Rob Nunn's Blog: Interesting Though Elementary, page 11

Week-End Visitors [SOLI]

Wow.  What a weekend!

As I type this, I'm on my plane back to St. Louis.  The BSI Birthday Weekend is now over but I am still finding it hard to put everything into words.  But my big news from the weekend is I am now an invested member of the Baker Street Irregulars!  

I've heard many people tell the story of their night of being invested and not remembering what was said about them.  I can add my name to that list.  Michael Kean cited my profession as an elementary school teacher and my role on the Beacon Society, and things are blank after that.  I remember going on stage and thanking him and posing for a picture as he announced my investiture to the crowd, "Elementary."  Michael really seemed to know about each of the fourteen people invested this weekend and I have thirteen amazing classmates.  I mean, just look at these names!

Laurence Deloison - "Claridge's Hotel"

Jim Hawkins - "The Hans Sloane of My Age"

Heather Holloway - "Atlanta"

David Humphries - "Chicago Central"

Tim Johnson - "Theophilus Johnson"

Mark Jones - "Peter Jones"

Tiffany Knight - "Knight's Place"

Crystal Noll - "Crystal Palace"

Rob Nunn - "Elementary"

Aaron Rubin - TBD

Jonathan Tiemann - "The Bank of England"

Janice Weiner - "Scotland Yard"

Karen Wilson - "Bartholomew Wilson"

Joanne Zahorsky-Reeves - "Toby"

Although Scott Monty wasn't in attendance this year, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere did a great job getting the list of investitures out to everyone as well as the rest of the weekend's honors.

And if being invested wasn't enough, The Finest Assorted Collection: Essays on Collecting Sherlock Holmes was also released!  Seeing a book with my name on the cover in a bookshop is an unbelievable feeling.  The Mysterious Bookshop sold out of their stock of the book this weekend.  In fact, I had to ask someone if I could borrow their copy so I could take this picture.

The Finest Assorted Collection was moving very briskly at the Wessex Press dealer's table on Saturday morning as well and Peter Eckrich and I got to sign lots of books.  As far as I know it's not yet on their website for purchase, but I will be sure to update everyone once it's available.

But as we all know, the BSI weekend isn't about accolades or sales.  I got to spend time with so many wonderful people in New York.  I could list dozens of names here who were so much fun to be around and rattle so many topics we talked about that this blog post would go on forever.  Just know that if I got to spend any time with you this weekend, I really enjoyed it.  And if you weren't in New York, you were greatly missed.  

I'm absolutely exhausted from such a great few days so I will wrap this up with all of my pictures that I tweeted out over the weekend.  Have a great week, everyone!

Interesting Interview: Peter Eckrich

It is a new year and I wanted to start off this new season of Interesting Interviews with a Sherlockian that not many folks will know, but are excited about his book.  Peter Eckrich is the sparking plug behind the new book from Wessex Press that I announced last month, The Finest Assorted Collection.  Working alongside him as we put together so many wonderful essays was a ton of fun.

Peter is someone who's been known around St. Louis and Illinois Sherlockian circles for a while.  His dad, Joe Eckrich, raised him up right, going to all kinds of Sherlockian activities.  Peter has carried that interest with him over the years and the fire is still burning.  It's all I can do to get him to focus on this book coming out next weekend before he wants to start corralling folks for a new project!  So, get to know a name that will probably be new to many folks, but one whose Holmes fires burn just as bright.

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”? 

I define the word Sherlockian as anyone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes in any form. 

How did you become a Sherlockian? 

The short answer is I was born into it. The longer answer is: My father was a Sherlockian from before I was born. There are early pictures of me as a baby with a deerstalker and a pipe. My brother enjoyed dressing me up. As a child I enjoyed going to different Sherlockian meetings and events with my Dad. 

I remember attending The Occupants of The Empty House where I met Gordon Speck and Bill Cochran. I also remember attending meetings of The Harpooners of The Sea Unicorn, and attending conferences in Dayton. I enjoyed the Basil Rathbone movies as a child. I drifted away from Sherlock Holmes for a long time. I rekindled my passion for it when I attended the Nerve and Knowledge event in Indianapolis. I have been going strong since. 

 What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian? 

I am a 5th grade teacher and as such I love reading and I love helping students find a passion for reading. The greatest part of teaching reading is when you see a child finish a book and they close it for the last time. That sense of accomplishment that is on their faces and the excitement to start a new book is the best feeling as a teacher. 

What is your favorite canonical story? 

Man I am going to sound like such a noob, but I enjoy The Hound and the "Speckled Band." I also really like The Valley of Fear. 

 Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting? 

I have met so many fascinating people in this hobby. Someone I wish people could have met was Gordon Speck. Gordon was a kind man. I have to share a story. I was raising money to take my students to Washington DC.  One day I received a check in the mail from Gordon. That is just what kind of guy he was. 

Other Sherlockians I have to mention would be Gabriele Mazzoni and David Marcum. Gabriele is a collector from Italy. He has a tremendous collection and is an extremely passionate and kind individual. David has raised over $100,000 for Undershaw School with his MX Anthologies. 

 What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you? 

I am not a Sherlockian who gets caught up in the use of a word or how many times Watson was shot or where. I do find learning about the Victorian time period to be very interesting. I respect those that are so passionate about these other aspects, but the time period is fascinating. 

How did you come up with the idea for The Finest Assorted Collection? 

Being the child of a collector, I had an interesting childhood. I visited bookstores, antique malls, flea markets, and estate sales with my father. He was always in search of that missing item. I caught the collecting bug early. First it was baseball cards and then came autographs. I am still a huge autograph collector, but I have a nice book collection now as well. Anyway, I saw that my father was not unusual in the world of Sherlockians. I heard stories about John Bennett Shaw and others. So many Sherlockians were collectors. I was fascinated by these stories and I figured others would be too. 

As a second generation Sherlockian, what influence did your dad have on your interests in Sherlockiana? 

He has had a huge influence. His knowledge about Holmes and the history of the BSI has been invaluable.  He has recommended some great books that have helped me learn. That and the fact that he is always sending me home with more books. The hobby is more fun when you have someone to share it with.  

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians? 

Even though they are well known, I have really enjoyed the BSI Manuscript series. They are extremely well done and full of information. 

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now? 

In some ways it will not have changed. There will always be passionate people who want to share their passion with other like minded people. In other ways it will be different, as new members always bring new ideas. No matter what, Holmes and Watson will live on forever. 

Bring Me The Books [BLUE]

I am beyond excited to announce two new books!  

While I've talked about these in bits and pieces, today is my first official public announcement of The Finest Assorted Collection: Essays on Collecting Sherlock Holmes and The Common Place Book: 2021.  I figured it would make sense to announce them both on the same day, so let's start announcing!

The Finest Assorted Collection is an anthology that I co-edited with Peter Eckrich.  It is a look at the collecting habit that we have in Sherlockiana.  Twenty-seven Sherlockians have contributed essays to this anthology about their specific Sherlockian collections.  From the hyper-specific to the all-encompassing, there are plenty of essays in here that will have you feel like a kindred spirit, make your mouth water, and make your spouse realize your collection isn't so bad after all!  
This anthology was such a delight to work on with Peter.  We got some great folks to work with and editing this project was a real highlight of my Sherlockian career.  So who is in this book?  How about I just show you the Table of Contents:
Introduction by Peter Eckrich & Rob NunnColligo Ergo Sum by Barbara RuschA Three-Dimensional Collection by Denny DobryStranded in The Strand: An 80 Step Program by Charles PrepolecHard and Charm Collecting: A Case from Italy by Gabriele MazzoniCollecting Books I Cannot Read by Don HobbsThe Many Evolutions of a Collector by Howard OstromFrom the Screen to My Library: Collecting Shelockian Cinema by Steven DoyleThe Signature is Very Suggestive by Joe EckrichCollecting for the Brain Attic by Ashley PolasekThe Intangible Things by Monica SchmidtA Three Pipe Problem by Al ShawMr. Holmes, They Were the Footprints of a Gigantic Hound! by Don PollockThat’s Old News by Mattias BoströmA Case of Ancient Coins by Greg Ruby“I trust that you don’t consider your collection closed.” – The Never-ending Quest for Traditional Pastiches by David MarcumConfessions of a Chronology Collector by Mike McSwigginThe Game’s Adult by Leslie KlingerA Bohemian Collection by Lee VannCollecting the Art of Holmes by Amanda DownsArt in the Blood by Jerry MargolinHappy Mother’s Day, Sherlock! by Sonia FetherstonFor the Common Good: Libraries Collecting Sherlockiana by Tim JohnsonDelighted as a Child by Beth GallegoDetective Pikachu, I Choose You!: Collecting Sherlockian Toys by Robert PerretAll the Selectivity of a Vacuum Cleaner by Paul Thomas MillerThe Collector’s Collector by Christian MonggaardLiving with Johnny Appleseed: Hijacked Planes, Couch Surfing, and the Search for the Holy Grail by Barbara Shaw
You can see why this project was such a fun one to work on!  Many of these authors have been Interesting Interviews over the past few years, and you can bet the ones that haven't been interviewed yet will be soon!
The Finest Assorted Collection: Essays on Collecting Sherlock Holmes will be available from Wessex Press on January 15.

But if you don't want to wait until next month, The Common-Place Book is available now!  This is a collection of 13 pieces of Sherlockian writings I've done over the years with twelve of the chapters covering canonical tales.  Some have appeared on this blog, others in journals, and some were presented at Sherlockian meetings.  
The idea behind this book is that so many of us have our writings scattered all over the place, it might be nice to have things collected under one cover.  This is a slim volume at a slim price.  My hope is to put one of these out each year.  Lord knows there's plenty of writing out there to collect!  
And for those of you who want a peek inside before pulling the trigger, here is the Table of Contents for this book:
IntroductionMy First Night Among the SherlockiansA Lasting Image of Baker StreetAnd Now as to the VillainsA Pupil for the Scientific MethodsEach is Suggestive Then I Will Go Back to Him with Some Faked PapersA Very Pretty Hash You Have Made of ItOld Friends Overstatements The Starting Point of so Many Remarkable AdventuresA Study in SteadfastThere is Moriarty HimselfSomewhat Incoherent in Consequence A Toast to Holmes and Watson
Two more books to add to our already stuffed bookshelves?  Yup.  Add them to your collection and enjoy!

Interesting Interview: Derrick Belanger

Let's close out the 2021 Interesting Interviews with one of the most likeable people in all of Sherlockiana: Derrick Belanger!  Derrick is such a great guy, and it always brings a smile to my face when I think of him being in front of a classroom.  His energy and positivity are infectious, and I can only imagine what he is like in a classroom!  I've never been lucky enough to see Derrick teach, but I hope his students and their families realize what a great guy they have in that classroom.

But Derrick isn't just a model educator.  He's also half of Belanger Books along with his brother Brian.  Belanger Books burst on to the scene in 2015 and their output just seems to increase with every year.  I honestly couldn't tell you how many titles Belanger Books has put out in just six years, but once you get to know Derrick, no number would surprise you.  I was delighted to participate in 2019's Irregular Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with a few of my students and I was blown away with Derrick's deft hand at editing and publishing.  If you have any interest at all in Sherlockian pastiche, Belanger Books can keep you stocked up for a long time!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

A Sherlockian is (1) a person who absolutely loves Sherlock Holmes and (2) a person who considers themselves a Sherlockian. I think for the first time ever we’ve entered a period where having knowledge of the canon is no longer required to be a Sherlockian. I’ve now met people who are huge fans of BBC Sherlock who consider themselves Sherlockians but have practically no knowledge of Doyle.

How did you become a Sherlockian?

To be honest, I don’t remember. I’ve enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories since as long as I can remember. If I had to pick a specific time, it would have been when I was fourteen and read, A Study in Scarletfor the first time for a book report. When I read that book, I was blown away by Doyle’s shift in the middle of the book from Holmes to events in the Utah desert. I’d never read a book structured that way, and I loved it. I then started reading the other stories in the canon that I hadn’t read before, and I also became a fan of Doyle’s horror stories which are some of my personal favorites.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

I am currently a special education teacher at Horizon High School in Thornton, Colorado. Teaching, by its nature, is Sherlockian. A good teacher has to know each and every student that he or she works with, analyze their needs, and find the best way to meet those needs so that they excel in their educational journey. I also think it is critical to teach students to think like Sherlock Holmes. I’ve given an author talk to elementary and middle school age students called You are Sherlock Holmes where I do some activities to get students to observe, analyze, and deduce. For more on my work as a Sherlockian teacher, please see this interview I gave to Chalkbeat, the education centered online newspaper, back in 2017.

What is your favorite canonical story?

I can only pick one? That’s not fair! There are at least a dozen going through my head at the moment. Since I have to pick one, I think with it being the holiday season, I’ll go with “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”. It shows Holmes’s excellent detective skills as well as his compassion. I read it at least once a year on Blue Carbuncle Day.

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

I would like to shine a light on a local Sherlockian in the Denver area and say Larry Feldman. Larry runs the Outpatients, a subgroup of Dr. Watson’s Neglected Patients, my local scion society. We meet the first Sunday of the month at Pint’s Pub in Denver where we take a quiz on and discuss one of the stories in the canon. I am always impressed at the amount of research Larry does before each meeting. I always learn something new about each story from his talks.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

That’s an easy one - pastiches! I love reading new Sherlock Holmes stories, both those that are traditional and those that take Holmes in a new direction. That’s why I became a publisher.

Which came first, your interest in Sherlock Holmes or your interest in Solar Pons?

My interest in Sherlock Holmes came long before my interest in Solar Pons. I didn’t discover The Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street until I was in college. Once I discovered him, though, I read as many of the stories in the Pontine canon as I could find. As August Derleth said, “Solar Pons came into being out of Sherlock Holmes . . . .” I think one has to start with Holmes and be a Sherlockian to truly appreciate just how good the Solar Pons stories are.

How did Belanger Books come about and what can we look forward to in 2022?

Belanger Books came about in 2015. Brian (my brother) and I wanted to start our own publishing company that focused on new Sherlock Holmes books but also published other genres such as mysteries, science fiction, steampunk, and children’s books. While we’ve mostly published Sherlock Holmes and Solar Pons books, we do have a number of other titles such as our two-volume collection A Tribute to H.G. Wells, Stories Inspired by the Master of Science Fiction, the gothic mystery Not Forgetting Adele: a Sequel to Jane Eyre, and the cozy mystery Deadly Vintage.

We have a great lineup of new Sherlock Holmes and Solar Pons books coming out in 2022. First up will be David Marcum’s two volume anthology, the Nefarious Villains of Sherlock Holmes which just wrapped up on Kickstarter. Then we have Thaddeus Tuffentsamer’s two volume anthology, Sherlock Holmes: Adventures through the Multiverse which features tales of various versions of Sherlock Holmes. That will be followed by The Novellas of Solar Pons which will feature short novels and lengthy stories of The Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. Next comes the third and fourth volumes of John Linwood Grant’s excellent series Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives as well as a collection of new Carnacki, the Ghost Finderstories. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Medical Mysteries is collection of traditional Sherlock Holmes stories that connect to the theme of “medical mystery”. A portion of the proceeds raised from the book will go to help fund research work on this disease to the Denver Research Institute, one of several non-profit (501c3) organizations mandated by the U.S. Congress to help orchestrate research relevant for military veterans. We will also release Steel True, Blade Straight, a collection of stories, poetry and scholarship inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. All proceeds from the Anthology will be donated to The Beacon Society, a 501c(3) nonprofit scion society of The Baker Street Irregulars (BSI), that serves as a link to other scion societies, providing teachers, librarians, children museums, and children theaters with local resources to bring the magic of Sherlock Holmes to life.

In the second half of 2022, we will publish Gaslight Ghouls, a new book edited by J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec in their Gaslight Sherlock Holmes horror series. I’m very excited about that one. We’ll also have the second volume of Dan Andriacco’s The Essential Sherlock Holmes. Rich Ryan will continue his series, Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mystery with the 1883 and 1884 books. David Marcum will have an all-new collection of his Solar Pons stories, and we will also have the third volume of the Pontine Dossier: Millennial Edition. Beyond those, we will also have the sequel to Deadly Vintage, Harry DeMaio’s second collection of Sherlock Holmes multiverse adventures with the Glamorous Ghost, and possibly a collection of stories teaming Sherlock Holmes with Father Brown. 2022 promises to be a very exciting year!

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Every Sherlockian should read Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by William S. Baring-Gould. Outside of the canon, it is my absolute favorite Holmes book. For Holmes scholars, Baring-Gould provides an excellent timeline of Holmes's life from birth to death. I find his take on Holmes’s childhood and schooling to be particularly compelling. For those who like more fringy Holmes theories or alternate takes, he also has Holmes investigating bigfoot and wrestling an escaped pterodactyl from The Lost World. What I love about this book is that it has something for everyone.

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now? 

In ten years, I believe Holmes will be even more popular than he is now. There will be more movie and tv versions of the character. My guess is that we’ll have more multiverse and team-up stories with Sherlock Holmes. With every story in the canon entering the public domain in America in the next couple of years, I think more and more creators will feel free to use the character in their work.

The Stout Gentleman [REDH]

I've often heard that the BSI History Series from the 90s was a great set, and I finally got to start reading one of them, Irregular Records of the Early 'Forties.  This is a book that's going to take me a while to read through because every page is filled with the interesting BSI's of yesteryear and takes me down rabbit holes of discovery (I just ordered a biography of Christopher Morley that I never knew existed right before I started this post!).

This volume kicks off with 1941, the year that Rex Stout delivered his infamous 'Watson was a Woman' talk.  For those of us interested in Sherlockian history, this story has been around and around.  But the minutiae around the talk are even more interesting:

*Stout had been invited to speak at the dinner, and Edgar Smith's hope was that he would speak to a recent article from the Saturday Evening Post that disparaged the Sherlock Holmes stories.  Stout took a different path for his talk.

*The attendance at that dinner included 26 people and cost five dollars a head.  Quite different from current dinners that have to cap attendance at 300 and have a significantly higher price tag.

*While it's been speculated that Holmes and Irene Norton were the parents of Stout's detective, Nero Wolfe, Stout's infamous talk actually proposed that these two were the parents of Lord Peter Wimsey!

Julian Wolff responded at the following year's BSI dinner (again a $5 cover) with "That Was No Lady - A Reply to Mr. Stout With Which Are Included Some Observations Upon the Nature of Dr. Watson's Wound."  But Stout was not in attendance that year (41 others were though), so Edgar Smith sent him a letter addressed to "Rex (Iconoclast) Stout" where he informed the author of the rebuttal fired at him and included the text.  Most of us have heard the story of that text which ended with the coded "Nuts to Rex Stout," but many have not seen the shots that Smith fired at Stout in his letter:

"My dear Sir or Madam:

There are those, I know, who would urge that I address you not as Rex, but outright as Regina, in vengeance for the aspersions you have cast upon the masculinity of Sherlock's revered helpmeet.  But I refrain."

All of this was in good fun, of course.  Stout continued to attend BSI functions and emcee many of them for the coming years.  He was also awarded the first Two Shilling Award by the BSI in 1962.  And once The Baker Street Journal started publication, Edgar Smith even reached out to Stout asking him to contribute a piece to the journal, maybe what Nero Wolfe's viewpoint was toward Sherlock Holmes.  That's an article I would love to read!

So many things from history get boiled down to a few talking points, and Sherlockiana is no different.  But I'm finding that looking beyond those oft-repeated highlights are a very rewarding endeavor.  There's a lot of fun stuff out there!

Interesting Interview: Sandy Kozin

If the Sherlockian world of Zoom has a mascot, my vote would go to Sandy Kozin.  This unassuming senior citizen harbors a secret addiction: Internet Sherlockiana.  Sandy started out as a Sherlockian that many of us know: she was happy attending her local and regional Sherlockian events.  But then more connectivity presented itself.  Along the way, she started participating in listservs.  And then Zoom meetings.  And podcasting.  

And Sandy isn't just a fly on the wall in these areas.  If you've been on a Zoom meeting in the past year and a half, you know she is happy to join in any conversation and she knows her stuff.  And her limerick game is so spot-on that you can see them on The Hounds of the Internet and hear them on The Watsonian Weekly.  For a lady who says she's not very technologically adept, she sure does have quite a presence!

How do you define the word "Sherlockian" ?

It's more of a self-defined word.  If you like Sherlock Holmes and have a continuing interest in anything about him, you would be a Sherlockian.   If you like others who like Sherlock Holmes and want to spend time with them, you are more involved Sherlockian.

How did you become a Sherlockian?

I had always loved the Rathbone movies and stayed up many a night watching one.  When my parents moved, my father gave me his two-volume Annotated, which I read cover to cover before shelving.  But I didn't do much else.  However, I knew Tom and Dorothy Stix socially.  Tom insisted I come to a meeting of Mrs. Hudson's Cliffdwellers at his home.  I liked the bright, funny, interesting people, and I did fairly well on the quiz, an ego-booster.  As time went on, I attended more meetings, then other meetings of other local groups I heard about.  I liked Holmes; I liked the people, so I was a Sherlockian.

What was your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

Mostly I was an at-home mother; the occasional jobs I took were not a profession and had no relevance at all to the Master.

What is your favorite canonical story?

It can vary, but (ho-hum), it's probably HOUN.

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

Almost every Sherlockian is interesting in one way or another, and the answer has changed over time, but right now I'd say Steve Mason would be a great guy to get to know.  He runs a terrific scion, does so much more for the Sherlockian world, is smart, funny, welcoming, helpful, patient, and has figured out how he's going to have both a virtual and face-to-face scion when the time comes!

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

I came for Holmes; I stayed for the people.  I love the variety, the breadth of knowledge, and the wit I find in any group.  These are good people.  I grew up in New York City and have often told people that a Sherlockian meeting was the only place I'd use my purse as a seat marker and wander around a big room without any worry at all.

I can't even begin to count the number of Sherlockian limericks you've produced over the years.  How do you boil the stories down into such pithy rhymes?

When I was quite young, my parents gave me a book of Lear's limericks, which I read and read and read and read.  The form got imprinted on my brain.  Practice helps, but like anything else, some people "hear" the form, and some don't.   As for boiling down, I suspect that most non-Sherlockians would find them skimpy indeed, but I find it great fun to do them, so I keep doing them.

As an active member of The Hounds of the Internet and many Zoom meetings, why do you think Sherlockiana works so well on the Internet?

#1 - It's easy.  Turn on a computer, get comfy, and go  spend time with some wonderful  people.   

#2 -  No travel,  no expense.  I'm going to meetings across the country and locally with no traffic and parking problems and no time wasted en route.  

#3 - I get to see people I'd never see otherwise and some I met years ago who live distances and even time zones away.  

#4 - Maybe the most significant:  What Sherlockians do, by and large, is exchange ideas, about the Canon and much else.  So all that's needed is a way to let people convey their ideas to one another, and the internet allows and encourages that.  We can't play tennis on Zoom, but we can and do have lots of fun with verbal volleys.

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Re-read the Canon.  After that, it depends on what you like.

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

I think the internet will have a strong continuing effect.  There will still be in person meetings, but more and more they will find a way to make them hybrid, so those interested in a group from far away can enjoy part of a meeting.  Some event or other will bring in new, younger members, as happens periodically, and those busy young people will find ways to join together that suit them.  I can't imagine what, but then until I got Zoom, I had no idea such a thing had uses outside the business world.

Interesting Interview: Chris Zordan

Chris Zordan is a Sherlockian that instantly brings a smile to the face of those who know him.  Gregarious and outgoing, I doubt if he's ever met a Sherlockian stranger.  And if he were just his welcoming self, that would be plenty.  But no, Chris is one of those guys who puts in the work to keep events, scholarship, and plenty of other aspects of Sherlockiana world humming.  He is one of the board members of his local scion, The Priory Scholars of NYC, a curator for Sherlockian.net, has had articles published in BSI books such as Upon the Turf and Nerve and  Knowledge, and helped coordinate the Gaslight Gala for years.

But many folks will know Chris from his presence at 221B Con every year.  His official title is the convention photographer, but you can only imagine the impact that he and his sidekick, Skwirel, have on everyone he comes into contact with in Atlanta.  A tireless supporter and frequent panelist, Chris's decades of Sherlockian activities welcome all comers to the fold.  So let's get to know Mr. Zordan a little better, shall we?

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”? 

I like to think “big tent” when it comes to defining “Sherlockian”.   In my mind if you read the stories, enjoy the characters, enjoy the various media that surround Canon, and so on, you are a Sherlockian.  It’s a self-declared thing that really only requires that you feel some connection to these characters.

How did you become a Sherlockian? 

Jeremy Brett is responsible for my first encounter with Sherlock Holmes.  I was I guess 13-14 years old and watched one of the Granada episodes, I forget which one, and Dad saw I was very into it.  He pointed me to the Doubleday edition on the bookshelf, I started reading the stories, and the stories have been my constant companion since then.  

Five or so years later I picked up copies of Steve Rothman’s Standard Doyle Company and Philip Shreffler’s Sherlock Holmes by Gas-Lamp and that’s how I learned about the BSI, the BSJ, and that there are a lot of others who love these stories the way I did.  I finally was able to attend a Scion meeting in 2011 and now I spend a lot of my free time on Sherlock Holmes events.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian? 

I am an analytical chemist working the pharmaceutical industry.  My interest in science generally started moving towards chemistry in specific at about the same time I discovered Sherlock Holmes.  Clearly there is a strong cross-over with being a Sherlockian, especially since chemistry makes Watson’s famous list.  The biggest cross-over is how I’ve become interested in the history of chemistry, especially during the Victorian era.  While Holmes’ chemistry is familiar to me, it’s basically taught in high-school now.  The current state of the science is very different and it’s been fun to learn how chemistry of ca. 1880 advanced to what I do on a daily basis.

What is your favorite canonical story? 

It’s hard to point to just one, but if I go by the stories I re-read most frequently I can point to HOUN, SCAN, CHAS, ILLU, and the American section of Valley of Fear.  Nick Martorelli enjoys the irony that this is the part that doesn’t have Sherlock in it.  I also like re-reading the first few chapters of STUD because I always get a thrill from the “meeting” scene.

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting? 

I’m going to cop out on this one and instead of naming one specific person I’m going to say this – every time you are at an event and have the chance to chat with someone new, do it.  I’ve heard some great stories and heard some cool takes on Canon just by having a chat with someone I’d never spoken with before.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?  

I one of those odd ducks who actually likes capital “C” chronology, so there’s that.  I also like the geography questions; I’m a big fan of Michael Harrison’s works around geography of the Canon.  And the Manuscript Series from BSI Press is a fun read both because we get to see the manuscript; we get a large dose of scholarship focused on one story. 

Anyone who knows you knows about Skwirel.  Can you tell everyone else about him? 

He was a gift from a woman I dated when I was in graduate school.  I had squirrels nesting in the crawl space above my apartment and she gave me this small, plush squirrel to “protect” me from them.  Skwirel developed as a personality I used as a way to be cute/flirt with her.  His personality branched out a bit when I started doing “Skwirel” for friends’ kids and my nephews.  

When I started going to 221B Con, his personality expanded again.  I don’t cosplay, but Skwirel does – he has a bespoke Inverness and deerstalker.  Thanks, Mom!  So now he has a following at Con.   My sister says Skwirel is my whimsy and she is probably right on the money.

What does your curator role as part of Sherlockian.net entail?  

Mostly it means keeping an eye on the content related to the “Celebrate” links to be sure the page is up-to-date.  Recommending new groups or resources for live meetings, if links change or are broken are mostly what I do.  Liza Potts and her team at MSU do the heavy lifting of keeping the site running, mine is more of an advisory role. 

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?   

I’m going to cheat and recommend one Sherlockian related and one not.  In the Sherlockian sphere I would point at Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters edited by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower, and Charles Foley.  I find it interesting because we get a biography of ACD largely in his own words.  

I also recommend Winston Churchill’s history of the Second World War, the full version covers six volumes but there is a one-volume abridged version as well.  Churchill was participant, witness, and chronicler of the war and much like A Life in Letters the first-hand/person feel makes the history come alive.

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?  

I see it probably ramping up for another “generational” cycle.  We’re about 10 years out from BBC “Sherlock” and looking back it seems that every 20 or so years there is something that brings Sherlock Holmes into the forefront of popular culture.  That will bring an influx of people who either right now are too young to be reading the stories, or perhaps unaware that this larger Sherlockian world exists.  The internet makes it easier, but a Meetup group for Sherlock Holmes was started in New York a few years ago and it took a while for it to cross-pollinate with the existing Scions in the city.

Interesting Interview: Mickey Fromkin

This week's Interesting Interview might be the most beloved Sherlockian out there: Mickey Fromkin.  Anyone who's met Mickey knows that my words can't even come close to capturing how delightful she is!  Half of one of the true power couples in Sherlockiana with her late wife, Susan Rice, Mickey has been a fixture in so many things: The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, the whole New York Sherlockian scene, The William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, and more scholarship than you can shake a stick at.

But Mickey is quick to give everyone else the credit for all of her involvement.  Truly, if you look at anything big in Sherlockiana from the past 40 years, you will probably find Mickey's name somewhere in the fine print.  And that's because she doesn't want the credit.  Mickey contributes so much to our hobby because she really enjoys it and chooses to spend her energy creatively.  (Side note, she even responded to my initial email about being interviewed this week by saying she didn't know if she was interesting enough!)  I think you'll agree with me that this interview is long overdue and Mickey Fromkin is way more than interesting, she's a Sherlockian treasure.

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it, and the subject of much debate. First of all, I subscribe to the notion that “all Holmes is good Holmes,” and that anyone who self-identifies as a Sherlockian is a Sherlockian. It’s rather like religion. In fact, I list “Orthodox Sherlockian” as my religion in my Facebook profile. 

It’s not just a hobby or a literary preference, but a way of life. We have our Sacred Writings, our scholarship, our rituals (Musgrave and otherwise), our music, our fellowship. As in other religions, some of us are strict fundamentalists, some dogmatists, some ritualists, some exclusionary (tsk), some welcoming (yay!), some simply social. I had a friend who called himself a back-door Sherlockian; he absorbed Sherlockian knowledge by osmosis from hanging around with Sherlockians. Another friend of more than 55 years became a member of the Sons of the Copper Beeches and ASH within the past couple of years. We do recruit!

How did you become a Sherlockian?

I was a late bloomer. Unlike the fortunate souls who discovered Holmes around the age of eleven or so, I didn’t have any real Sherlockian experience until I was in my early thirties. Oh, I suppose I read a story or two in schoolbooks, and saw a few Rathbone/Bruce movies on the television.  I even bought a deerstalker in London in 1965, but I just thought it was a practical winter hat. 

I first read the Canon In its entirety when I acquired Baring-Gould’s Annotated in college through the book club that advertised in the New York Times, but no bells rang. Like almost everything good in my life, I owe becoming a Sherlockian to my beloved late wife, Susan Rice. When we met and fell in love in 1980, she swept me into her Sherlockian world, and dragged me to a life-changing and never-ending series of happy gatherings with Our Tribe. By May, 1981 we had both joined ASH; by 1994 we had both been invested in the Baker Street Irregulars, and the rest is history. 

What is your previous profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

I’m a retired civil servant, so other than a fellow-feeling with Mycroft, my profession was largely unconnected to my Sherlockian life. I worked for 30 years in the Social Security Disability program, which involved evaluating medical reports, so I suppose I also had the Watsonian connection as well. 

What is your favorite canonical story?

I know this isn’t an earth-shaking choice, but it’s hard to beat The Hound of the Baskervilles, though choosing one story is a bit like choosing one’s favorite child. 

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

It’s glib to respond by saying there are no uninteresting Sherlockians. It’s also false, but fortunately the uninteresting ones are few, far-between, and still generally lovely people. Many of the most interesting Sherlockians have been the subjects of previous interviews here, but one notably interesting person has not been (unless I’m very much mistaken): Evelyn Herzog. 

Evy has been the Principal Unprincipled Adventuress since 1968 (!), and it’s almost inconceivable that women would have the place we now occupy in the Sherlockian world without her. She’s smart as a whip, startlingly funny, a true scholar, and the warmest, most welcoming friend one could imagine. She, deservedly, became a Baker Street Irregular in 1991, along with my Susan, as part of the first group of women to be invested by Tom Stix. 

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

May I punt by saying everything except chronology? Chronology makes my head hurt. Seriously, I have a great fondness for Sherlockian verse and music. I know, there’s a lot of bad examples of both floating about, but the good stuff is very good indeed. I’ve contributed a few examples of what I hope are good songs to the ASH and Priory Scholars repertoire, which accounts for my BSI investiture being The Missing Three-Quarter. Tom Stix told me it was a reference to musical notation; I don’t play rugby. I also collect, in a small way, Victoriana, in tribute to my ASH investiture, A Certain Gracious Lady.  

Every time I come across a big Sherlockian research project, your name seems to be attached somehow.  What is it about the history of this hobby that interests you so much?

My blushes, Nunn!  Frankly, I’ve always considered myself a sidekick rather than a principal player. If it hadn’t been for Susan, a true force of nature, I would still be that shy person at the back of the room, if I were in the room at all. I’ve always said that I was the Alice B. Toklas (cooking) to her Gertrude Stein (writing). It was always a joy, however, to help Susan with her research (I love research) and to be her first editor. Sherlockian history is a never-ending trove of delight. I can’t think of many other subjects that yield as much personal and intellectual stimulation. Susan introduced me to the most fascinating people.  And aren’t Sherlockians the best? But remember: it’s not a hobby! 

You and Susan oversaw the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon for a very long time.  What are one or two highlights from your tenure with such a large event?

It was thirty years, quite a run. Here’s the history: Susan and I had been happily attending the Gillette Luncheon together since 1981. It was run, then, by Lisa McGaw, who took over from Clif Andrew, the founder of the feast. In 1989, being aware that Lisa, who lived in North Carolina, might be happy to have someone in New York to provide local assistance, Susan wrote to Lisa and asked if she could be of any help. To her surprise, Lisa, who was in poor health, asked if Susan would be willing to take over running the luncheon entirely. Susan was hesitant, but I encouraged her, promising to handle all of the paperwork. 

So for all those years, 1990 through 2020, Susan dealt with restaurants and programs, while I handled the mailing list, record-keeping, and money. The luncheon is now in the capable hands of Jenn Eaker, who was hugely helpful to us in the past few years, when Susan’s health was failing. The best part of checking everyone into the luncheon, while Susan took care of last-minute details with the staff, was that I got to be able to put faces to names. My favorite part of the luncheon was the yearly entertainment by The Friends of Bogie’s (Andrew Joffe, Sarah Montague, and Paul Singleton), endlessly creative and enjoyable. 

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Must I pick just one? The Canon goes without saying. Every time I read a story, even after all these decades, I find something new. Anyone who hasn’t read Lyndsay Faye’s Dust and Shadow, to my mind the single best novel-length pastiche, is missing a treat. Mattias Bosrtöm’s From Holmes to Sherlock is simply brilliant. And, if I may add one more, rather solispsitically, Susan’s Dubious and Questionable Memories: A History of the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual 2004).  

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

I always say that it’s obvious that I’m an optimist, because I’m a Democrat and a Mets fan. I feel fully justified in my optimism about the Sherlockian future, however. When I became involved in the 1980s, there weren’t many young faces in any Sherlockian crowd, and there was much moaning from the elders that they would die off and leave little behind. It’s very different now. Bright young things are animating our ranks, and former bright young things, now moving into middle age, are bringing in new bright young things, and some bright and not so young. Popular culture and the internet have been great resources. When we were forced by the pandemic to meet online, we lost some of the immediacy of personal contact, and sometimes suffered from Zoom fatigue, but gained the ability to interact with fellow Sherlockians around the world without the expense or hassles of travel. 

One of the secret weapons of New York Sherlockians, a source of bringing in and welcoming new faces when groups around the country seemed to be faltering, is the institution of ASH Wednesday.  M.E. Rich, back in the 1990s, came up with the idea of Sherlockians meeting informally on the first Wednesday of each month for dinner and camaraderie. Because there is no program, and importantly no quiz, first-time attendees can relax and not be worried about having to prove themselves. And once Sherlockians meet other Sherlockians, the hook is set. 

Some Scattered Ash [STUD]

Last week started out with one of the best ways a week can start out, with an email from a Sherlockian.  Evy Herzog emailed to offer me membership in The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes!  What an absolute honor!  

So, on November 21, I will be investitured as "Your old school-fellow" at their Autumn meeting.  I was so happy when my friend, Bill Mason, was investitured earlier this year, so I can only imagine how big of a goofy-looking grin I will have on my face on that day.  

But you don't have to be a member of ASH to attend their meetings.  The beauty of ASH is that they welcome all comers!  So check out the details of the event on their page here and hopefully I will see you on the November 21!

P.S. If you're interested in attending another meeting, please feel free to check out the next Parallel Case of St. Louis meeting this Saturday at 1:00 CST.  You can always count on a good discussion there!

Interesting Interview: Peggy Perdue

When I think of this week's Interesting Interview subject, Peggy Perdue, the first word that comes to mind is "delightful."  Many people know her as the curator of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Reference Library, which is a position she held for thirteen years.  And if you're anything like me, you are very jealous of her for that time!  Peggy has recently been promoted and serves in an advisory role to the new curator.  

In Peggy's own words, she says she's mostly a hobbyist now.  And what a hobbyist this lady is!  A quick Google search for Peggy Perdue will show you the breadth of her Sherlockian knowledge.  Talks on pop culture, Victorian phobias, advertising, and more will keep you occupied for a while.  And I just learned that Peggy has her own Sherlockian blog, mentioned below.  Anyone who can combine baking and the Canon to create STUDmuffins, is more than any old "hobbyist"!  So enjoy another wonderful Canadian in this week's interview, Peggy Perdue!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?I'd say a Sherlockian is someone who has a strong need to share their appreciation for Sherlock Holmes with other people. It doesn't matter whether the person is by nature an introvert or an extrovert, clubbable or unclubbable, scholarly or inexperienced; such a person will not consider their time with Holmes complete until they have engaged with others about it in some form. Anyone can be a devoted fan all by themselves in an armchair, but I think it takes other people to make someone a Sherlockian.

How did you become a Sherlockian? I have always enjoyed Victorian literature, and I distinctly remember my first encounter with Sherlock Holmes in the late 1980s. When I joined Toronto Public Library many years later, the idea of actually getting to work with the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection seemed an unattainable pipe dream--or a three-pipe dream, if you like. However, when the position as curator became available in 2005, I managed to get the job. When I started, I just thought I was going to be working with an interesting rare book collection--I'd never even heard of a "Sherlockian." It wasn't long before I found out all about it! Now many of my closest friends are Sherlockians and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian? I'm a rare book librarian and, as mentioned above, for 13 years I had the great privilege of being curator of Toronto Public Library's Arthur Conan Doyle Collection. I now have a more senior role in the department but there are still plenty of opportunities to do things with the collection in cooperation with our curator Jessie Amaolo. That being said, I actually love being a "civilian" now. Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle aren't a full-time job anymore, and I can truly say "I play the game for the game's own sake."

What is your favorite canonical story? Speaking as an incurable romantic and a Watsonian, it has to be "The Sign of Four." Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, bottom of the river meets treasure, detective solves case--what more can one ask for?

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting? Where to start? You have covered so many truly interesting people in these interviews, and there are so many more left to be interviewed. I think I'll abandon any idea of mentioning one or two particular friends and omitting the rest. Instead, since I've mentioned the ACD Collection a couple of times already, I'm going to recommend the current curator Jessie Amaolo. She's doing a great job with the collection, and she isn't yet very well known in the larger Sherlockian world.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you? Sherlockian travel is a thing I'd like to get back to soon. I also love the artsy-craftsy side of the hobby. Whatever one's creative outlet, one needs inspiration in order to face a blank page or a blank canvas, and like many, I find Sherlock Holmes to be the perfect muse. It's not an exaggeration to say that this has gotten me through the pandemic, whether it's creating recipes for my baking blog sherlockforpudding.blogspot.com, sketching a portrait of Moriarty in tea leaves, or working on my current project, crocheting an Arthur Conan Doily.

So often newer Sherlockians will stick with the stories and forego delving into the life of Arthur Conan Doyle.  As someone who has written and given talks about different facets of the man's life, what argument would you make to get folks to investigate him more? To paraphrase Sir Arthur himself, Conan Doyle's life was often stranger than anything he could invent, and just sharing some stories about him is the best way to get people interested. I think it's fair to say that there's been an increased interest in Conan Doyle in recent years among both new and longtime Sherlockians, with far fewer people now fully entrenched in the "literary agent" angle. The last time someone got really angry at me for mentioning his authorship was 2009. I almost miss that old fighting spirit. 
This year is the tenth anniversary of your Beacon Award!  Looking back on such a big project, what are some highlights from implementing it? The project was to do outreach presentations to children as a way to have the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection participate in the library's Summer Reading Club, which featured a detective fiction theme that year. I once spent a couple of happy years working as a children's librarian, so the biggest highlight for me was just the opportunity to work with small people again. Even very young children can understand the basic concept of what a detective is. We had great fun playing with disguises, solving riddles and codes and practicing careful observation.
What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians? Too many to choose from again...how about A Taste For Honey by Gerald Heard? It's often been out of print since its first publication in 1941, but Otto Penzler published an edition in 2019, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get hold of now. The book is an interesting blip on the timeline of Sherlockian activity; it belongs neither to the early turn of the century parodies nor the late 20th/early 21st century pastiche boom. To read it is to step away from the familiar, modern world of Sherlockiana and occupy a space where only the author and the reader agree that it would be a good idea to pop Conan Doyle's famous detective into a new story. 

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now? Living in the mountains at high altitude. No, sorry I'm just kidding--that's a quote from Groundhog Day. I'm deflecting because honestly, I don't know. The only thing I'm sure of is that it will continue. Holmes and Watson have stood the test of time too long now to fade quietly away.