I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

OTD: Without a Clue

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[an uncommon drunk sort o' man" [STUD]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6-1XCzuQ3wT1R7eYFfpfkflA09NWNa2QHCJC5TdSZli7u_0vaAr2BcPE5lCXU0Wyc7W0K0AvNwOnbGAJREzUlK1VmEzf4S90deJB8bgq6E9VG273clP5Yjl3hiEYABnaabScntDeBRP8/s1600/gamesafoot+Caine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Michael Caine as Reginald Kincaid, aka Sherlock Holmes" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6-1XCzuQ3wT1R7eYFfpfkflA09NWNa2QHCJC5TdSZli7u_0vaAr2BcPE5lCXU0Wyc7W0K0AvNwOnbGAJREzUlK1VmEzf4S90deJB8bgq6E9VG273clP5Yjl3hiEYABnaabScntDeBRP8/s640/gamesafoot+Caine.jpg" title="Michael Caine as Sherlock Holmes" width="325" /></a></div>
One of the more unlikely Sherlock Holmes movies to come along in recent memory is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00RYZFOKA" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="85f7c0d7df02f5109cd473d4b71688e7" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Without a Clue" href="https://amzn.to/3lbck4f" id="amznPsBmLink_2077826" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Without a Clue</a> (1988), starring Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley.<br />
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Well, we should clarify. When we say "recent memory," we of course refer to anything within the last generation or so. And with today marking the 27th anniversary of the release of Without a Clue, that still manages to keep us within striking range of a generation, according to our calculations.<br />
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In case you're not familiar with the plot of the film — and we highly recommend that you watch it — our hero, Sherlock Holmes, is nothing more than a profligate drunkard of an actor, hired by Dr. Watson (known to himself as "John Watson, the Crime Doctor!") to mask his (Watson's) true identity as a successful detective while he applies for a position in an exclusive hospital.<br />
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Much to his chagrin, the character actor becomes popular and the public (and later Watson) can't seem to do without him. It was a case of art imitating life, as another doctor — one A. Conan Doyle — was resigned to the same fate as the Crime Doctor.<br /><br />It's a fun film, and with a PG rating, it's family-friendly as well.</div>
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Let's raise a glass to Caine, Kingsley and <i>Without a Clue</i>, 27 years on!<br />  <br /></div>
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OTD: Without a Clue

[an uncommon drunk sort o' man" [STUD] One of the more unlikely Sherlock Holmes movies to come along in recent memory is Witho...

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by Scott Monty

My First Night Among the Sherlockians

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"Saturday night is our meeting” [VALL]</h4>
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Last month, I ventured from the safety of Internet
Sherlockian discussion to meeting real-life Sherlockians when I attended my
first-ever Sherlock Holmes Society meeting. <a href="http://sherlockholmesofstcharles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn</a> met in St. Charles, Missouri to
discuss “The Adventure of the Stockbroker’s Clerk.” So I pushed myself out of
my comfort zone and made the 45 minute drive to attend my first society
meeting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember <a href="http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sherlock_Hemlock" target="_blank">Sherlock Hemlock</a> and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1PqDlIo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great Mouse Detective</a></i>
fondly from my early years and can tell you I ordered <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1PqDagl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Revenge of the Hound</a></i> by Michael Harrison from a Scholastic book order when I was in sixth
grade, but my first interaction with the Great Detective is gone from my
memory.  Twelve years ago, I received a
copy of the Canon for Christmas, and I can pinpoint my obsession taking off from
there.  Exhaustively reading the original
60 stories led to reading pastiche and eventually scholarly writings. Along the way, I wanted to find others whom I
could discuss ideas and questions with, so like most people these days, I took
to the Internet.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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And why would I ever need to meet people in real life when I
had <a href="http://twitter.com/Rob_Nunn" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, <a href="http://sherlockpeoria.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sherlock Peoria</a>, <a href="http://sherlockian.net/">Sherlockian.net</a>
and so many other great resources available whenever I wanted and from the
comfort of my own couch? Not to mention
DVDs of Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch to watch on the weekends?  Pfft, who needs to go to a meeting?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Turns out, I did.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sure, listening to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseshows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IHOSE</a> every month is almost like having
a conversation about Sherlockian topics, and tweets thrown out to the wind can
lead to some great discussions, but I still wanted more. My wife humors me for a while, my six year old daughter is only interested if I can make Holmes relevant to Peppa Pig,
and my friends just stare at me blankly when I start to ramble. I needed some other Sherlockians that would
know who I’m talking about when I mention Jefferson Hope or Thorneycroft
Huxtable.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had no idea what to expect with my first meeting. I can say I was pleasantly surprised. I sat down to an informal dinner with four
other Sherlockians ranging from high school aged to retirement. Dinner conversation drifted all over the
place, from news of the Pope to the books of John Green. But once it was time to start, we delved into
the problem of Hall Pycroft’s gullibility. 
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As I reread the story in preparation for the meeting, I kept
thinking about Pycroft and Jabez Wilson from "The Red-Headed League."  I was feeling pretty superior about our
modern day society.<br />
"Victorians were so
gullible," I thought.  “We wouldn’t fall
for such a ruse. We’re much more
advanced."<br />
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And then the meeting’s paper
was presented, showing all of the parallels between the scam in "The
Stockbroker’s Clerk" and Ponzi schemes and the Bernie Madoff scandal. Well, that made me rethink my superior
attitude, and led to a very insightful discussion about confidence schemes
and how prevalent they have been throughout history.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My other question about this story was why Holmes made it a
point to bring Watson along. There was
no expected need for his medical expertise, and since Holmes didn’t ask Watson
to pack his revolver, one can presume he didn’t expect things to turn too
rough, so why did he hunt down the good doctor at the beginning of the story? I brought this up as part of our discussion, and everyone seemed to
agree that it was because of their friendship. At the beginning of this story, Holmes and Watson have not seen each
other for a while, and the general consensus was that Holmes just wanted to
have someone to share his adventure with.<br />
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After going to my first (and definitely far from my last) Sherockian
meeting, I know how Holmes felt. 
Sometimes you just need some like-minded folks around in real life.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i><b>Editor's note:</b> this is Rob's first post for I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.</i><br />
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My First Night Among the Sherlockians

"Saturday night is our meeting” [VALL] Last month, I ventured from the safety of Internet Sherlockian discussion to meeting re...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Episode 82: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

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"Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery" [REDC]</h4>
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We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Sherlock Holmes is no stranger to either, and with a growing database that includes some tens of thousands of work, it's easy to think that Sherlock Holmes is probably the most imitated literary character in history.</div>
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We take the time in this show to explore some of the motivations behind pastiches — as well as the cliched ingredients in so many pastiches (Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft Holmes, Professor Moriarty, cocaine, the Baker Street Irregulars, Jack the Ripper, real historical figures, etc.) and what makes them work — or in many cases, not.<br />
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But more than that, we announce a new format to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere episodes. Beginning with Episode 82, we're going to be <b>splitting the show into two episodes per month</b>. One show will be a featured interview and Gas-Lamp, while the other will be a show with the news, the quiz, and commentary related to the interview show that it precedes. In this case, our pastiche commentary is a prelude to one of the most exciting and anticipated pastiches of the year, Bonnie Macbird's <b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0008130833" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="b35d3b308d2f0dca5ea392cf0bb7bbc1" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Art in the Blood" href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Blood-Sherlock-Adventure-Adventures/dp/0008130833/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=b35d3b308d2f0dca5ea392cf0bb7bbc1&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9603088" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Art in the Blood</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9603088" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=b35d3b308d2f0dca5ea392cf0bb7bbc1&_cb=1444871799186" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></b>.</div>
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This is our first show with a musical guest, and we're pleased to introduce <a href="http://jessicalmusic.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Lisette</a> to the Sherlockian world. She performs her new hit single "Elementary," which makes its debut today. You can see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2DpEEDuMDs" target="_blank">her video</a> embedded below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A8Pct9bD_hk?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
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Our "Mental Exaltation" quiz, so adeptly written by Nick Martorelli, challenges listener Jenn Zuko to win a copy of Bonnie Macbird's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0008130833" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4615f8aaf567d25067c4bb335959ed29" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Art in the Blood" href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Blood-Sherlock-Adventure-Adventures/dp/0008130833/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=4615f8aaf567d25067c4bb335959ed29&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1540503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Art in the Blood</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1540503" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4615f8aaf567d25067c4bb335959ed29&_cb=1444872174855" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. Will she manage to pull it off?<br />
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As a reminder, consider supporting our show through <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a>, for as little as $1 per episode.<br />
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We've been enjoying your photos and plan to post a number of them soon, so if you want to be part of this effort, please purchase as many of of our <a href="http://ihose.co/221Bstickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">221B or 1895 oval stickers</a> as you like and then <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com" target="_blank">send us a picture</a> of where you've put it.<br />
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<h3>
Notes:</h3>
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3:36 How to find our past episodes: the ihose DOT co code.<br />
4:50 Supporting the show — just like Mary Miller<br />
7:00 Announcing the new IHOSE format<br />
10:02 The Sherlock Holmes news<br />
21:45 The Pope makes news while in the United States<br />
24:21 Jessica Lisette joins us to sing "Elementary"<br />
38:30 Our sponsors — including the latest Sherlock Holmes brand ad<br />
43:40 Commentary: pastiches<br />
55:41 Mental Exaltation<br />
1:02:22 Wrap up comments<br />
<br />
And as usual, you might want to be sure you pay attention for a special <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(interaction_design)" target="_blank">Easter egg</a> somewhere in the show...<br />
<br /></div>
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</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock082.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 31.3 MB, 1:05:31</h4>
<div>
<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/228483505&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
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<h3>
Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://jessicalmusic.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Lisette Music</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/shsl/albums/72157658287560039" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Society of London remembers Jeremy Brett</a> (photo album)</li>
<li>Is it really possible to have <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/09/what-to-do-with-too-many-sherlock.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">too many Sherlock Holmes books?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/09/interview-with-secretary-general-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An interview</a> with the Sherlock Holmes Society of India's Secretary General</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/09/interview-with-secretary-general-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A review</a> of Dan Andriacco and Kieran McMullen's <i>The Egyptian Curse</i></li>
<li>Otto Penzler's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1101870893" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="e176da2770d14d0a0cedfa6c9d606faa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories/dp/1101870893/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e176da2770d14d0a0cedfa6c9d606faa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_210727" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_210727" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=e176da2770d14d0a0cedfa6c9d606faa&_cb=1444871123132" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 17 with Otto Penzler</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/10/the-new-sherlock-trailer-is-here-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The new trailer</a> to the <i>Sherlock</i> special</li>
<li>The <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon</a> page</li>
</ul>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> and <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">ihose.co/scoopsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (now over 2,800 members), as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors that deserve your attention:<br />
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<a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> (check out the <i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/vatican.html" target="_blank">Murder in the Vatican: the Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>)<br />
<a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you should get <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html" target="_blank">your annual subscription</a> in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about <i>The Seven Per-Cent Solution</i>.<br />
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<i>Image credit:  <a href="https://flic.kr/p/85ueNP" target="_blank">horslip5 (Flickr)</a> </i><br />
<i><br />
</i> --<br />
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Episode 82: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

"Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery" [REDC] We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

One Area in Which Dr. Watson Excelled

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"this competition between them" [STUD]</h4>
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<br />
We're accustomed to seeing Sherlock Holmes triumphant. Whether it's in his cases (except the rare times he finds himself <a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/scan.htm" target="_blank">on the losing end</a>) or in his demonstration of his superior intellect, the detective is ascendant over clients, over the police force and even over Watson ("It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana;">.</span>" [HOUN]).<br />
<br />
And while Watson enumerated "Sherlock Holmes — his limits" in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, there were other areas in which the good doctor was better equipped than his flatmate. There were areas that Holmes clearly recognized:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Watson's medical expertise</b>: "Do you imagine that I have no respect for your medical talents?" [DYIN]</li>
<li><b>Watson's way with women</b>: "Now, Watson, the fair sex is your department." [SECO]</li>
</ul>
<br />
But someone analyzed the Sherlock Holmes stories in their totality and realized that Watson came out on top in another way:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x5JEJiiSZCM?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
We were reminded of the clip above when we saw the news today that <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34528586" target="_blank">Stephen Fry will step down as the host of <i>QI</i></a> on BBC Two, a position he's held for 13 years.<br />
<br />
Of course, Fry's <i>bona fides</i> in the Sherlockian world are many. <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/09/one-of-queerest-men-gree_27.html#.Vh5Q3HpViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We enumerated quite a few</a> when he first announced that he was to play Mycroft Holmes in <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B007L5KT76" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4fc2949f9b04ae10ecede1a8d976a295" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Game-Of-Shadows/dp/B007L5KT76/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=4fc2949f9b04ae10ecede1a8d976a295&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6537576" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6537576" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4fc2949f9b04ae10ecede1a8d976a295&_cb=1444841025069" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>. He is also <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/effort-to-preserve-it-iden_7.html#.Vh5Q4XpViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an avid supporter of the Undershaw Preservation Trust</a>. And as it should be clear from the clip, he is quite familiar with the Canon. We wish him well in his continuing adventures outside of <i>QI</i>.<br />
<br />
Finally, we'll make a note of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/09/the-top-10-most-suggestive-lines-from.html#.Vh5R8npViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Top 10 Most Suggestive Lines from the Canon</a>, which is always worth a share.<br />
<br />
--

One Area in Which Dr. Watson Excelled

"this competition between them" [STUD] We're accustomed to seeing Sherlock Holmes triumphant. Whether it's in his cas...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Gillette Luncheon Has a New Home

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"willing to fill a vacancy" [REDH]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5k1pUZhcmuJ0m3wNfrTxrDDgcEzpxg9ltr25_Qd0E5RX2E3mlIelHJF_5x6et4gYXmaCF8OgXDBcbBNj8hSwqHHEJFoFMPful2jbSy3iPApxyQCImjp1W_2EwRmx4d6j0cH5ydc73cW8/s1600/Moran%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5k1pUZhcmuJ0m3wNfrTxrDDgcEzpxg9ltr25_Qd0E5RX2E3mlIelHJF_5x6et4gYXmaCF8OgXDBcbBNj8hSwqHHEJFoFMPful2jbSy3iPApxyQCImjp1W_2EwRmx4d6j0cH5ydc73cW8/s640/Moran%2527s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you've ever attended a <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a> in New York (or paid attention to the updates that emanate from the Weekend that you can follow online in early January), you'll note that one of the events is the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon.<br />
<br />
In recent memory, the event has been held at Moran's Chelsea, a restaurant that had its origin in the Civil War era, when Irish immigrants dominated work on the Hudson River piers that lined the nearby waterfront. Inside Moran's, the era is still held close, as cozy wood-burning fireplaces are topped with glowing brass fixtures and Irish touches like the display cases filled with Waterford crystal, and a single lace curtain covering the back window.<br />
<br />
But that two decade span of BSI Weekend history changed suddenly earlier this year, as the restaurant's owner <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/22/goodbye-morans-when-a-neighborhood-joint-closes.html" target="_blank">sold the building and the new owner closed Moran's</a>.<br />
<br />
Considering this historic change — one that affects many attendees of the BSI Weekend — we thought it an appropriate time to reflect on the history of the Gillette Luncheon and its previous venues. Accordingly, we asked current host Susan Rice, BSI, ("Beeswing") ASH ("A Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations  upon the Segregation of the Queen") for a summary of how the William Gillette Luncheon came to be.<br />
<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Susan Rice: </b>The custom of a luncheon on the same day as the BSI Dinner wafted into being in 1945. Clifton Andrew was an exceptionally convivial Sherlockian from Akron, Ohio, who traveled to New York each January on an overnight train from Cleveland. It arrived in the city mid-morning and Clif was too eager for Irregular companionship to wait until dinner. His technique was straightforward: he lurked in the lobby of the <a href="http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-lost-1884-murray-hill-hotel-park.html" target="_blank">Murray Hill Hotel</a>, accosted anyone he recognized or suspected of being an enthusiast and invited them to join him for lunch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgUKMEr22nJyUNKJQLMOyyiMSUNobeINEeJNLN7MYSZZfi4yJdkMN-uDpvAO-muf7eXcfU6_UJHo7hwPg_bFbgr8yLVlZPcwnSGUBACXD2i7p3xwCPsohZS-AA30-uzodfYXh525EPRS6/s1600/murray+hill+hotel+foyer+lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The lobby of the Murray Hill Hotel" border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgUKMEr22nJyUNKJQLMOyyiMSUNobeINEeJNLN7MYSZZfi4yJdkMN-uDpvAO-muf7eXcfU6_UJHo7hwPg_bFbgr8yLVlZPcwnSGUBACXD2i7p3xwCPsohZS-AA30-uzodfYXh525EPRS6/s640/murray+hill+hotel+foyer+lounge.jpg" title="Murray Hill Hotel lounge" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foyer lounge of the Murray Hill Hotel (Library of Congress)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A photograph of the 1948 participants reveals that he attracted eleven diners, Edith Meiser among them. From these early unceremonial occasions, Clif conceived of a luncheon, “with no particular theme in mind except Sherlockian fellowship, good food, and for those so inclined, liquid refreshment of various designs and potencies.” He dubbed it the "Scion Societies Lunch."<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifu_KgNQ8qBc5LxrWiRWh6Wu5LABqsu4G9pJIZnEgmRLcS_qzE-lZ7tdCGWb8CwwVOdk0qNlYuvW-qLbuIRymAavx_arJDCs3ejR3AEceZxlYcwEPNkPMLFBPEguTLhD9yTQZV18fmrmp/s1600/1945+Gillette+Lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifu_KgNQ8qBc5LxrWiRWh6Wu5LABqsu4G9pJIZnEgmRLcS_qzE-lZ7tdCGWb8CwwVOdk0qNlYuvW-qLbuIRymAavx_arJDCs3ejR3AEceZxlYcwEPNkPMLFBPEguTLhD9yTQZV18fmrmp/s640/1945+Gillette+Lunch.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Attendees of an early version of what would become the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, in 1948.<br />
Front row: Dick Van Fossen, Ben Feingold, Clifton Andrew, J. Hyslop, Leslie Marshall<br />
Back row: Roland Hammond, Doyle Beckmeyer, L. H. Denton, Edith Meiser, Allen Robertson, Harold Clemens, Laurence P. Dodge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The luncheons of the 'Forties were irregular and depended on happenstance rather than planning, but starting in 1946, Clif Andrew walked the group to <a href="http://www.keens.com/" target="_blank">Keen’s Steakhouse</a>. In 1953 a poster of William Gillette in his most famous role caught their eyes. The luncheon was immediately dubbed the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, and we number the luncheon from that year.<br />
<br />
A young New York editor named <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/LMcGaw.htm" target="_blank">Lisa McGaw</a> began attending the luncheon regularly in the early 'Fifties, and just before the 1962 birthday weekend she received a call from Clif to say he would not attend, and asking her to assume the responsibility of collecting the money and settling the bill. Clifton Andrew never again attended the birthday festivities. Later that year, he sent Lisa his mailing list, seventeen names in all, and asked her to take care of future arrangements. He died in December, 1963.<br />
<br />
Lisa, a shy, private person, hosted the luncheon for 25 years. She continued to set the luncheon at Keen’s until it closed for some years, when she moved it to <a href="http://www.theoldhomesteadsteakhouse.com/" target="_blank">The Old Homestead</a>, another Victorian steakhouse, where it remained throughout her tenure. She maintained Clif Andrew’s emphasis on companionship and conversation, inviting a speaker only rarely.<br />
<br />
Clearly remembered, however was the year in the late 'Seventies when <i>The New Yorker</i>’s Brendan Gill spoke of his memories of William Gillette during Gill’s childhood in Hartford, Connecticut. In the summer of 1989 Lisa called me from her retirement in North Carolina to say that her health was failing and it was time to transfer the responsibility for the Gillette Luncheon. By that date, the mailing list she sent me numbered nearly 200. In 1994 we had grown too large to be accommodated in a single room at the Old Homestead, so at the suggestion of ASH Patricia Moran I relocated it to <b>Moran’s Chelsea</b>. We now attract roughly 140 participants.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Those are the facts behind the storied history of this happy little gathering. As you might imagine, the closing of the restaurant this spring and the weeks of radio silence that followed were of great concern to those who attended the luncheon in recent years. The good news is that <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150428/chelsea/morans-restaurant-reopens-as-fillmore-room" target="_blank">Moran's has reopened</a> and is now known as <a href="http://www.fillmoreroom.com/" target="_blank">The Fillmore Room</a>.<br />
<br />
Susan had been in close contact with the new owners during that time and provided an update, along with a short summary of the lunch's history:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A brief recap: the luncheon is now more than 70 years old. In those seven decades it has had only three hosts, and except for the founding luncheon, only three dining venues. That record was challenged this year when Moran’s Chelsea was sold and closed for renovation. I am delighted to announce that this change will not affect our remarkable fidelity in an ever changing world: the new owner is intrigued by our history and <b><i>the Gillette Luncheon on January 15, 2016 will take place in the same venue, now called The Fillmore Room</i></b>. However, there is no truth to the rumor that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fillmore_(Unity_Church)" target="_blank">Charles Sherlock Fillmore</a> is its namesake.</blockquote>
<br />
Have you attended the Gillette Luncheon on the past? Do you have particular memories from your time there? Please consider telling us about it in our comment section below.<br />
<br />
Watch the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend website</a> for more updates about the 2016 BSI Weekend in the coming weeks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="https://instagram.com/p/jRyiMSApNg/" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Instagram)</a></i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The Gillette Luncheon Has a New Home

"willing to fill a vacancy" [REDH] If you've ever attended a BSI Weekend in New York (or paid attention to the updates ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Hamlet: Or, Sherlock Holmes and the Great Dane

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the stage upon which tragedy has been played" [HOUN]</h4>
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<br />
The Sherlockian world doesn't always pay close attention to who's starring in what at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbican_Centre" target="_blank">Barbican Theatre</a> in the City of London, even though it is just a short stroll from St. Bartholomew's Hospital and even closer to the Museum of London, which hosted a major Sherlock Holmes exhibition earlier this year.<br />
<br />
But when Benedict Cumberbatch, known to the world as the star of BBC television's <i>Sherlock</i>, is playing the lead at the Barbican, that's different. Sherlockian blogs and tumblrs are full of the news, and <i>Sherlock</i> fans are certainly among the sellout audiences that the Barbican has been enjoying even before the play has its official opening on August 25.<br />
<br />
The enthusiasm has spilled well beyond the Sherlockian world, of course, and controversy has been loud after <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/aug/19/benedict-cumberbatchs-hamlet-media-accused-of-contempt-and-hysteria" target="_blank">some newspaper reviewers couldn't wait</a> until opening night to publish reviews of the still-unpolished production and especially the performance of Cumberbatch himself.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8f2J8CHz23B-m4KrixEBa3tBszCpJtFUIR4WTKoh9G46F5hgmnYyrjBwAICWLBxwp_SmnbaUSueUFDJnTWmpHIJF5ZR4W4PH6xJYhk8oP2TQeLUSNhQ-cfUX7Wfx__l4uE6bIriMIMMk/s1600/Hamlet+-+Cumberbatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8f2J8CHz23B-m4KrixEBa3tBszCpJtFUIR4WTKoh9G46F5hgmnYyrjBwAICWLBxwp_SmnbaUSueUFDJnTWmpHIJF5ZR4W4PH6xJYhk8oP2TQeLUSNhQ-cfUX7Wfx__l4uE6bIriMIMMk/s640/Hamlet+-+Cumberbatch.jpg" width="441" /></a></div>
<br />
The play, by the way, is William Shakespeare's <i>Hamlet</i>, which on the face of it has no Sherlockian significance except that, come to think of it, "Shakespeare's <i>Hamlet</i>" has quite a lot of the same letters as "Sherlock Holmes" — the sort of coincidence certain pastiche authors would use as a major plot point. William D. Goodrich in his <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0938501208" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4a8f69e818d736e1573f8c7c8e885ba4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="New Good Old Index" href="https://amzn.to/2NFhCSu" id="amznPsBmLink_5575007" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Good Old Index</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5575007" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4a8f69e818d736e1573f8c7c8e885ba4&_cb=1444532346115" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> manages to find several resemblances between phrases in the play and phrases in the Canon, such as Holmes's use of the words "stale and unprofitable" in "A Case of Identity" and Inspector Forrester's reference to "madness in his method" in "The Reigate Squires."<br />
<br />
But there is more to be said. I suspect I am the only person in the world who was first exposed to <i>Hamlet</i> not by reading it, not by seeing it, not by listening to a teacher talk about it, but by reading <i><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal</a></i>. That was in the summer of 1964, when I was a brand-new subscriber and in fact a brand-new Sherlockian, having worlds opened to me practically every day through the lens of Sherlock Holmes. <br />
<br />
The lead article in the June 1964 BSJ was "Her Death Was Doubtful," by long-time Irregular Russell McLauchlin. It imagines "a Norwegian named Sigerson" stopping by the court at Elsinore, shortly after the crowning of Fortinbras has restored order to Denmark, and raising some awkward questions about why Ophelia had time to chant "snatches of old tunes" before going under the water, but nobody bothered to pull her out. "However improbable," the investigator tells the king, "murder is the truth."<br />
<br />
I read this stuff with fascination, never having read Shakespeare's less suspicious version of the incident. When I was finally called upon to experience the original text — it was in my last year of high school — the curious incident of the explorer Sigerson continued to colour my understanding of Ophelia's death and the deep-dyed villainy of King Claudius. <br />
<br />
And that is the sort of unexpected effect that being a Sherlockian can have on the non-Sherlockian parts of your life. (It was also through Sherlock Holmes that I first encountered Carlyle and Goethe and miracle plays, by the way; but Benedict Cumberbatch hasn't undertaken to bring any of those to the masses. At least not yet.)<br />
<br />
--<br />
<div style="direction: ltr;">
<br /></div>

Hamlet: Or, Sherlock Holmes and the Great Dane

"the stage upon which tragedy has been played" [HOUN] The Sherlockian world doesn't always pay close attention to who...

+ Read more »

by Chris Redmond

The Murder of Sherlock Holmes — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain" - [3GAR]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0990852903" class="amzn_ps_bm_il" data-amzn-link-id="2554eca518fec949b1c2e8bd6565ca61" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="murder of sherlock holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Sherlock-Holmes-David-Fable/dp/0990852903/ref=as_li_bk_ia/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=2554eca518fec949b1c2e8bd6565ca61&linkCode=kia" id="amznPsBmLink_6498459" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWrzpA53yRfAmfz8o1KI7W4chyphenhyphenRiv-XK-RuOof8AtkrX5K3B-N52lvfaGiM8FaQsY1CUN6zq_XnuAZ5gppghulrEk_AoRkHDiBxa-S4tcV5kE8vxFXLLiZCh9_4fXOJenG1ceYmXBR3bA/s640/The+Murder+of+Sherlock+Holmes.PNG" width="640" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6498459" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=kia&linkId=2554eca518fec949b1c2e8bd6565ca61&_cb=1444497429300" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></div>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
With <i>Mr. Holmes</i> providing a great example of Sherlock Holmes in his later years, many recent pastiches (including Michael Chabon's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00OX8BER8" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="4c8956291d7651ae7cb10711752d4ca0" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="the final solution chabon" href="http://www.amazon.com/Final-Solution-Chabon-Michael-Hardcover/dp/B00OX8BER8/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=4c8956291d7651ae7cb10711752d4ca0&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5875929" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Final Solution</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5875929" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=4c8956291d7651ae7cb10711752d4ca0&_cb=1444496204154" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>) have used an elder Holmes as a way to explore deeper issues.<br />
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David Fable's <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0990852903" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="6bad360e2c470bf4f9c771771fc96544" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Murder of Sherlock Holmes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Sherlock-Holmes-David-Fable/dp/0990852903/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=6bad360e2c470bf4f9c771771fc96544&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_4293675" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Murder of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_4293675" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=6bad360e2c470bf4f9c771771fc96544&_cb=1444496221243" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is a great mystery that does what many writers might not make an effort to do - use Holmes' death to launch into an exploration about how an individual leads his life in his later years.<br />
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Fable does an admirable job in providing the kind of mystery that would intrigue Holmes himself: what happens when the Great Detective is found dead? Dr. John Watson decides to lead the case, accompanied by Christopher Hudson (Mrs. Hudson's son), and together, their efforts explore the world of Holmes (including some characters) post-"His Last Bow."<br />
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In many ways, this is a book that reflects and builds upon the Canon, yet takes some great narrative chances. One of those chances is splitting the narration between Watson and Christopher Hudson. For this particular story, that split perspective allows for a much broader interpretation and confirmation of events. (It also helps that Fable's constructed a <i>very</i> solid mystery - one worthy of Holmes himself).<br />
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There is, however, one revelation about Holmes (and we will avoid spoilers) that comes close to the end of the novel. Although this revelation makes sense within the confines of the book, it may be a bit surprising (or perhaps even rather left-field). However, it does not derail the book's overall narrative structure, and at the end, David Fable provides an excellent quote that rivals Watson's best quotes about Holmes.<br />
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<i>The Murder of Sherlock Holmes</i> is a surprising novel in more ways that one. It manages to take a step beyond pastiche, and serves as a crackling good read in its own right. Worth checking out.<br />
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(A complimentary copy was provided for review)<br />
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The Murder of Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain" - [3GAR] With Mr. Holmes providing a great example of Sherlock Ho...

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by Gordon D

The New Sherlock Trailer Is Here and It's Amazing

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"which called for special attention" [BLAC]</h4>
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Fasten your Victorian seatbelts! The latest official trailer for BBC One's <i>Sherlock</i> special is 90 seconds long and is filled with settings and period costumes to make your traditional Sherlockian fingers tremble with excitement.<br />
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We've previously covered the announcement of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/04/sherlock-christmas-special-will-be-set.html#.VharnHpViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the time period of the special</a> and its <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/new-sherlock-trailer-strikes.html#.VharlHpViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">early trailer</a>. But this version is a more detailed glimpse of what the special will feel like, from locations to co-stars to the overall richness of the cinematography. While we don't have any more information about the plot, the trailer certainly makes it seem as if we're awaiting the release of a major motion picture — for that's what these 90-minute long <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B004132HZS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="fce8f4d4e8d7b9442293d56572d747b1" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-1-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=fce8f4d4e8d7b9442293d56572d747b1&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9535327" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9535327" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=fce8f4d4e8d7b9442293d56572d747b1&_cb=1444326586702" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> episodes really are, aren't they? Stories that, while related to the other episodes, firmly stand on their own as televised movies.<br />
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With the release of the latest trailer, neither the BBC nor PBS Masterpiece has made it clear when we should expect the special to air. Rumors have long indicated that it might be around Christmastime, but we have yet to receive any word from the showrunners what we should expect.<br />
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Meanwhile, pray pull up your armchair to the fire, settle in and enjoy the latest <i>Sherlock </i>trailer...<br />
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Are there any points you'd make about this video? Share them below with a comment.<br />
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The New Sherlock Trailer Is Here and It's Amazing

"which called for special attention" [BLAC] Fasten your Victorian seatbelts! The latest official trailer for BBC One's Sh...

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by Scott Monty

Qualify for the Quiz on Our Next Show

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"a French artist who flourished" [VALL] </h4>
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Thank you for your continued interest in "Mental Exaltation," the quiz segment of the I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere internet radio show. You can listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose80" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 80</a>, in which our guest Zach Dundas played on behalf of a contestant (annotated below at 1:20:00).<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/219324185&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">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: 22.4px;"><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: 22.4px;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><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: 22.4px;">, 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; on the latter, the listener plays live on the air.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Here's how "</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Mental Exaltation</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">" works:</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">
<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 win a random item from our I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Grab-Bag of Goodies (that's the IHOSE GBG).</li>
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The next interview episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere will feature author and screenwriter Bonnie Macbird who has written <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Ro0g5h" target="_blank">Art in the Blood</a></i><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=14994121cab4f07ffad031d2608939d7&_cb=1443928534489" /><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=socialmediama-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=cd2980ee10ef76e1a4780d5f01a7e206&_cb=1441721306537" />. Our quiz and the qualifying question are directly related to the book, so stay tuned and you may have a chance to win a copy of the book!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0008130833/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0008130833&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=KDZOT4VBLRQIVIZ4"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0008130833&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0008130833" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<b style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18.2px;">Qualify now</b><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="880" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I8-xK6eZZKpSl_9zPgZn9FvErlHKA0PnW9UcNu2L0g8/viewform?embedded=true" width="760">Loading...</iframe><br />
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Good luck!</div>
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Qualify for the Quiz on Our Next Show

"a French artist who flourished" [VALL] Thank you for your continued interest in "Mental Exaltation," the quiz...

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by Scott Monty

The Egyptian Curse: A Review

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"deeply impressed with the curse" [HOUN] </h4>
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<i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780927762" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Egyptian Curse" href="http://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Curse-Sherlock-Holmes-Enoch/dp/1780927762/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1927843" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Egyptian Curse</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1927843" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=423a05fc3164db431c2a72d84c8bf8e4&_cb=1443725600760" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> is the third novel in the Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilogy co-authored by <a href="http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dan Andriacco</a> and Kieran McMullen. Though it is the third in a trilogy, enough background is provided for it to function as a stand-alone story. It’s a historical novel full of references to famous figures, both real and literary, and a curse of the sort anyone who’s ever heard of King Tut is familiar with.</div>
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Hale is an American journalist working in London for the Central Press Syndicate. When his ex-sweetheart’s husband is murdered, and his alibi disappears, he launches his own investigation through Egyptology, literary circles, and golf courses, meeting some of the most famous figures of 1920s London, including archaeologists, authors and a priest with particular significance to the Sherlockian reader.<br />
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The novel’s not "action-packed," but the case itself is intriguing and the plot is well-paced. Much of the enjoyment of the book comes from the way it references the mystery genre, making a bit of light fun at itself while at the same time providing an engaging mystery. Agatha Christie herself even discusses at length what exactly makes a good mystery, the very same question Ronald Knox would answer with his “<a href="http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv186.html" target="_blank">Decalogue of Detective Fiction</a>” in 1929 (and thoughtfully supplied in the back of the book.)<br />
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For the record, <i>The Egyptian Curse</i> follows Knox’s guidelines, except perhaps for “no accident must ever help the detective.” Hale is the detective throughout. This is his investigation, and his friend Sherlock Holmes is only mentioned in passing for almost the entire case. It isn’t until we near the end that Holmes’ involvement is made clear, and the ultimate impression borders just a touch on <i>deus ex machina</i>. If Holmes had not earlier refused to get involved, or if there had been just a small scene of him making the decision to investigate on his own, it wouldn’t have bothered me so much.<br />
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That being said, Hale is excellent at assembling facts and piecing together a logical story from them, a task in which any good journalist would have to be skilled. Where he ultimately fails, and where a great detective excels, is the ability to select the essential facts from the onslaught of information. Holmes has all the same information Hale does, but he is able to distinguish the important facts from the rest, leading him to an entirely different (and entirely correct) conclusion.<br />
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The book ends with plenty of potential for further adventures to follow, and I hope to read more of Hale’s adventures, whether they be with or without Mr. Holmes.<br />
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The Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilogy, <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="SEARCH" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="enoch hale " href="http://amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=enoch%20hale%20&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2218343" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available on Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2218343" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=2d120960cda8df5f56f4f202e37aeee4&_cb=1443725849277" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />:</div>
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<br />

The Egyptian Curse: A Review

"deeply impressed with the curse" [HOUN] The Egyptian Curse is the third novel in the Enoch Hale-Sherlock Holmes trilo...

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by Katie Magnusson

What to Do with Too Many Sherlock Holmes Books?

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"littered with books" [BRUC] </h4>
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Three new Sherlockian books arrived in the mail last week. A fourth, Elinor Gray's eagerly-awaited <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00ZAX43SM" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a72c0325518c85c89191375277923b3d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Compound a Felony" href="http://www.amazon.com/Compound-Felony-Affair-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B00ZAX43SM/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a72c0325518c85c89191375277923b3d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8168492" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Compound a Felony</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8168492" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a72c0325518c85c89191375277923b3d&_cb=1442763600060" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i>, popped up in my Kindle last night. I've just finished reading a pre-publication copy of a pastiche from a major publisher. This afternoon my e-mail includes a friendly note from the author of a volume just published by MX, the British-based Sherlockian specialists: "I hope you will be able to review my book soon."<br />
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I hope the same thing, my friend.<br />
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In general I try to review every Sherlockian book I read. I've been doing it for several years now, and there are <a href="http://sherlockian.net/books/reviews/" target="_blank">sixty-some reviews available on my website</a>, Sherlockian.Net. <br />
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I don't generally go into the kind of perceptive detail more discriminating reviewers do (check out Leah Guinn's <a href="http://wellreadsherlockian.com/" target="_blank">The Well-Read Sherlockian</a> for extraordinary book reviews), but I give a general description and evaluation of each book. It's hard to know whether potential readers find such reviews useful — or find them at all — but I like to think so.<br />
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Well, I'm starting to dread this whole process. I've known for a while that I wasn't keeping up with the volume of material, and I've noticed that the top shelf of my 10-foot-wide bookcase, which houses stuff I acquired with every intention of reading it, is getting more tightly packed. Some books have been there quite a while now, including some that I really don't look forward to and others, such as Denis O. Smith's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1JiSxyU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Mammoth Book of the Lost Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, that I am really quite excited about. And I know from comments I've seen online that some of these books, notably Zach Dundas's <i><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose80" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great Detective</a></i>, are seriously important in our field. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjci-h5xIFexKW6B22LCOFzqSPA7ihes3hWT9-anqOBdo-O__ScalXOzscC9YFMKqdRXsv2qG2C_3hjsSYFtnFYfwNvG4bNQe-0cB5U9NSarr9I1RXa90yoOq3QSCMmzBSCPginXOytnvAm/s1600/sherlock_holmes+-+ads+of+the+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjci-h5xIFexKW6B22LCOFzqSPA7ihes3hWT9-anqOBdo-O__ScalXOzscC9YFMKqdRXsv2qG2C_3hjsSYFtnFYfwNvG4bNQe-0cB5U9NSarr9I1RXa90yoOq3QSCMmzBSCPginXOytnvAm/s640/sherlock_holmes+-+ads+of+the+world.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Sherlock Holmes took a break from reading every now and then.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But I have to reserve some of my waking hours for family, and baseball, and my health; and for Sherlockian activities that don't involve book reviewing, such as, oh, talking to other Sherlockians online or, when possible, in person; and for books — yes, there are some in the world — that aren't even Sherlockian. Did I mention how far behind I am in watching Sherlockian movies? Nope, haven't seen Ian McKellen yet. Haven't seen Gillette's 1916 wonder. Haven't seen the Petrenko series. Haven't even seen <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>.<br />
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Something went click in my head when I ambled into the dealers' area at <a href="http://scintillation.org/" target="_blank">Scintillation of Scions</a> in Baltimore earlier this summer. There were tables and tables displaying things people wanted me to buy, and they weren't all keychains and candles. Many of them were (and I know this will astonish you) books. The most heavily laden table was that of Maryland's mystery bookstore, <a href="http://www.mysterylovescompany.com/" target="_blank">Mystery Loves Company</a>, and I'm sure they are fine people performing a valuable community service, but when I saw the dozens of lovely unread books spread across their sales space, with appealing cover illustrations and titles designed to whet the Sherlockian appetite for blood, all I could think was: I am never in my lifetime going to be able to read all this stuff, or even find shelf room for it, and I don't know where I would even start.<br />
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I didn't buy any books at Scintillation. I came home to find more books that had chased me down on their own. And I've just checked the web and learned that <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a> alone is promising 32 new Sherlockian titles (at least) in 2015. That's not even counting the three-volume anthology, due this fall, that may be the most important, as well as the biggest, pastiche project anybody has ever attempted.<br />
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Do you know how many new Sherlockian books were published in 1977? Twelve, total, including a Nate the Great title for beginning readers.<br />
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We are in the middle of a boom, a renaissance, a flowering, a flood, an avalanche of books. Some of them are wonderful, some are dumb and tedious, some will be classics, some are cynical attempts to part collectors from their money, some are quietly witty gems, some will change my life if I ever get around to reading them. I just wish I knew which were which.<br />
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<i>Photo credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/epjq3" target="_blank">Bryan Costin (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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--<br />
<br />

What to Do with Too Many Sherlock Holmes Books?

"littered with books" [BRUC] Three new Sherlockian books arrived in the mail last week. A fourth, Elinor Gray's eagerly-...

+ Read more »

by Chris Redmond

Interview with the Secretary General of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India

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"Some of the inhabitants of theIndian Peninsula"[SIGN]</h4>
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It is astounding that like the Norwegian named Sigerson, Sherlock Holmes societies have crossed the four corners of the Earth.  There are societies in Japan, the Czech Republic, Australia, Switzerland, and Uruguay, to name just a few.  For this blog post, we interviewed Jayantika (Jay) Ganguly, the Secretary General of the <a href="http://www.sherlockholmessociety.in/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Society of India</a>.  We discussed how she became interested in the world's first consulting detective, her book, and of course, her favorite story from the canon.<br />
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<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:  You have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since you were twelve.  How did you discover the World's First Consulting Detective?</b></h4>
<b>Jay Ganguly:</b> Ah, well – pretty much the usual way. My father gave me a battered old copy, and one story down, I was hopelessly in love. Sherlock Holmes does tend to have that effect, doesn’t he?<br />
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<b>IHOSE:  You are the Secretary General and Editor of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India, a scion of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetirregulars.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars</a>.  Tell us a little bit about the Society. How was it created? How do you hold your meetings?  Any fun events?</b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SherlockHolmesSocietyOfIndia" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Society of India</a> was founded on May 28, 2001 by Mr. Sumal Surendranath, who is also the President of SHSI. We are primarily an online platform, brought together by our mutual love for Sherlock. Our members are spread across the country and in several cases, the world, so in-person meetings are not really the norm. Most of our discussions/debates and the like are held online. We do have an annual meet, though, and we have it in a different city each year, usually decided by a vote. It’s always the fourth weekend of August.<br />
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This year, we are hosting our annual meet in Kolkata (Calcutta) on August 24 – so if anyone’s planning an India trip around that period, we are always happy to welcome any Sherlockian to our meeting! The only other schedule we follow is our bi-annual release of our e-magazine, “<a href="http://www.sherlockholmessociety.in/2015/05/proceedings-of-pondicherry-lodge-volume.html" target="_blank">Proceedings of the Pondicherry Lodge</a>” – the summer issue is out on June 1 and the winter issue on December 1. Other than that, we don’t really have any specified or pre-scheduled events…but we are a nice, friendly bunch, and we do try to meet up when we are visiting a city where a fellow Sherlockian resides. And we are friends with many (many, many!) absolutely wonderful Sherlockians all over the world.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:  You published a book in honor of Sherlock Holmes' 160th birthday called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Holmes-Sutra-Sherlock-Birthday/dp/1780925352" target="_blank">The Holmes Sutra</a></i>.  The book contains two parts, the Mantras and the Mania Quotient Test.  Let's start with the mantras.  How did you devise 160 different sayings and in some cases, rules, about Sherlock Holmes?  Have any of the mantras proven controversial, such as #31 Sherlock Holmes can perform magic. Literally?</b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> Oh, I just picked up Sherlockian things I really liked – the Canon, other books, online fanfiction, films, TV, pretty much everything Sherlockian I’ve laid my eyes on – and, of course, some of my pet theories on him. Controversial? I don’t really think so, but I’m always happy to listen to counter-arguments. Also, I’m a lawyer, so I have back-ups and ready arguments for everything I write.<br />
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Mantra #31 is a reference to that excellent piece of work by Jamyang Norbu – <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mandala-Sherlock-Holmes-Jamyang-Norbu/dp/1582343284" target="_blank">The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>. It was one of the earliest pastiches I read – the second one, in fact – and definitely one of my favourites. I’d hate to give out spoilers, but let’s just say that the climax is dramatic, set in mystical Tibet, and witnesses Sherlock Holmes cradling (and using) magic in his long-fingered hands.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: The second part of your book, The Mania Quotient Test is a lot of fun.  I ended up with StockHolmes Syndrome. How did you devise the test?  </b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> I’m not surprised to hear of your StockHolmes Syndrome. I devised the test based on the Sherlockians I knew of by then. (It’s another matter I’d not met any of them by that time; we’d just exchanged emails, and in some cases, it was just hearsay.) So, StockHolmes Syndrome was based on people like <a href="http://www.redcircledc.org/" target="_blank">Peter Blau</a>, <a href="http://rogerjohnsonsreviews.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Roger Johnson</a> and, of course, our own Sumal ji. The next category, Holmesick (which is where I fall) is mostly calibrated to me and Sherlockians at a similar level. Similarly, Holmesaddicted, Sherlocked and Holmesfree came into being. It’s rather arbitrary and based solely on my judgement, if you come to think of it…but I like to imagine that Sherlock helped it along, hence it isn’t too bad a gauge.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: Here is the question we ask all Sherlockians.  If you were stranded on a desert island with one Sherlock holmes story, which would it be and why?</b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> That depends on whether “story” refers to (a) just the Canonical tale, or (b) all known adaptations of the tale.<br />
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If it’s (a), then I’d take <i>The Sign of Four</i>, I think. It is one of my favourites. It is long, so it will keep me entertained for a while. Besides, Sholto’s account might be of some use in giving me ideas on how to escape from the island if I get too bored! Of course, being stuck on an island with only Sherlock Holmes for company…*sigh* (Though I do wish Petr (Kopl) had adapted The Sign of Four into his astounding <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Petr-Kopl/e/B00OBE11BS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">graphic novel series</a>…)<br />
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If it’s (b), I’d go for <i>The Hound of Baskervilles</i> – many more adaptations to go through! There’s even a Hindi movie based on it.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: What are your future projects?</b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> There is a giant book of pastiches in three volumes being compiled by the lovely <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Marcum/e/B00K1IKA92/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1434800807&sr=1-1" target="_blank">David Marcum</a> and <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/index.html" target="_blank">MX</a>; I’ve got a small Holmesian tale in that. The e-magazine is always at hand, I’d proudly call it my baby. I’ve been thinking about <i>The Holmes Shastra</i> (“Shastra” being “scripture”) – I’d thought to make it a set of syllogisms and stories, but nothing has been penned yet. And now David (Marcum) has put the idea of a set of short stories in my head and it has taken root. Let’s see. I go where Holmes takes me.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:  Any last thoughts?</b></h4>
<b>JG:</b> Nothing significant, really – just some random, simpering, fan-girlish thoughts on our beloved detective.<br />
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Many thanks for the brilliant questions, though; I really enjoyed answering them!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jayantika.ganguly?fref=ts" target="_blank">Jayantika Ganguly</a></b> is the Secretary General and Editor of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India.  Her book, <i>The Holmes Sutra</i>, was released from MX publishing in 2014.  Ms. Ganguly is also a corporate lawyer working with one of the top law firms of India, and is based out of Kolkata. She likes to refer to herself as Holmesick, wanderlust-ridden and a bibliophile.<br />
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<i>For more of Derrick Belanger's I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere articles, click <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Derrick%20Belanger#.VWHEBU9VhBc">here</a>.  To learn more about Derrick Belanger's Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books, click <a href="http://amzn.to/1ct0qc6">here</a>.</i><div>
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Interview with the Secretary General of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India

"Some of the inhabitants of theIndian Peninsula"[SIGN] It is astounding that like the Norwegian named Sigerson, Sherlock...

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by Belanger Books

Episode 81: Mycroft Holmes

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"Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft." [GREE]</h4>
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If asked, who would you say is the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan? Prior to January 2015, we would not have said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But when he made a surprise appearance at the 2015 BSI Dinner and we had a chance to speak with him we discovered it was in fact he.<br />
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse have written a new book called <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1gp8psR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mycroft Holmes</a></i>, due out next week. We won't give too much away, but it chronicles the early career of Sherlock Holmes's older brother, at the age of 23. You'll find the classic Oxford-Cambridge boat race, the grimy streets of London, cigars, a sea voyage and much more. It's a very interesting, insightful and surprising look into what went into the beginnings of this mystical figure from the original Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
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If you think this book is worthy of a sequel, <a href="http://ctt.ec/Wedz1" target="_blank">please click to tweet</a> "I support @kaj33 and a sequel to Mycroft Holmes."<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en">
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My fans know I love books & that I live to write so I need your support so my publisher will let me do the sequel. <a href="https://t.co/y4ERJa6Qrc">pic.twitter.com/y4ERJa6Qrc</a></div>
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaj33/status/723154585834147840">April 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
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We've got a couple of listener comments to share before getting to "Mental Exaltation," in which we welcome a listener to the show to play.<br />
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And please be sure to check out our <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a>, which means you can become a regular supporter of our show.<br />
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We close out with an original Editor's Gas-Lamp, "The Softer Holmes" from Vol. 7, No. 1 of the <i>Baker Street Journal</i>, which reflects on the softer Mycroft we find in Abdul-Jabbar's book.<br />
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We've already been getting some photos in, but if you do purchase one of our <a href="http://ihose.co/221Bstickers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">221B or 1895 oval stickers</a>, please <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com" target="_blank">send us a picture</a> of where you've put it.</div>
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<h3>
Notes:</h3>
1:30 Introductory remarks and witty banter<br />
3:30 News (check out our new high-tech news theme music!)<br />
21:45 Ray Jessel performs at the 2010 BSI Dinner<br />
35:40 Interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse<br />
1:21:02 Sponsors - including one you shouldn't miss<br />
1:26:45 Announcing our <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a> effort<br />
1:29:05 Listener comments<br />
1:32:21 Our quiz show "Mental Exaltation"<br />
1:41:47 The Editor's Gas-Lamp<br />
1:46:27 Final comments</div>
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And as usual, you might want to be sure you pay attention for a special <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(interaction_design)" target="_blank">Easter egg</a> somewhere in the show...<br />
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock081.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 51.6 MB, 1:52:12</h4>
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<h3>
Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/egnrzc" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes - a Musical Mind</a> - BBC Prom 41</li>
<li><a _blank="" href="http://sherlockholmes.io/%20target=" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Internet of Things</a></li>
<li><a href="http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/mr-holmes-lawsuit-settlement-arthur-conan-doyle-1201585667/" target="_blank">The Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. has triumphed over Miramax</a></li>
<li>And the inevitable happened: <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/08/conan-doyle-sues-own-estate-from-beyond.html#.VfhtQ_lViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conan Doyle Sues Own Estate From Beyond the Grave</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/09/remembering-ray-jessel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Remembering Ray Jessel</a>, composer of <i>Baker Street</i> songs</li>
<li>The <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Patreon</a> page</li>
</ul>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> and <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">ihose.co/scoopsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (now over 2,800 members), as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes two sponsors that deserve your attention:<br />
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<a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> (check out the new <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper.html" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1</i></a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you should get <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html" target="_blank">your annual subscription</a> in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about <i>The Seven Per-Cent Solution</i>.<br />
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Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
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Episode 81: Mycroft Holmes

"Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft." [GREE] If asked, who would you say is th...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Jeremy Brett 20 Years Later

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"the stage lost a fine actor" [SCAN] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iWmSgUZreZuL31HY5pCKhOluWkdM0F_vDpzMTL6fWZ1Ok3giNygYlfedO5o7pBeKnVf5GwlDi-TWOjw9bSzsfi1tUFAW38J3A9wks0D7Ynu4-gpOR2jchN-rGsb-1sE38O0PXAttV3T6/s1600/Jeremy+Brett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iWmSgUZreZuL31HY5pCKhOluWkdM0F_vDpzMTL6fWZ1Ok3giNygYlfedO5o7pBeKnVf5GwlDi-TWOjw9bSzsfi1tUFAW38J3A9wks0D7Ynu4-gpOR2jchN-rGsb-1sE38O0PXAttV3T6/s640/Jeremy+Brett.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On September 12, 1995, Jeremy Brett passed away at the age of 61 (although <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/14/obituaries/jeremy-brett-an-unnerving-holmes-is-dead-at-59.html" target="_blank">contemporary accounts gave his age as 59</a>). It's hard to believe that one of the most influential impersonators of Sherlock Holmes has been gone 20 years.<br />
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Many have hailed Brett as the definitive Sherlock Holmes, although it can be argued that each generation has its own definitive Holmes. In our estimation, the value of Brett's performance in the Granada series are due in part to two things: 1) the careful crafting of the Victorian setting and (in the earlier episodes mostly) the faithful adaptation of the Canon; and 2) Brett's own interest and expertise in the Canon and Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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In <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/studyincelluloid.html" target="_blank"><i>A Study in Celluloid</i></a> (Wessex Press), Michael Cox, the producer of the Granada series, noted that often times in script readings, Jeremy would make suggestions to steer the writing toward the Canon, with entire paragraphs of dialog being lifted directly from the original writings. Indeed, the team even had their own reference guide that kept the production crew and cast well informed as to Holmes's appearance and habits called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Baker-Street-File-Appearance/dp/1553100387/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5f8d2c46816d9f8dee1da87b0d047b79&linkCode=ktl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street File</a><img border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5f8d2c46816d9f8dee1da87b0d047b79&_cb=1442027544062" /></i>.<br />
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We personally remember the outpouring of grief and memories that Sherlock Holmes fans shared online in 1995 — the early days of the Internet — through discussion forums and listservs, and wonder just how the web would have exploded had his death occurred in the present day. Tumblr, Twitter and the like would have exploded with emotion.<br />
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Today, at Clapham Common in London, a number of people are gathering at the bandstand for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1462453807302910" target="_blank">An International Celebration of Jeremy Brett's life, love and laugh</a>. That link will take you to the Facebook event page, where a number of comments and content related to the event and Brett are flowing in. Evidently, word is that David Burke, Brett's first Watson, will be in attendance.<br />
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Here are some happier memories of Brett, in his incarnation of Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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Anna Massey, Brett's ex-wife, wrote of his passing in her autobiography, <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0099486946" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="f322cbdcb87dbac416e871b740e54a43" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Telling Some Tales" href="http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Some-Tales-Anna-Massey/dp/0099486946/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=f322cbdcb87dbac416e871b740e54a43&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3025115" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Telling Some Tales</i></a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3025115" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=f322cbdcb87dbac416e871b740e54a43&_cb=1442028899302" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />, "A light went out in many people's lives when he died, for he was one of life's true originals."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyxGB3tDRdYqlKHOoLmQC0G1LfHiSdJNO-PAHUUIIuujr2nKBRsqWJg8MCLv2W-P3gNN_lPy4v8uj3zJwt9W-p1KT-c7PHNfRHZWVbYlYeIyF7U3-BIoJ5jMXJv9s41LXF7MVz83ciiFW/s1600/Jeremy+Brett+SIGN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyxGB3tDRdYqlKHOoLmQC0G1LfHiSdJNO-PAHUUIIuujr2nKBRsqWJg8MCLv2W-P3gNN_lPy4v8uj3zJwt9W-p1KT-c7PHNfRHZWVbYlYeIyF7U3-BIoJ5jMXJv9s41LXF7MVz83ciiFW/s640/Jeremy+Brett+SIGN.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FalkArchive?fref=ts" target="_blank">The Falk Archive - "KFA"</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Farewell again, Jeremy Brett. We appreciate you making the world of Sherlock Holmes the sweeter for your presence.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://double-zero-agent-alison.tumblr.com/post/110362909075/original-still-of-jeremy-from-sign" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></i><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/studyincelluloid.html" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="A Study in Celluloid - Michael Cox, producer of the Granada Sherlock Holmes series, takes readers behind the scenes with Jeremy Brett." border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQculGPSH9NlP6E-OGueAgqPyhYx63uOn1lN1zV4VnJ6OG-UtIms8O0b07DPWXmhoEPymZfMiIVoglU94utYUnYcPXvhLrJ3G7qbK56Faq4kXpuPb3J6u0RqNjR5XcXbXtWSsd2HHwSESp/s1600/celluloid350.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="A Study in Celluloid" width="128" /></a>    <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L2YXV2W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00L2YXV2W&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=EZ6WDYITZARHRE2G"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00L2YXV2W&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00L2YXV2W" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />