than capable hands, because what next transpires all begins anew when I say to myself those immortal words, "Come Sherlock (Arthur Wontner). The game is afoot." As an inept policeman makes a wrong arrest - a drunken Sherlock becomes a damn right pest - Watson and Mary take a trip to the fun-fair - and at the end of the day, a kiss from a fair lady, spells that love is in the air.<br />
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<b>The Review</b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQbK_k8CWKuTTmiAMElDEkWEs8E_-v1OKOxqW9GYycfyoccKzBenClgeLjea-YnqAckb3TciuPix5r-gQmyYwntrYm-HPXDKXzH1ZYX0oFNmSiUna3z5wFTCTkPPmc5VqGsF228UzeJOr/s1600/The_Sign_of_Four_FilmPoster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQbK_k8CWKuTTmiAMElDEkWEs8E_-v1OKOxqW9GYycfyoccKzBenClgeLjea-YnqAckb3TciuPix5r-gQmyYwntrYm-HPXDKXzH1ZYX0oFNmSiUna3z5wFTCTkPPmc5VqGsF228UzeJOr/s1600/The_Sign_of_Four_FilmPoster.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div>
I'm afraid to say that this will be my last <a href="http://www.comicbookandmoviereviews.com/search?q=Arthur+Wontner">Arthur Wontner</a> Sherlock Holmes movie review because there aren't any more for me to see. It's a shame really, isn't it? Because on the whole most of them conveyed somewhat intriguing story lines that lavished us with pathos, mystery, plus an authentic vibe spearheaded by Arthur's portrayal of the Sherlock Holmes character.  <br />
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Take this film for instance. In it, you will see him doing everything Holmes does in the books. You will see him poking fun at Watson and the police without a care in the world. You will hear him making one of his many articulate yet engrossing summations that'll make anyone think, "Wow!" And you'll even see him in disguise mixing in with the locals.<br />
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But having said that, dear reader, do you know what impressed me the most about this mystery? It was that the camera work on show was very innovative for its time. Every now and then a scene was shot from a high perspective looking down to give it a sinister edge. Other times the film was sped-up to give it a more kinetic flow. And here and there you could see Holmes - or one of the other characters - through an object which was placed in the foreground, as if to give this scene a more artistic flourish!<br />
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Also, something else I best mention about this movie was how Doctor Watson kept flirting with the Mary Morstan character. Honestly, my friends. When I saw what he was doing I couldn't help but cheer him on and applaud his more debonair antics. And without giving anything away, at the very end of it a friendship was sealed in a very 'to be continued' sort of manner.  <br />
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Now on the flip side of things there were two aspects about this adventure I wasn't too keen on. Firstly, on occasion the sound quality was rather mumbled in note, and difficult for me to hear what was being said. And secondly, I had to wait for over twenty minutes before I could see Sherlock in front of the camera.<br />
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Apart from that though -- hey! -- this was one marvelous movie. And these are its cinematic facts. </div>
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<li>Associated Talking Pictures first released this production in London, England on the exact same month Al Capone entered Atlanta Penitentiary convicted of income tax evasion. It was in May, 1932.</li>
<li>This film was loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's second Sherlock Holmes story, <i>The Sign of the Four</i>, which was published by Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, in February, 1890.</li>
<li>The majority of this movie was shot at Ealing Studios, situated within the city of London.</li>
<li>I'm afraid to say that this adventure made one grievous factual error. Sherlock Holmes' residence isn't located at 22A Baker Street; it's located at 221B Baker Street.</li>
<li>To follow on from my previous fact, you might like to know that this movie makes three slight departures from its original source material. Firstly, Sholto doesn't murder Morstan. Secondly, "The Tattooed Man" doesn't make an appearance. And thirdly, it was set in 1887 and not the 1930s.</li>
<li>From 1914 to 2001 this story was re-made ten times in total.</li>
<li>This was the first feature length film to star the Shakespearian actor, Roy Emerton.</li>
<li>After this adventure saluted King and country, Arthur Wontner starred in the next <a href="http://www.comicbookandmoviereviews.com/search/label/SHERLOCK%20HOLMES">Sherlock Holmes film</a>, <i>The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes</i>; Isla Bevan starred in the filmic-short, <i>The Star Reporter</i>; and Ian Hunter starred in the romantic comedy <i>Marry Me</i>.</li>
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Overall I'd say <i>The Sign Of Four</i> was a great way for me to end my reviews on the Arthur Wontner series of Sherlock Holmes films. It had a great story line that was dynamic in places and authentic in attitude. And if you can look past some of its cosmetic flaws, all in all this is a must watch movie for any of you Sherlockian cinephiles out there<br />
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<b>The Rating: A-</b></h4>
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Saturday Matinee: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case - The Sign of Four (1932)

"for the fourth time" [BRUC] [ Editor's note: this is the fourth in a series of four posts on the Arthur Wontner Sherl...

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by Scott Monty

Baker Street Roleplaying Game Expands

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"curious to learn what this new quest might be" [TWIS]</h4>
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Fans of the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/02/a-quick-look-at-baker-street-rpg-on.html#.VQzLao7F-Sp">Baker Street RPG Kickstarter</a> project of last year will be pleased to hear that there are now eight new cases for players to solve.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/7735/Fearlight-Games" target="_blank">Baker Street: Roleplaying in the World of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> takes players back to Victorian-era Baker Street to aid Watson in keeping up with crime in Holmes’ absence after Reichenbach. The game provides a unique “Clue Card” system with investigation scenes acting as the driving force of the game. Now, the <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146408/Baker-Street-Casebook-1-Roleplaying-in-the-World-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank">Baker Street Casebook #1</a> (below, center) features brand new mysteries for intrepid investigators.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/142228/Baker-Street-Roleplaying-in-the-world-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgT4KEYWSzIk1OINe8e01xhkq4XBMvttRhJBXm1uB-rD4sH25xkgJEBCyhaXfmY0hcwIA9SHqS2eAWKC5Zs2o2_GfNaSC5fKQYhNuYFqtPfKhHN4BBK_yG2zyxdR3RFTca0NYIbZELOqIpP3sEqCGtxiiLVwQ=" width="140" />  </a>   <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146408/Baker-Street-Casebook-1-Roleplaying-in-the-World-of-Sherlock-Holmes?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhJzA-pFqe31rGHnKuQgbOZgH02iSDVz86ebuaAbnQSsuYkWIzKds1jmMBS5-fhtgPilQOOynhz_vnnW6GQniwdOtYTFEQJ1l3Hkfh-xLZ1rD_yfRvBMtALjhaPBCjcA2-lg3q-I9e2ocnkzF0=" width="139" />  </a>   <span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/146238/The-Case-of-the-Missing-Artifact?manufacturers_id=7735" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkP3rRO5Tqjpz3JeIonfI58W_eNvg6PPaNQfgx3t_Pmh_GSYw-Mwe1fev6H6k0nam81fr1W5J5vykrKQQw1gUxS4RBrZYvmioYP35yXwsDkbRRW6oDFgGdQ-VW7_xqYOK_yIhhPRHhh_p/s1600/Baker+Street+RPG+2.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></div>
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This is an expansion; the original game is needed in order to play. If you have the core set, then you can now add such cases as “The Case of the Mantis Murderer”, “The Adventure of the Mummy’s Curse” or “The Case of the Angry Goddess” to your campaign. And if you'd like to connect with other like-minded RPGers, there's <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113134645050347484316" target="_blank">a Google+ community of Baker Street players</a>.<br />
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Baker Street and its expansion are published by Fearlight Games and are available to purchase on <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/7735/Fearlight-Games">RPGNow</a>. The game design is by Bryce Whitacre. The new Casebook adventures are written by Matt DeForrest, Jeff Grubb, Steven S. Long, Matt Lopshire, Mark Plemmons, Jeff Siadek, Bryce Whitacre, and Skip Williams.<br />
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Enter the world of Sherlock Holmes in this imaginative and authentic set of adventures!</div>
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Baker Street Roleplaying Game Expands

"curious to learn what this new quest might be" [TWIS] Fans of the Baker Street RPG Kickstarter project of last year will ...

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by Katie Magnusson

Did Conan Doyle Discover the True Identity of the Ripper?

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"These massacres are invariably concluded" [SIGN] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXpswC6FFb4TaBKukzGipfz-3ScOcieNlxVOTfiyrcWYT3fzQ79op1za_bmhAw3cJaXzk119FqeyrfedPvjDrlziHAD5yQwevvdJbRxsLfW9yfvZMdmNBOVCxgnUwneLSZLR01jit6y1d/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Notes+-+Secret+of+Jack+the+Ripper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Conan Doyle Notes - Secret of Jack the Ripper by Diane Madsen" border="0" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXpswC6FFb4TaBKukzGipfz-3ScOcieNlxVOTfiyrcWYT3fzQ79op1za_bmhAw3cJaXzk119FqeyrfedPvjDrlziHAD5yQwevvdJbRxsLfW9yfvZMdmNBOVCxgnUwneLSZLR01jit6y1d/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Notes+-+Secret+of+Jack+the+Ripper.jpg" title="Cover - Conan Doyle Notes Secret of Jack the Ripper" width="640" /></a></div>
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In September of 2014, the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/has-jack-the-rippers-identity-really-been-revealed-using-dna-evidence-9717036.html" target="_blank">news broke</a> that author Russell Edwards working with molecular biologist Jari Louhelainen, had analyzed DNA evidence from one of the Ripper victim's shawls.  This evidence seemed to single out Ripper suspect Aaron Kosminski, a polish immigrant whose DNA was a match to that found on the shawl.  So, was the case closed? <br />
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Not so fast!  Author <a href="http://www.dianegilbertmadsen.com/#!the-conan-doyle-notes/c1a5" target="_blank">Diane Gilbert Madsen</a> claims that not only has the DNA evidence against Kosminski has fallen apart, she also claims the mystery was solved long ago, by none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  and Joseph Bell. Madsen names the killer in her latest book, <a href="http://amzn.to/1NxrfI2" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Conan Doyle Notes: The Secret of Jack the Ripper</a>. [Amazon]<i> </i> I interviewed Ms. Madsen over email about her book, the Ripper case, and Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: The Conan Doyle Notes is a modern day mystery starring your literary sleuth, DD McGil.  What made you decide to write the story in modern times as opposed to a historical mystery starring Doyle and Dr. Bell?  </b></h4>
<b>Diane Madsen:</b> The Conan Doyle Notes is the third book in the DD McGil Literati Mystery Series, the first being about Robert Burns and the second about Hemingway.  The entire series takes place in modern times as opposed to being period-piece historical mysteries.  The main character, DD McGil, is a very contemporary person, and her persona would not transfer well back to Victorian England where she would be shunned, ostracized and probably even locked up in Bedlam.  I also set <i>The Conan Doyle Notes</i> in modern times because it gave me a chance to use all of the resources that have accumulated since 1888 concerning both the Ripper murders and Conan Doyle -- information I could not have used if it had been written as a contemporaneous mystery.  I did, however, do a great deal of research on both Doyle and the Ripper case, and I’ve tried to use only historical facts throughout the book.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: Like Doyle's London, Chicago is an important part of your story such that the setting almost feels like a character.   Why did you find Chicago was the perfect city for telling this tale?  </b></h4>
<b>DM: </b>I was born and raised in Chicago.  I love the City and enjoy making Chicago a character in my DD McGil Literati Mystery series because there is a distinct feel about the place and its people.  Chicagoans tend to be down to earth and hard working and perhaps a little sentimental.  We love our heroes and hate our villains.  We support our city, our teams, our schools and our friends; and above all we display an enduring hope for the future. These characteristics come from our connective, collective experiences living in the city.<br />
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First of all, we must contend with our name which, taken from the Ojibwa Indians, means ‘skunk.’   Then too, we used to be known as the Second City before LA went on steroids.  We knew we were number two, not number one, and we were never allowed to forget it.  That mind set fostered a certain perverse twist to our egos and our ids.  Then there’s our weather.  Let’s face it, when it’s nice, it’s really nice, but when it’s not, it’s horrible.  And it’s horrible usually six months out of the year.  That’s why we don’t act like carefree Californians.  No – we need our coats, our scarves and our gloves.  We don’t go naked into that good sunlight in January, and it marks us for life. On top of that, as fans of the Chicago Cubs, we were doomed to never win a pennant, thus scarring our whole outlook on life, luck, talent and ball club owners.<br />
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On the positive side, even though we’ve lost Marshall Fields, Chicago’s still got the Lake, the Loop, the EL, Lake Shore Drive, Water Tower, Wacker Drive underground, and a heck of a lot of monumental architecture – good and bad. Chicagoans have risen above our name, our teams and our size.  We’re the Windy City.  We’re the City of Big Shoulders, and my characters in the DD McGil Literati Mystery Series are like the city – we rise above the difficulties and rely upon internal characteristics that come from our roots and our passions about the city.<br />
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In setting my books, I’ve used many well known Chicago landmarks such as Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, and Graue Mill, the oldest working mill in the area and where I served as a Board Member.  I’ve also used Chicago’s weather seasons to give readers a feel of the hardiness it takes to be a Chicagoan. And, as with every writer, my characters are connected to my own life and experiences in the city.  My main character, DD McGil, lives in Wrigleyville, as I did, and she’s a Cubs fan, as am I.  Her university connections come from my own associations with the University of Chicago which I attended as an undergraduate.  Like Chicago, DD is stubborn, sassy, determined, and loyal to her friends.  .<br />
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<b>IHOSE: This is a tricky question because I don't want to give anything away, nor do I want you to in your answer. You have said you feel that the DNA evidence used to name Aaron Kosminski as the killer is problematic.  What makes you feel that you've come to the correct conclusion in your book?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi7FvsxAfXpsu2w1VRoAOWL5IUAWPd6sZM36_qOLdQ4cn2mnCwNK_YaViekOXgEDopD6_IOp0enLZQTKWUch7nOwQJza_A5nssrYYcItagxM0AScnUOScVZXL2LRBJpGAhzBDScIEQ4uR/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Notes+-+Secret+of+Jack+the+Ripper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi7FvsxAfXpsu2w1VRoAOWL5IUAWPd6sZM36_qOLdQ4cn2mnCwNK_YaViekOXgEDopD6_IOp0enLZQTKWUch7nOwQJza_A5nssrYYcItagxM0AScnUOScVZXL2LRBJpGAhzBDScIEQ4uR/s1600/Conan+Doyle+Notes+-+Secret+of+Jack+the+Ripper.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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<b>DM: </b>You are so right.  This is a tricky question.  First, let’s tackle the DNA evidence used to identify Aaron Kosminski.  When a group of DNA experts poured over the findings, they found that the molecular biologist made a fundamental error in calculations.  The fatal flaw was <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/jack-the-ripper-id-hinges-on-a-decimal-point-as-scientists-flag-up-dna-error-in-book-that-claims-to-identify-the-whitechapel-killer-9804325.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an error in nomenclature</a>.  The smoking gun is that the biologist referenced the wrong mutation (314.1C) – a rare mutation -  from the michtochondrial DNA database.  The correct mutation (315.1C) which he should have used is not rare at all.  It is so common that it’s shared by 99 percent of people of European descent.  So the same DNA match would  have been seen with almost anyone who had handled the shawl over the years – including perhaps hundreds of people.<br />
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Secondly, let’s look at my suspect, who here will remain nameless because I hope people will be interested enough to <a href="http://amzn.to/1bLGvWe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read the book</a>.  When I began looking at the Ripper case, it struck me that each of the suspects became a suspect because someone advocated their guilt from the bottom up.  I love to do research, and I had the advantage of starting with a huge amount of materials.  I tried putting the pieces together as a modern police officer might do on a cold case, from the top down, without any preconceived notions.  I used the Sherlockian method to develop 10 clues which lead to my suspect.  While nobody today can say with certainty who the Ripper was, I believe that my solution takes into account all of the available evidence and considers things that various advocates find it convenient to minimize or ignore.  I'd love to hear from readers about what they think of the clues I propose and the solution I offer in the book based on those clues.  I tried to make everything in the book about the Ripper case as accurate as possible.  I looked at what the police involved in the case said (often that they knew who the Ripper was but wouldn’t say), and at the news coverage, the eye-witness testimony, and the suspects.  I also looked at what happened to various suspects and police after the murders.  My suspect is chosen based on the ten clues I offer in the book.  These clues link a chain of evidence – much of it circumstantial – but strong enough when taken together to confirm the suspect I identify as Jack the Ripper.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: You've written other DD Mcgil mysteries in the past.  This is your first to focus on Doyle.  Will we see more of DD in the future?  Any chance she will return to the realm of Doyle or Holmes?</b></h4>
<b>DM: </b>People tell me that DD McGil is a very interesting character, so yes, I intend to give her more outings.  Her next adventure is entitled, <i>The Cardboard Palace</i>, and it contains some of the work that Bram Stoker did as the Literati character.<br />
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The Literati Series is a continuing series, and DD’s encounter with Conan Doyle has marked her and made her into a Sherlockian.   In future DD adventures,  watch for DD to be quoting Sherlock Holmes and talking about Holmes plots and even joining a Sherlockian Society.<br />
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On a slightly different note, I’m working on a deadline to finish a non-fiction work entitled <i>Cracking the Code of the Canon,</i> a look at how Sherlock Holmes made his decisions, to be published this summer by <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/index.html" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>.  <br />
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<b>IHOSE: The question all Sherlockians dread!  If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one Sherlock Holmes story with you, which would it be and why?</b></h4>
<b>DM: </b>This is my favorite question, and I don’t have to think twice.  It would most definitely be "The Musgrave Ritual."<br />
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[SPOILER ALERT -<i> Ed.</i>]</h3>
Not only is this my all time favorite Holmes story because of the connection with the Stuart monarchy and the royal regalia, but it’s also a gem of a story because the butler did it.  It would be even more valuable to have it with me if I were stranded on an island.  Halloa, I would use the text within The Musgrave Ritual as a guide to my escape. <br />
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"'Where was the sun?'<br />"'Over the oak.'<br />"'Where was the shadow?'<br />"'Under the elm.'<br />"How was it stepped?'<br />"'North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, south by two and by two, west by one and by one, and so under.'</blockquote>
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I would seek to follow this ritual catechism with the hopes that it would lead me to a path off the island.  (Given the island would have oaks and elms and an “under” of course. If not, I’d have to work to decode the message.)<br />
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<b>IHOSE: Any other future projects you would like to comment on?</b></h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb2YesBjgZWgZE8EWPvSeuNDBzB-kEATgPN9853Xeh_l_FtWVju38xZNzngIHNuJ9wFMgHiGHkuSpG95etOouqyTuqnUHAR3ZNZdU4jBM4YpJ4eVtZWijkO0DlAk4KYWmgfkzpoe6Z-Zz/s1600/DGM+w+Corona+%233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb2YesBjgZWgZE8EWPvSeuNDBzB-kEATgPN9853Xeh_l_FtWVju38xZNzngIHNuJ9wFMgHiGHkuSpG95etOouqyTuqnUHAR3ZNZdU4jBM4YpJ4eVtZWijkO0DlAk4KYWmgfkzpoe6Z-Zz/s1600/DGM+w+Corona+%233.JPG" width="195" /></a><b>DM: </b>I’ve already mentioned the upcoming non-fictional <i>Cracking the Code of the Canon: How Sherlock Holmes Made His Decisions</i>,” coming out this summer, as well as the next book in the DD McGil Literati Mystery Series, <i>The Cardboard Palace</i> featuring Bram Stoker.  I also have two more DD McGil plots – one entitled <i>Dark As Shadows</i> featuring Robert Louis Stevenson, and one on Edgar Allan Poe entitled <i>Restless Bones</i>.<br />
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I have submitted a screen-play to my agent entitled <i>Young  Hemingway</i>, which is currently at Paramount.   <br />
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I’ve also been asked by Hallmark Mysteries to submit six DD McGil Literati Mystery plots for a possible TV series on their network.<br />
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And, as a result of <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-11-07/did-arthur-conan-doyle-and-the-real-sherlock-holmes-solve-the-jack-the-ripper-mystery" target="_blank">an extremely good article</a> on <i>The Conan Doyle Notes</i> in Radio Times by the terrific writer Paul Jones, I’ve been approached by a London TV and film producer  who is putting together a TV series on Doyle, Dr. Joseph Bell, and the Ripper case.  <br />
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<b>IHOSE: Any last thoughts?</b></h4>
<b>DM: </b>THINK HOLMES.  It’s always 1895.  Seriously.</div>
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Did Conan Doyle Discover the True Identity of the Ripper?

"These massacres are invariably concluded" [SIGN] In September of 2014, the news broke that author Russell Edwards work...

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by Belanger Books

Try This Catalog Card Generator with Your Collection

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"adequate cataloguing" [3GAR]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKwsf81_gcjyjj7VfutlTAUtxvvhIpju4BAPp67XEYXoj8Bqx6Gt-LiLpPumFIsORHGKVmUEqtB1Le-gg-x8CSPNhUdasDD1AtVJv_Kq1hCaEQNUEUiwIBSxU-mjdvcxZesRJxvDNTmn-/s1600/SML-Card-Catalog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKwsf81_gcjyjj7VfutlTAUtxvvhIpju4BAPp67XEYXoj8Bqx6Gt-LiLpPumFIsORHGKVmUEqtB1Le-gg-x8CSPNhUdasDD1AtVJv_Kq1hCaEQNUEUiwIBSxU-mjdvcxZesRJxvDNTmn-/s1600/SML-Card-Catalog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Remember when looking up a book in the library meant a stop at the reference librarian's desk or a trip to the massive banks of card catalogs, to browse through cards notated with the famed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification" target="_blank">Dewey Decimal System</a>?<br />
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Those days may seem long gone, thanks to the Internet and so many digital tools available in libraries everywhere. But that doesn't mean we don't wistfully long for the manual and tactile efforts to index and find our favorite books.<br />
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Some years ago, we came across a site called the <a href="http://www.blyberg.net/card-generator/" target="_blank">Catalog Card Generator</a>. We dutifully filed it away and recently found it buried in our "Drafts" folder - dated January of 2007, if you can believe it.<br />
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We found the tool on the site of John Blyberg, then the Assistant Director for Innovation and User Experience at the <a href="http://www.darienlibrary.org/">Darien Library</a> in Connecticut. [Aside: John was previously employed by the Ann Arbor District Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan - just a few miles from your editor's house.] John lists his site, blyberg.net, as "a library-geek blog."<br />
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Now <b><i>that</i></b> is our kind of site! Need we say any more?<br />
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The <a href="http://www.blyberg.net/card-generator/" target="_blank">Catalog Card Generator</a> takes information that you feed it - from the call number to any text you wish you use to identify your collection of books, video or audio, as well as notes that can be "scribbled" on three distinct areas of the card - and outputs an image of a vintage catalog card, with a typewriter font on an aged index card with perforation.<br />
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Here are some variations on an entry from our library:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLkWKLZPHtDCtgKqY3j9EC-tAgG_jcII4NymAJ3Cc7eRCoIwvYmKkI6XnzANYwRvLQLvebfsYGLQ450KjqUz5a8ldhyphenhyphenADa2XZXziTZUlfkj-JjhmIdSntit7zzv8OjDE9QiOjWLXHAASm/s1600/Catalog+Card+-+The+Adventures+of+Sherlock+Holmes+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLkWKLZPHtDCtgKqY3j9EC-tAgG_jcII4NymAJ3Cc7eRCoIwvYmKkI6XnzANYwRvLQLvebfsYGLQ450KjqUz5a8ldhyphenhyphenADa2XZXziTZUlfkj-JjhmIdSntit7zzv8OjDE9QiOjWLXHAASm/s1600/Catalog+Card+-+The+Adventures+of+Sherlock+Holmes+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tjMik_sr1QddfLWoove41FqonFVCx1j1QkvCOJaNAYdUuOTZtCCz0u4XAczzt5Fo7pnSsTKr6JFSrvHvqXI8l6b19dr2eJx_s0eIP-OE528BXnHCnOxF5Riy_SZT7YeyH1BKuXtGAMV_/s1600/Catalog+Card+-+The+Adventures+of+Sherlock+Holmes+2+-+Copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tjMik_sr1QddfLWoove41FqonFVCx1j1QkvCOJaNAYdUuOTZtCCz0u4XAczzt5Fo7pnSsTKr6JFSrvHvqXI8l6b19dr2eJx_s0eIP-OE528BXnHCnOxF5Riy_SZT7YeyH1BKuXtGAMV_/s1600/Catalog+Card+-+The+Adventures+of+Sherlock+Holmes+2+-+Copy.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Give it a try and let us know how it works for you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: "<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SML-Card-Catalog.jpg#/media/File:SML-Card-Catalog.jpg" target="_blank">SML-Card-Catalog</a>" (Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons</i></span><br />
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Try This Catalog Card Generator with Your Collection

"adequate cataloguing" [3GAR] Remember when looking up a book in the library meant a stop at the reference librarian's de...

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by Scott Monty

New Audio Web Series Tackles the Canon

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"Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell." [SCAN] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDCGJpAdYw7i8IN64hf4N-q5YFngZnIEX8qZK1o-I4uHu7NXyAD9w6ukwCQBM8VJlW-HYozZvKDNwawuD5gI3SO-sWrNurEsRW_OTP0tt4gaNCbNOVzkltvOHTLhwvW7uGUaTSfGg9kr3/s1600/I+Am+Lost+Without+My+Boswell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I Am Lost Without My Boswell" border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDCGJpAdYw7i8IN64hf4N-q5YFngZnIEX8qZK1o-I4uHu7NXyAD9w6ukwCQBM8VJlW-HYozZvKDNwawuD5gI3SO-sWrNurEsRW_OTP0tt4gaNCbNOVzkltvOHTLhwvW7uGUaTSfGg9kr3/s1600/I+Am+Lost+Without+My+Boswell.jpg" title="I Am Lost Without My Boswell logo" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
How many of us grew up listening to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes on the radio</a>? Basil Rathbone, Clive Merrison, Carleton Hobbs, the names would become
synonymous with the Great Detective. The theatre of the mind offers listeners a
completely unique entertainment experience. Unlike film or the written word,
details are presented before you with little room for interpretation, radio
plays offers listeners the chance to create many of their own details through
subtle audio cues.<br />
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The soft clattering of horse hoofs, the offhanded comment of
the beautiful scenery, or the cries of dismay over the Falls of Reichenbach,
all help us to fill in the gaps of the fictional world in whatever way we see
fit. Budgetary limitations, or unrealistic visuals need not apply. The Falls
can be enormous, a city street jam packed with people, or a vista pristine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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While radio was hit hard (especially in America) by television,
audio dramas have made a comeback in recent years thanks to the mass
distribution offered through the Internet. Technology and audio innovations
have opened the doors for people throughout the world to pursue their passions
and produce their own high quality audio dramas from the convenience of their
home computer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was into this world that David Harnois chose to combine
his background in theatre and audio work, with his fandom of Sherlock Holmes,
to take on one of the most difficult tasks in Sherlockdom: adapt the full
canon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After having acted as Holmes in a local theatre production,
David was not eager to give up the role. Armed with his experiences on the
stage and help from friends and colleagues, David began work to adapt the canon
into a workable audio format. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://iamlostwithoutmyboswell.com/" target="_blank">I Am Lost Without My Boswell</a> first started in early 2014
with a goal of adapting every story in the canon, with a full cast of
characters comprised of actors and fans alike. After just over a year of work,
David’s passion project had produced a dramatization of "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/holmesboswell/a-scandal-in-bohemia" target="_blank">A Scandal in Bohemia</a>"
and "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/holmesboswell/the-red-headed-league" target="_blank">The Red Headed League</a>," and are well on their way to producing the third
installment, "A Case of Identity."<br />
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We sat down with David to ask him some
questions about the project, where he gets his inspiration, and how <i>you</i> can
audition for a role in the next story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: <i>Can you recall what your first exposure to Sherlock
Holmes was?</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>David Harnois:</b> I'm sure as a kid I saw <i>The Great Mouse Detective</i>, and I
know I saw the Wishbone episodes of “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Hound of
the Baskervilles.” Holmes was a character I sort of worked my way back around
to. I read some mystery novels when I was in middle school, my favorite comic
book character is Batman, it was really a matter of time. When the Robert Downey, Jr. film came out, I thought that maybe it was time to actually read
the stories. The BBC's <i>Sherlock</i> and the Granada Holmes were the final nails in
that coffin. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>IHOSE: <i>Can you tell me a little bit about your professional
background? Do you have any training in audio editing?</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH:</b> I grew up doing theatre. I started when I was 11, and
continued on throughout my childhood. I graduated with my BA in Theatre in 2009
from the University of Northern Iowa. The audio work comes from a combination
of my theatrical background, being in a band, and my years as a karaoke DJ.
Between the band and the DJing, I gained a pretty good ear for balancing audio,
and working with audio equipment. I started doing sound design work in college,
did it for the theatre I worked at, and have a regular freelance gig I do once
a semester. My training in it was all pretty much on the job.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IHOSE: <i>What prompted you to do your own audio dramatization? </i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH: </b>I was given the opportunity to play Holmes onstage in a
production of “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily” (produced by
Waterloo Community Playhouse and written by Katie Frogrette). So I cut off my
hair after 9 years, shaved after 4 1/2 and took my turn in Baker Street. After
the show was done, I started realizing that I liked playing Holmes so much I
didn't really want to stop. I thought the easiest way to keep doing it was
something like this. I put the idea out to my Facebook friends, and they
responded with a resounding, “YES! Do it!” Plus I got to keep my hair and my
goatee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>IHOSE: <i>How did you go about the scripting process?</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH: </b>The nice thing about the bulk of the stories being public
domain is that the text is all readily available online. I just copy and paste
the story text into a new document and start to reformat it like a script. I
indicate which text to not speak; you'll notice a large lack of 'he said', 'she
said'. I try to make it flow much more conversationally. I also make
indications about text to read, but that it also indicates a sound effect. My
personal copy of “A Case of Identity” is highlighted in 4 colors: 1 for general
highlighting of lines, 1 for words I need to watch from a pronunciation
standpoint, 1 for words not in English, and 1 for sound effects. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IHOSE: <i>Was this your first time producing your own audio
production? What was the most difficult part of the process?</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH: </b>This was indeed my first go at something like this. I was
fortunate to have a lot of support early on, so I was able to get a nice
microphone right off the bat, which was a big help. I suppose the most
difficult part was, and still is, finding a consistent place to record. During
SCAN I was recording at work after hours, which actually got me in trouble
(which is a whole other story). For REDH we were able to record in Jabez
Wilson's (John Jensen) house. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IHOSE: </b>With "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Red-Headed League" under your belt, how's the production going
on "A Case of Identity"? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH: </b>It's going well so far! We have a cast, and we've done a
read-through of the script. We'll be recording this coming Sunday at the
Waterloo Public Library. Hopefully we can knock the recording out in one
session. Then it's on to the editing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IHOSE: <i>What's the story you are looking forward to producing the
most?</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>DH: </b>Ooo, <i>that</i> is a good question. I'm actually looking forward
to “The Yellow Face,” because outside of demonstrating that Holmes isn't always
right, I think it ultimately displays a good message about tolerance,
understanding, and honesty that is never bad to be reminded of. From a
challenge standpoint, I'm excited and terrified for <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>. The
novels are going to take a lot more work, and a lot more time to produce. But
it will be worth it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>IHOSE: <i>Has this process changed your perspective on any aspect
of the Canon? New appreciation for Mrs. Turner or anything like that? :) </i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH: </b>Not yet oddly enough, ask me after we get halfway through,
that answer might be different. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>IHOSE: <i>How can I audition?! </i></b><o:p></o:p></div>

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>DH:</b> Head over to <a href="http://iamlostwithoutmyboswell.com/" target="_blank">iamlostwithoutmyboswell.com</a> and
click on <a href="http://iamlostwithoutmyboswell.com/auditions/" target="_blank">Auditions</a>. We have a general audition piece that can submitted anytime
if you just want to be considered for any part. Otherwise, when we're ready to
start on the next story, there will be character specific pieces available.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
[<b><i>Editor's note:</i></b> this is Peter Holmstrom's first contribution to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.]<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>

New Audio Web Series Tackles the Canon

"Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell." [SCAN] How many of us grew up listening to Sherlock Holmes on the radi...

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by Unknown

Qualify for the Next Mental Exaltation Quiz

<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
"a qualified person" [BLAN]</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKCdVTJ3Uz5Sx7qghyphenhyphenWjhQk8b8Hra-OJ_vIr2xr7t8NWsxqubPHmhYQPKVqJIx-JHEmjT2qK1BKcY_ZmFjeO_1RE_dDa6kKCtQsH9oLT_zpPhUOFZibYKIIigIin_0xIrR-88pypQn3Rt/s1600/IHOSE_caption+19+-+RESI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKCdVTJ3Uz5Sx7qghyphenhyphenWjhQk8b8Hra-OJ_vIr2xr7t8NWsxqubPHmhYQPKVqJIx-JHEmjT2qK1BKcY_ZmFjeO_1RE_dDa6kKCtQsH9oLT_zpPhUOFZibYKIIigIin_0xIrR-88pypQn3Rt/s1600/IHOSE_caption+19+-+RESI.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
If you had a chance to listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose75" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the latest audio episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>, you will have heard our guest Sonia Fetherston, BSI ("The Solitary Cyclist") playing a quiz game on behalf of a listener. It's a quiz game we call "Mental Exaltation" and we'll be playing it on every episode. If you'd like to pick up the portion of the episode where we played, either <a href="http://pca.st/RaRT" target="_blank">click here</a> or look for the annotation on the embedded audio below.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/196040493&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">If you've listened to NPR shows like </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Weekend Edition Sunday</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, you'll know that there are opportunities for listeners to participate in quizzes. In the former, a guest typically plays on behalf of a listener - the prize is Carl Kassell's voice on their answering machine. On the latter, the listener plays live on the air and the prize is a book or some NPR tchochke.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">As </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (the podcast) has a connection with NPR - we've been called "a cross between NPR's </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Car Talk</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Fresh Air</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">" - we thought it would be entirely appropriate to model our own quiz program after the two above.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Here's how "</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Mental Exaltation</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">" works:</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">
<li>Each month, we'll post a qualifying question to determine a listener who'll play / be played for on the program. Winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.</li>
<li>If you'd like to enter, you must <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&publisher=445106&sitescope=45933" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">subscribe to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by email</a>.</li>
<li>We'll either have a guest play on your behalf or we'll patch you into the show to have you play over the phone or Skype.</li>
<li>If your player or you succeeds in passing the test, you'll have your choice of prizes: a random item from our I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Grab-Bag of Goodies (that's the IHOSE GBG), or the voice of a member of the Baker Street Irregulars on your answering machine.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18.2000007629395px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;">
<b>Qualify now</b></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Our next quiz recording will take place on Sunday, March 29. You have until </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Saturday, March 28 at 11:59 pm ET</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> to qualify. And here's how to enter:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="850" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mCM_RUoA0LUvT-OhAsUbUSpUczyVBg2wX-p2tAyQnZg/viewform?embedded=true" width="600">Loading...</iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Good luck!<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Qualify for the Next Mental Exaltation Quiz

"a qualified person" [BLAN] If you had a chance to listen to the latest audio episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere , ...

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by Scott Monty

Another Pointed Look at the Needle Reference

<div style="direction: ltr;">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"they are as sharp as needles, too" (STUD)</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFzjc3jErut31mbjDqgcHeLQKCTwSO3ic_UXuySVwNXqZjPpBllYl4kKcF4fghQZStfiDtaFZFWk5Mfbv9Ld3HBEjwgMfmS7_I_oCS_U19L8WNA4G-1C_ej0Puo2X7ZMi15LuZIUvLOPy/s1600/Flit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFzjc3jErut31mbjDqgcHeLQKCTwSO3ic_UXuySVwNXqZjPpBllYl4kKcF4fghQZStfiDtaFZFWk5Mfbv9Ld3HBEjwgMfmS7_I_oCS_U19L8WNA4G-1C_ej0Puo2X7ZMi15LuZIUvLOPy/s1600/Flit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Even Sherlock Holmes was wrong once in a while, and clearly I was following in his erring footsteps when I suggested, in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/03/sharp-observations-about-that-needle.html#.VQyVlfnF-mE">a March 18 posting</a> here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, that the annoying expression "Quick, Watson, the needle!" dates from the 1930s. As soon as my speculations appeared, Sherlockian scholars were whispering Norbury in my ear, sending awkward reminders that the phrase is known to have existed much earlier than that.<br />
<br />
Ian Schoenherr, Ray Wilcockson, and Mattias Boström were all very helpful in this regard, pointing to needle references in such sources as the Commercial Telegraphers' Journal (July 1911) and — long before the Lilly Library became an important repository of Sherlockian material — the Indiana University yearbook for 1912. 
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ianschoenherr">@ianschoenherr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IHearofSherlock">@IHearofSherlock</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/darkgreendesk">@darkgreendesk</a> This is from DeWaal: <a href="http://t.co/b2T2M3zJrG">pic.twitter.com/b2T2M3zJrG</a><br />
— Mattias Boström, BSI (@mattias221b) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattias221b/status/578207395001856000">March 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/darkgreendesk">@darkgreendesk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mattias221b">@mattias221b</a> This comes from The Packard, July 8, 1911 <a href="http://t.co/lATasdO4XV">pic.twitter.com/lATasdO4XV</a><br />
— Ian Schoenherr (@ianschoenherr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ianschoenherr/status/578194089826463744">March 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<br />
I learned with interest that cartoonist Tad Dorgan (TAD), whose "Daffydills" was a popular comic feature in the early years of the 20th century, used "Quick, Watson, the needle" often, as well as variations of it such as "Quick, Watson, the gun!" Dorgan, incidentally, is thought to be the originator of other immortal phrases such as "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDd8shcLvHI" target="_blank">Yes, we have no bananas</a>" and "See what the boys in the back room will have."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcaJk_nvRG5CwZv_MRdVpl8kqpL2bijf8cWqjzsRTKxzpqv4d1Aj8i6lopxgy3lD19om8qZPcqs8bQ_-2UCIK8ZRvAvVd0fyCnjbHuXfqW6lFcbU-Uyl5QxHoYV_nq8YOzWJHA2hYnlgR/s1600/tadsodafountainbig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcaJk_nvRG5CwZv_MRdVpl8kqpL2bijf8cWqjzsRTKxzpqv4d1Aj8i6lopxgy3lD19om8qZPcqs8bQ_-2UCIK8ZRvAvVd0fyCnjbHuXfqW6lFcbU-Uyl5QxHoYV_nq8YOzWJHA2hYnlgR/s1600/tadsodafountainbig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
More embarrassingly, I learned that Dorgan's use of the phrase was no secret, as Julie McKuras of the <a href="http://www.norwegianexplorers.org/" target="_blank">Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota</a> discussed it at length in <a href="https://www.lib.umn.edu/pdf/holmes/v15n1.pdf" target="_blank">the March 2011 issue of the newsletter</a> published by <a href="https://www.lib.umn.edu/scrbm/holmes" target="_blank">the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> at the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota collection includes Dorgan cartoons collected by the late John Bennett Shaw, as well as other early attestations. "The quotes are rampant in magazine articles dating from the period 1910 onward," McKuras writes. (Who knew? Plenty of people, apparently, but not me.)<br />
<br />
But the phrase goes back even earlier — back, apparently, to the operetta "The Red Mill", first staged on Broadway in September 1906, with music by Victor Herbert and libretto by Henry Blossom. (It was loosely adapted for a 1927 film starring Marion Davies, whose brother-in-law George Regas played a minor role in the 1939 "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in which the Watsonian needle is also mentioned.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbWn8U2rBOQzBbaWoBODkN5GojWtf9f3g9IZFKI9_kFh4YcXuL1NdgGxxxNcOwNU6cUvkPyTmOgaV5LqLYaF97aa2gx6C8Sgf3fSY4PKdUtPyrXjkc9moVFqWfvvdIxPhUKJz0r6nCD8z/s1600/The+Red+Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbWn8U2rBOQzBbaWoBODkN5GojWtf9f3g9IZFKI9_kFh4YcXuL1NdgGxxxNcOwNU6cUvkPyTmOgaV5LqLYaF97aa2gx6C8Sgf3fSY4PKdUtPyrXjkc9moVFqWfvvdIxPhUKJz0r6nCD8z/s1600/The+Red+Mill.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Wouldn't you know, McKuras is aware of "The Red Mill" too. She reports that it<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
starred comedians Fred Stone and David Montgomery as two American vaudevillians. Stone and Montgomery were famous for their performances as the Scarecrow and Tin Man in the 1903 stage production of <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>." </blockquote>
And she quotes an earlier critic:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Their roles in The Red Mill, as good-for-nothing con men and laze-abouts whose inner sense of entrepreneurship awakens when they are called upon to impersonate Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, set the tone for one of the most popular character types of Broadway theater through the 1940s." </blockquote>
<br />
The Ohio Light Opera produced <a href="http://amzn.to/1Fg0hFD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an album of the "Red Mill" music in 2001</a> — apparently on two LP records, which might indeed prompt an urgent call for a needle. Amazon currently stocks it.<br />
<br />
That great Sherlockian Vincent Starrett said in 1932 that he had written to Fred Stone to ask about the origins of the jab about the needle. His letter mentioning that inquiry, addressed to Gray Chandler Briggs, is reproduced in <i>"Dear Starrett —" "Dear Briggs —</i>", edited by John Nieminski and Jon L. Lellenberg for the Baker Street Irregulars History Series (1989). But if Starrett ever received a reply from Stone, it is not known, at least not to me.<br />
<br />
All this evidence seems to demolish my suggestion that "Quick, Watson, the needle" owes something to a commercial slogan popular in the 1940s, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" Indeed, it begins to seem more likely that it was the other way round — that Watson and the needle were already firmly lodged in the public mind, and helped to make Henry and the Flit so successful.<br />
<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Watson," said he, "if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper `Norbury' in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you."</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
- "The Yellow Face"<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=thebakerstree-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00005UK16&asins=B00005UK16&linkId=VOCSDK4NLAD75F2K&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>

Another Pointed Look at the Needle Reference

"they are as sharp as needles, too" (STUD) Even Sherlock Holmes was wrong once in a while, and clearly I was following in h...

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by Chris Redmond

The Earliest Sherlock Holmes - Star Trek Crossovers

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“some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking” [SIGN]</div>
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Two of the earliest Sherlock Holmes-Star Trek Crossovers were created before Lt. Commander Data donned a deerstalker. The Intergalactic Etc. Sherlock Bones series is arguably the first Star Trek crossover character (1975), as it predates <i>The Federation Holmes</i> (1978). These stories represent opposite ends of the crossover literature; <i>The Federation Holmes</i> is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, while the Sherlock Bones series was a Star Trek parody.<br />
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In the 22nd Century, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are recreated on the planet from the original <i>Star Trek</i> series episode “Shore Leave.” Their existence is devised to counter the evil of the previously recreated Professor Moriarty. These stories first appeared in issues of <i>The Holmesian Federation</i>, which first appeared in 1978. Twelve original and one bonus story were collected in <i><a href="http://www.batteredbox.com/SherlockianPastiches/Federation.htm" target="_blank">The Federation Holmes: Casebook Number One: A Baker's Dozen of Sherlock Holmes – Star Trek Parodies</a></i> by Dana Martin Batory. <br />
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The first story in <i>The Federation Holmes</i> features the crew of the Enterprise. Later, they appear only in cameo roles. Quickly Holmes and Watson set up their agency on Memory Alpha. Holmes dives into learning alien cultures and customs; collects his scrapbooks; and resumes publishing scientific papers. Watson adopts the new medical instruments, stashing his medical tricorder, medikit and hypo spray in his Gladstone bag. Some memorable guest stars were Cyrano Jones, Denebian Slime Devils and a mention of Lord <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/08/episode-06-peter-blau-part-1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Blau</a>.<br />
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The stories are well written, and have a distinct Watsonian flair for painting the scenes that bring a reader into the story. Unlike the original Canon, the stories were written in the third person.<br />
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Before the Holmesian Federation, the Intergalactic Etc. first published a Star Trek Fanzine in 1975. “Sherlock Bones” appeared in the first issue; his stories were a regular feature running in each issue. Due to their popularity, three special collections of the stories were printed: <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Bones #1</i>, <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Bones #2</i>, and <i>Sherlock Bones Strikes Again</i>.<br />
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With titles like “The Clandestine Adventure of the Arcane Tomato” and “From the Reminiscences of Doctor Leonard McCoy”, the stories were tongue in cheek, with Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy putting Nurse Chapel to work as his assistant, Nurse Watson. He created his own network of crewmembers to aid in his investigations, the Medical Unit Irregulars, headed by Ensign Chekov. Together they fought against the evil Professor Spockiarty. Some of the stories borrowed incidents from the Canon and adapted them to adventures onboard the Enterprise.<br />
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As an editor-author of the Intergalactic Etc., it would be difficult for me to objectively review these stories. Rereading them during  the writing this post has proven entertaining as well as nostalgic. They were written during the editors’ years in high school and college, spanning almost a decade. An objective review that <a href="http://www.mrhalliday.com/klhalliday/Zinedex/ContentsS.htm#SherlockBones" target="_blank">appears on Halliday’s Zinedex</a> commented “they've grown on me and now I think they're pretty fun.”<br />
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These fanzines are occasionally available on eBay, but there is a rumor that the editors are considering a re-release. You can <a href="http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Bones" target="_blank">read about The Adventures of Sherlock Bones here</a>.<br />
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This post covered two of the earliest Sherlock Holmes-Star Trek crossovers. Since then, there have been countless stories published or posted to the web. To start learning about more recent crossovers, <a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/Star-Trek-2009-and-Sherlock-Crossovers/4863/7190/" target="_blank">check out Fanfiction.net, a database of fanfiction works</a>. <br />
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These crossovers influenced both universes. Tying Sherlock Holmes into the Star Trek universe was a way to increase the buzz about a canceled series and engage more fans. In those day, fanzines and conventions were the primitive equivalent to current social media.<br />
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When the first story appeared in the first issue in 1975, the series had concluded six years previously, leaving the fans wanting more. The Star Trek fan movement and the fanzines kept the franchise alive, and even influenced the naming the first space shuttle built for atmospheric test flights. At the time when these early stories were written, Star Trek’s fan movement may have influenced the Sherlock Holmes universes less dramatically, but it served as a way to keep the Canon relevant.<br />
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The stories demonstrated that Sherlock Holmes can be part of any place, any time. The influence of Star Trek’s fan movement is more evident today, having laid the groundwork and demonstrated how fans can engage with the universe of Sherlock Holmes, where it is always 1895.<br />
<br /><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Editor's Note:</i></b></h4><div>Lest we forget, Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Morocco Case"), author of <i>The Seven Per-Cent Solution</i>, also directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His memoir, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3DX41gT" target="_blank">The View From the Bridge: Memories from Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood</a></i>, spans those connections.

You can listen to our two interviews with Meyer in <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/11/episode-85-nicholas-meyer.html#.YTiyqY5Kjb0" target="_blank">Episode 85: Nicholas Meyer</a> and <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2019/10/episode-178-adventure-of-peculiar.html" target="_blank">Episode 178: The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols</a>. <div><br /></div><div> --<div><br />
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The Earliest Sherlock Holmes - Star Trek Crossovers

“some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking” [SIGN] Two of the earliest Sherlock Holmes-Star Trek Crossov...

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by M. M. M.

Sherlock Holmes - The Origins of a Legend

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"the source and origin" [SIXN] </h4>
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Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper appeared in London around the same time. There is a major difference between them, however, in that, whilst one of them was all too real, the other was fictional.<br />
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However, it often happens that the line between them gets somewhat blurred and some believe that Jack the Ripper was fictional and that Sherlock Holmes was reality.<br />
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The character of Holmes was very much based on a group of real people and, in a new online documentary <b><i>The Man Who Killed Sherlock Holmes</i></b>, the filmmakers set out to chart the origins and the career of the world’s most famous consulting detective.<br />
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Follow him from his gestation in the streets of Edinburgh to his arrival in London, where he and his trusted friend and colleague Dr. John H. Watson would capture the hearts and minds of the Victorian public.<br />
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Indeed, Holmes’s almost superhuman abilities, coupled with his almost uncanny ability to solve even the most complex of cases by observing, deducing and reasoning - often by spotting tiny little clues that the ordinary police had missed - must have seemed to many readers to be the perfect foil for the real-life detectives who at the time were trying to hunt Jack the Ripper down in the streets of East London.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/122041604?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/122041604">The Sherlock Holmes Documentary - Part One</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/thetimechannel">The Time Channel</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Arthur Conan Doyle</h3>
Holmes’s creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, was born in Picardy Place, Edinburgh on the 22nd May 1859.<br />
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He created scenes that showed fairies and other supernatural creatures swirling around the tower and spire of St. Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh. Indeed,  the seeds of Conan Doyle’s later interest in spiritualism, fairies and the paranormal were, most likely, sown at his father’s knee.<br />
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Later, when Conan Doyle was beginning to write his Sherlock Holmes stories, he would ask his father to provide the illustrations for the early works, and Charles, evidently, recognized his own traits in the character of his son’s creations as he drew the detective, more or less, as a mirror image of himself.<br />
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A Chronic Alcoholic</h3>
However, Charles was also a chronic alcoholic and Arthur’s childhood was blighted by his father’s drinking. Conan Doyle’s mother, Mary, would often have to carry her comatose husband to his bed, and on several occasions Charles would  go so far as to sell his own clothing and various household possessions in order to raise the money to buy alcohol.<br />
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Throughout his younger days, the family were forced to move frequently as Charles’s condition, and the family’s finances, took several downward spirals.</div>
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How Charles Influenced Holmes</h3>
Again, these childhood experiences firmly embedded themselves in young Arthur’s memory and they would re-surface years later in both the character of Sherlock Holmes and in his adventures. Holmes’s famous, or infamous, addiction to cocaine, for example, is very much based on his father’s “habit.” Drunkenness, often accompanied by violence, is a recurrent theme in the adventures of Holmes and Watson,  whilst the character of the alcoholic husband  crops up time and time again in the stories.</div>
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Conan Doyle was fortunate, however, in that his mother struggled to bring some semblance of normality to the family home and would do all that she could to keep young Arthur away from the destabilizing effect of his father’s drinking.<br />
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Childhood Tales of Chivalry / Sent Away</h3>
She took solace in medieval tales of chivalry and would regale her children with epic stories of the adventures of bold knights riding bravely to  the rescue of distressed damsels.<br />
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The young Conan Doyle absorbed these tales with enthusiasm and they too lodged in his memory from where they would later resurface to influence him, both professionally and personally. Indeed, the adult Conan Doyle’s chivalry, together with his willingness to take up the cudgel on behalf of the underdog, were legendary and both of these traits were, doubtless, influenced by the tales he had absorbed from his mother throughout his childhood years.<br />
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However, his mother was also determined that her husband's drinking would have as little effect as possible on her children, and to that end, when Arthur was nine, several uncles paid for him to be sent to the Jesuit preparatory school Hodder Place in England, and from here he progressed to the main Jesuit college, Stonyhurst.<br />
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The Return of Conan Doyle</h3>
He returned to Edinburgh in 1876 and enrolled at the University of Edinburgh Medical School where he began writing short stories. As is the case with many writer,  he had several rejections from various magazines until, in  September 1879, his first story,The Mystery of Sasassa Valley, a story set in South Africa, was published in Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal.<br />
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However, Conan Doyle wasn’t particularly enamored by the world of academia (he had hated Stonyhurst and was little more enthused by University), so he decided to embark upon an adventure that would, by his own admission, turn him into a big strapping man.<br />
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We will follow him on that adventure on our next installment of the Sherlock Holmes Documentary.<br />
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[<i><b>Editor's note</b>: the above was adapted from <a href="http://www.jack-the-ripper-tour.com/generalnews/sherlock-holmes-the-beginnings" target="_blank">Jack the Ripper Tour</a>, where it was originally posted</i>.]<br />
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