Rob Nunn's Blog: Interesting Though Elementary, page 26
April 1, 2018
Interesting Interviews: Brad Keefauver
This month's Interesting Interview is Brad Keefauver, a name familiar to any Sherlockian that's been around for any amount of time. Brad has been blogging about all things Sherlockian (and whatever non-Sherlockian things he can twist to become Sherlockian) on his site, Sherlock Peoria for about as long as the internet has been around.
Throughout the nineties, Brad was writing books and publishing journals that are chock full of goodness. More recently, he has started a new podcast, "Sherlock Holmes is Real," which is a new and inventive take on the history of Sherlock Holmes' place in the world. The second season of Sherlock Holmes is Real started in March and is well worth checking out.
How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?
Someone who loves Sherlock Holmes. And, I suppose, we must be polite and allow that they self-identify as a Sherlockian, just in case they’re a Holmesian, Sherlockholmesian, Watsonian, or “just someone who loves Sherlock Holmes.”
How did you become a Sherlockian?
I saw Sherlock Holmes in a rowboat trying to fight the Loch Ness monster. I was in junior high and only saw the preview to The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes without getting to see the actual movie for years. The spark was struck in that moment.
What is your favorite canonical story?
“The Illustrious Client.” Can’t even say why.
What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?
The things Watson doesn’t tell us, but are there all the same. The “here is what really happened” genre of Sherlockian scholarship, extrapolating from the evidence we’re given. When done right, you always get a “Why didn’t I see that before?” moment.
What things do you like to research related to Sherlock Holmes?
Historical nooks and crannies. Timelines. Single moments where something was happening to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson while other things were happening elsewhere in the world at exactly that point in time. (Haven’t actually done that last one yet, but it’s on my list. And, actually, Vincent W. Wright would be better at it than me.)
What is one of your favorite posts or topics you've ever covered on Sherlock Peoria?
My favorite posts are always the ones where I get to express something that someone else can’t come out and say or is having a hard time finding words for. There are some topics in Sherlockian culture that we rarely communicate about in print, and I enjoy getting them on the public record. The most gratifying moment in blogging is when someone else tells you that you expressed what they had always thought perfectly. It’s like you got an instant of telepathy in a way, and a good contact with one other person is the best thing in life, really.
How would you describe "Sherlock Holmes is Real" to someone who's never heard it before?
“Sherlock Holmes is Real” is a fictional investigation into Sherlockian history without quality control or standards, with a kind of Mulder and Scully set of hosts, and episodes that can pack a lot of confusing detail into less than twenty minutes. Kind a a next level of “playing the game” that hasn’t quite figured itself out yet. And will hopefully improve as it does figure itself out.
Where did your inspiration come from for a conspiracy theory based podcast?
I had spent a year trying to figure out what kind of podcast I’d enjoy doing, and the I listened to “The Black Tapes” podcast. Their style of ongoing investigation into a supernatural world seemed like something that could work with my imaginary view of the Sherlockian world as a place of conspiracies and secret connections. The real facts out there don’t take much of a push to seem like over-imaginative fiction sometimes.
What Sherlockian things do you like to read other than the Canon?
A really good novel with a Sherlock Holmes tie-in. It’s so hard to find Sherlock done well, so it seems like the most enjoyable things are the almost-Sherlocks. The last three I enjoyed featured female leads: a client, a sister, and a great-great-great-grand-daughter, so I think the gender-shift shakes me out of comparing it to Doyle enough to relax and enjoy it. If a novel tries to say “This is the real Sherlock Holmes!” then it has to match the mental image of Holmes I’ve built over decades, and at this point, that’s an extremely hard task. BBC Sherlock fan fiction hits the mark more often than Doyle-based pastiche for me due to that.
Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?
We’re going to see a lot of talented writers who cut their teeth with on-line prose entering the commercial markets, many of them with new Sherlock Holmes stories to tell. We’re going to see more variations on Sherlock Holmes across all media, too, as those little seeds called “AUs” grow out into the mainstream. The things we see in the years ahead aren’t going to come from the Sherlockian venues who like matters exactly the way they are. They’re going to come from directions we weren’t expecting at all. And Sherlockiana will be playing off those new ideas, both groaning and exalting in the new, as we always do. Oh, yes . . . and the women are going to finish taking over. Maybe not in five or ten years, but it’s coming. (Except in St. Louis, of course, when a fairly young fellow is doing a fine job, and will hopefully continue on with that.)
(Editor's note: It seems like Keefauver's set the bar fairly low for the St. Louis Sherlockians, but I'll take the compliment nonetheless.)
Throughout the nineties, Brad was writing books and publishing journals that are chock full of goodness. More recently, he has started a new podcast, "Sherlock Holmes is Real," which is a new and inventive take on the history of Sherlock Holmes' place in the world. The second season of Sherlock Holmes is Real started in March and is well worth checking out.
How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?
Someone who loves Sherlock Holmes. And, I suppose, we must be polite and allow that they self-identify as a Sherlockian, just in case they’re a Holmesian, Sherlockholmesian, Watsonian, or “just someone who loves Sherlock Holmes.”
How did you become a Sherlockian?
I saw Sherlock Holmes in a rowboat trying to fight the Loch Ness monster. I was in junior high and only saw the preview to The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes without getting to see the actual movie for years. The spark was struck in that moment.
What is your favorite canonical story?
“The Illustrious Client.” Can’t even say why.
What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?
The things Watson doesn’t tell us, but are there all the same. The “here is what really happened” genre of Sherlockian scholarship, extrapolating from the evidence we’re given. When done right, you always get a “Why didn’t I see that before?” moment.
What things do you like to research related to Sherlock Holmes?
Historical nooks and crannies. Timelines. Single moments where something was happening to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson while other things were happening elsewhere in the world at exactly that point in time. (Haven’t actually done that last one yet, but it’s on my list. And, actually, Vincent W. Wright would be better at it than me.)
What is one of your favorite posts or topics you've ever covered on Sherlock Peoria?
My favorite posts are always the ones where I get to express something that someone else can’t come out and say or is having a hard time finding words for. There are some topics in Sherlockian culture that we rarely communicate about in print, and I enjoy getting them on the public record. The most gratifying moment in blogging is when someone else tells you that you expressed what they had always thought perfectly. It’s like you got an instant of telepathy in a way, and a good contact with one other person is the best thing in life, really.
How would you describe "Sherlock Holmes is Real" to someone who's never heard it before?
“Sherlock Holmes is Real” is a fictional investigation into Sherlockian history without quality control or standards, with a kind of Mulder and Scully set of hosts, and episodes that can pack a lot of confusing detail into less than twenty minutes. Kind a a next level of “playing the game” that hasn’t quite figured itself out yet. And will hopefully improve as it does figure itself out.
Where did your inspiration come from for a conspiracy theory based podcast?
I had spent a year trying to figure out what kind of podcast I’d enjoy doing, and the I listened to “The Black Tapes” podcast. Their style of ongoing investigation into a supernatural world seemed like something that could work with my imaginary view of the Sherlockian world as a place of conspiracies and secret connections. The real facts out there don’t take much of a push to seem like over-imaginative fiction sometimes.
What Sherlockian things do you like to read other than the Canon?
A really good novel with a Sherlock Holmes tie-in. It’s so hard to find Sherlock done well, so it seems like the most enjoyable things are the almost-Sherlocks. The last three I enjoyed featured female leads: a client, a sister, and a great-great-great-grand-daughter, so I think the gender-shift shakes me out of comparing it to Doyle enough to relax and enjoy it. If a novel tries to say “This is the real Sherlock Holmes!” then it has to match the mental image of Holmes I’ve built over decades, and at this point, that’s an extremely hard task. BBC Sherlock fan fiction hits the mark more often than Doyle-based pastiche for me due to that.
Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?
We’re going to see a lot of talented writers who cut their teeth with on-line prose entering the commercial markets, many of them with new Sherlock Holmes stories to tell. We’re going to see more variations on Sherlock Holmes across all media, too, as those little seeds called “AUs” grow out into the mainstream. The things we see in the years ahead aren’t going to come from the Sherlockian venues who like matters exactly the way they are. They’re going to come from directions we weren’t expecting at all. And Sherlockiana will be playing off those new ideas, both groaning and exalting in the new, as we always do. Oh, yes . . . and the women are going to finish taking over. Maybe not in five or ten years, but it’s coming. (Except in St. Louis, of course, when a fairly young fellow is doing a fine job, and will hopefully continue on with that.)
(Editor's note: It seems like Keefauver's set the bar fairly low for the St. Louis Sherlockians, but I'll take the compliment nonetheless.)
March 26, 2018
They Were Keen Students
This morning, I spoke to the eighth grade language arts class at St. Rose Elementary School, about 35 minutes from my home. My invitation to speak came way back in November, and like any good middle school assignment, I waiting until the last minute to write my speech. I was asked to talk about Sherlock Holmes and the writing process. Lucky for me, I had a speech on the writing process that I gave to another middle school so that part of the presentation was ready to go.
But, I get to add a whole section on to my speech and talk about Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please!
I knew the kids had read at least one Holmes story this year, but wasn't sure which one. They were too old to be the target audience for Sherlock Gnomes, and St. Rose is a small farm town whose nearest movie theater is over a half hour away, so they probably didn't rush right out this weekend to see it. BBC's Sherlock happened forever ago to 13 year-olds, and Elementary is for old people. So, what would be my selling point?
Sherlock Holmes. The cases. Doctor Watson.
These topics might seem simplistic to the devoted Sherlockian, but when you get down to brass tacks, is there anything more interesting to the core of the Canon? You have the original superhero, mysteries that defy logic but are yet solved with deduction, and the best wingman anyone could ask for.
I could've spoken all day about the Canon and what makes it so great, but teenagers don't want to hear an old guy talk at them about his hobbies. I hit them with ten minutes of Sherlock Holmes talk, ten minutes of the writing process, and was lucky enough that the fifteen students in the room had some really great questions to carry me through the rest of the hour.
It turned out that the story they had read in class was "The Speckled Band." Most of them were hazy on the particulars when I first started talking about it (one girl said, "That was way back in 2017!"), but once they realized I wasn't going to shut up about how good the story was, they jumped into the conversation. We bantered about Grimsby Roylott and Holmes' early deduction with Helen Stoner.
Anyone who's ever been around a group of kids, especially in a classroom, know that there's usually that one group of boys who want to be cool and funny. So when one of those boys chimed in about how weird it was that the bed was bolted to the floor, I knew Doyle's story had made an impression.
From these kids today I learned a lot. Most of it was awesome. But when I pointed out that the Holmes stories have been around since 1886, and tried to contextualize it with pointing out how long ago NINETEEN 86 was to them... let's just say their reactions to 1986 didn't make me feel young.
But man, did we have some good conversations today. We covered everything from Joseph Bell and The Strand to Logan Paul and Netflix. I learned that none of them had seen BBC's Sherlock, but one guy said his brother watched "that show with the guy with the long coat," so I think we were talking about the same thing.
Although Sherlock Holmes and the writing process wasn't everyone's cup of tea in the room, everyone was very respectful and cool. And there were some students there that were genuinely curious about the writing process! One girl asked about how to manage the pacing of her writing, while another had a great question about the friendship in my book between Holmes and Watson. You could tell these girls had the creative spark, and I hope they keep plugging away at whatever they're currently working on.
After a twenty minute speech and forty-five minutes of a really fun discussion, it was time for me to head home and the the students to head to their next class. Even if everyone in the class doesn't immediately want to join their local Sherlockian society, they got out of work in class today, I got to talk about Sherlock Holmes for an hour, and we had some really good back and forth.
I'll call it a win.
But, I get to add a whole section on to my speech and talk about Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please!
I knew the kids had read at least one Holmes story this year, but wasn't sure which one. They were too old to be the target audience for Sherlock Gnomes, and St. Rose is a small farm town whose nearest movie theater is over a half hour away, so they probably didn't rush right out this weekend to see it. BBC's Sherlock happened forever ago to 13 year-olds, and Elementary is for old people. So, what would be my selling point?
Sherlock Holmes. The cases. Doctor Watson.
These topics might seem simplistic to the devoted Sherlockian, but when you get down to brass tacks, is there anything more interesting to the core of the Canon? You have the original superhero, mysteries that defy logic but are yet solved with deduction, and the best wingman anyone could ask for.
I could've spoken all day about the Canon and what makes it so great, but teenagers don't want to hear an old guy talk at them about his hobbies. I hit them with ten minutes of Sherlock Holmes talk, ten minutes of the writing process, and was lucky enough that the fifteen students in the room had some really great questions to carry me through the rest of the hour.
It turned out that the story they had read in class was "The Speckled Band." Most of them were hazy on the particulars when I first started talking about it (one girl said, "That was way back in 2017!"), but once they realized I wasn't going to shut up about how good the story was, they jumped into the conversation. We bantered about Grimsby Roylott and Holmes' early deduction with Helen Stoner.
Anyone who's ever been around a group of kids, especially in a classroom, know that there's usually that one group of boys who want to be cool and funny. So when one of those boys chimed in about how weird it was that the bed was bolted to the floor, I knew Doyle's story had made an impression.
From these kids today I learned a lot. Most of it was awesome. But when I pointed out that the Holmes stories have been around since 1886, and tried to contextualize it with pointing out how long ago NINETEEN 86 was to them... let's just say their reactions to 1986 didn't make me feel young.
But man, did we have some good conversations today. We covered everything from Joseph Bell and The Strand to Logan Paul and Netflix. I learned that none of them had seen BBC's Sherlock, but one guy said his brother watched "that show with the guy with the long coat," so I think we were talking about the same thing.
Although Sherlock Holmes and the writing process wasn't everyone's cup of tea in the room, everyone was very respectful and cool. And there were some students there that were genuinely curious about the writing process! One girl asked about how to manage the pacing of her writing, while another had a great question about the friendship in my book between Holmes and Watson. You could tell these girls had the creative spark, and I hope they keep plugging away at whatever they're currently working on.
After a twenty minute speech and forty-five minutes of a really fun discussion, it was time for me to head home and the the students to head to their next class. Even if everyone in the class doesn't immediately want to join their local Sherlockian society, they got out of work in class today, I got to talk about Sherlock Holmes for an hour, and we had some really good back and forth.
I'll call it a win.
March 18, 2018
Bearing Some Other Interpretation
This week found me taking in three different adaptions of Sherlock Holmes.
As planned, I took in "The Missing Three Quarter" for The Irregular Canonical Book Club. Normally, I prefer to read the stories from one of my two most frequently used version of the Canon. But, report cards were due this week, I am working on another writing project whose deadline is looming, and life in general didn't allow for a lot of reading time. So I "read" this week's story via audiobook, specifically "The Complete Sherlock Holmes," read by Simon Vance. I know there are many other versions out there, but Simon Vance's delivery is fantastic and I would highly recommend this version to anyone interested. A good audio production of the Canon can be a nice change of pace now and then.
Speaking of audiobooks... I don't typically listen to Sherlockian audiobooks, because if I'm interested in the book, chances are I will want to have a copy of it on my bookshelf. I've gotten away from pastiche recently, and wasn't too terribly interested in "A Study in Scarlet Women" when it first came out. But when my library audio service offered it, I thought I would give it a try.
I was expecting more canonical nods throughout the story, and left feeling a little disappointed because I wanted it to be more... well, Sherlockian. "A Study in Scarlet Women" is a fine detective story with a good portrayal of what it was like as a woman on your own in Victorian London. It felt a lot like Elementary to me, Sherlockian in name only. These two incarnations really only use the name "Sherlock Holmes" and the idea of a detective as their starting points and create new worlds from there on out. If you enjoy a good detective story, this is right up your alley. But if you are looking for something closer to the Canon, you'll be left wanting.
Finally, the weekend rolled around. And it was time to iron my dress shirts on Saturday. What can I say? I'm a party animal.
I've found that a Jeremy Brett episode is almost the perfect running time for this chore. And man, does it make ironing much more pleasant. This go-round was "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." And man, do I love Grimsby Roylott. "Holmes the meddler! Holmes the busybody!"
The Granada series is always a delight to watch. Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes and whether it's Burke or Hardwicke, you're getting a reliable, capable, and quietly humorous Watson. I could sit for hours and just watch clips of these two in 221B; what an amazing set! I could go on and on about this series, but my guess is that I would be preaching to the choir here.
Anyway you look at it, there are some great ways to take in Sherlockiana and the Canon. And the thing with these stories is that you can pick up new things from revisiting them or just let the familiarity wash over you. How many characters and stories out there can we say the same about? And that's why it's always 1895.
As planned, I took in "The Missing Three Quarter" for The Irregular Canonical Book Club. Normally, I prefer to read the stories from one of my two most frequently used version of the Canon. But, report cards were due this week, I am working on another writing project whose deadline is looming, and life in general didn't allow for a lot of reading time. So I "read" this week's story via audiobook, specifically "The Complete Sherlock Holmes," read by Simon Vance. I know there are many other versions out there, but Simon Vance's delivery is fantastic and I would highly recommend this version to anyone interested. A good audio production of the Canon can be a nice change of pace now and then.
Speaking of audiobooks... I don't typically listen to Sherlockian audiobooks, because if I'm interested in the book, chances are I will want to have a copy of it on my bookshelf. I've gotten away from pastiche recently, and wasn't too terribly interested in "A Study in Scarlet Women" when it first came out. But when my library audio service offered it, I thought I would give it a try.
I was expecting more canonical nods throughout the story, and left feeling a little disappointed because I wanted it to be more... well, Sherlockian. "A Study in Scarlet Women" is a fine detective story with a good portrayal of what it was like as a woman on your own in Victorian London. It felt a lot like Elementary to me, Sherlockian in name only. These two incarnations really only use the name "Sherlock Holmes" and the idea of a detective as their starting points and create new worlds from there on out. If you enjoy a good detective story, this is right up your alley. But if you are looking for something closer to the Canon, you'll be left wanting.
Finally, the weekend rolled around. And it was time to iron my dress shirts on Saturday. What can I say? I'm a party animal.
I've found that a Jeremy Brett episode is almost the perfect running time for this chore. And man, does it make ironing much more pleasant. This go-round was "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." And man, do I love Grimsby Roylott. "Holmes the meddler! Holmes the busybody!"
The Granada series is always a delight to watch. Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes and whether it's Burke or Hardwicke, you're getting a reliable, capable, and quietly humorous Watson. I could sit for hours and just watch clips of these two in 221B; what an amazing set! I could go on and on about this series, but my guess is that I would be preaching to the choir here.
Anyway you look at it, there are some great ways to take in Sherlockiana and the Canon. And the thing with these stories is that you can pick up new things from revisiting them or just let the familiarity wash over you. How many characters and stories out there can we say the same about? And that's why it's always 1895.
March 12, 2018
Holmes, Doyle and Friends
This past weekend was the fifth annual Holmes, Doyle and Friends conference in Dayton, Ohio put on by The Agra Treasurers. Although I attended Nerve and Knowledge over the summer, this was my first full conference. And what a conference it was!
My wife and daughter were quick to capitalize on the weekend as well, taking advantage of the hotel pool and the Boonshoft Museum. And Friday was all about the American Girl store in Columbus, so I missed out on most of the welcome reception that evening. I got to the reception just as it was wrapping up and after saying hello to some folks I knew, I had the singular pleasure of finally meeting Fran Martin in real life. Fran is, hands down, one of the nicest Sherlockians I've ever met! (It didn't hurt that she gave my daughter and me each a chocolate magnifying glass) She is quiet and reserved, but a true delight to be around. Meeting Fran should be on everyone's Sherlockian bucket list.
Although I missed out on most of the reception, luckily Sherlockians are a social group, so there were quite a few people ready to sit around a table at the hotel bar. Until karaoke started. Then it was coincidental how quickly we all felt tired and called it a night.
I had a vendor's table at the convention to sell copies of The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street, About Sixty and About Being a Sherlockian, so my morning started pretty early. Before setting up the table, I headed down for breakfast, and although I sat down at a table by myself, I was soon joined by Joe and Peter Eckrich, Fran Martin, Ray Betzner and Monica Schmidt. I was quickly learning that there aren't strangers when you're at a Sherlockian event.
I'm not a morning person, but Saturday morning was one of the real highlights of the weekend for me. The program officially started at 10, but people started milling through the conference room checking out vendor tables and chatting up other Sherlockians starting as early at 8:00. These two hours had over fifty Sherlockians socializing and shopping. I was lucky enough to catch up with other Sherlockians, meet new ones, and even get talked into being part of a promo video for the Baker Street Journal.
A lot of my conversations with people Friday night and Saturday morning involved us introducing ourselves and immediately recognizing one another's names from the online world. It was very nice to finally put a face to the Twitter accounts, Facebook comments, and blog posts. And you know what? They are even better in real life!
Another notable Sherlockian I met this week was Ray Betzner. I have to say, I was familiar with Ray's name and his work on Studies in Starrett, so I was a little nervous meeting him. Plus, the man can really rock a bow tie, a skill I am very envious of (When I try a bow tie, I look like someone tied a knot on a giraffe). Ray is now one of my favorite Sherlockians. His dry wit and quiet knowledge made every conversation I had with him a pleasure and I was sorry when each one ended. At one point, my daughter was sitting with me at the vendor's table and Ray had a great conversation with her, and continued it when he saw her eating breakfast later that morning. My daughter now calls him "the bow tie guy."
Holmes, Doyle and Friends was officially called to order a few minutes early and the festivities began! As I said earlier, this was my first conference, and there wasn't a theme, so it was nice to see the range of topics covered throughout the day. Members of the Agra Treasures ran a great program.
Ray Betzner started the day off with an interesting look into the understudied role of Mary Watson and included one of the best lines as to why she deserves more attention: "Mary Watson wasn't Yoko Ono."
Donald Curtis was up next with a history of gentlemen's clubs in London, but not THAT kind of gentlemen's club. And even though they are still called gentlemen's clubs, many of them are co-ed nowadays.
Jacquelyn Morris taught us all the difference between high tea and afternoon tea, something I was absolutely clueless about before her talk. Plus, it made me think that my daughter and I should read Eloise at the Plaza together.
And what's the perfect thing to do right after hearing about teas, scones, and jam? Eat lunch. Brad Keefauver showed up Saturday morning, and I hadn't had much time to talk with him so far, so I made it a point to sit by him and Bill Mason at lunch. Just like at breakfast, we were soon surrounded by a bunch of other folks, some I'd met before, and some new. But all of them were a blast to hang out with.
After lunch, Mark Friedman told us his play "Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel," complete with musical tracks. I've posted about Sherlockian plays before, but Mark's play was one that I will definitely be checking out if it's anywhere near the St. Louis area.
Then came Monica Schmidt, who started her talk with a humorous and cringe-worthy story of what happens when someone from the internet copies the original artwork on your tattoo. Shen then made all of us just a little wary as she delved into what it takes to be qualified as a hoarder. There are six specific criteria, and no matter what my wife says, I'm in the clear.
For now.
Steve Doyle was up next with a look at the connections between Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. His talk made a strong argument not only for Holmes' involvement in the investigation, but also the real reason why Holmes was cranky the morning that The Valley of Fear started. And going by Steve's logic, it's time to rethink trekking to New York in January to celebrate Holmes' birthday.
Following Steve was one of the most informative talks of the day. Brent Morris took everyone through an NSA analysis of how Holmes broke the cipher in The Dancing Men. My notes from this talk were pretty extensive, but a few highlights are that the letter E accounts for 1/8 of normal English, the letters E,T,N,O,R,I,A and S are the most common (not R,S,T,L,N and E as Wheel of Fortune would have you believe), and that the most common letters in the English language are an anagram of "senorita." That's got to come up in trivia at some point in my life, right? Brent also kept referring to Holmes' work in DANC as "crypt analysis," and I kept getting images of Holmes working a code while inside the crypt from Shoscombe Old Place.
Liese Sherwood-Fabre rounded out the program with an insightful talk on the justice and penal system in Victorian England. And making my teacher heart happy, she had handouts!
As the program wrapped up, I was happy to see that I'd sold a handful of books, and even happier to know that I was taking home more for myself to read. That's what dealer's tables are for, right?
Dinner took us to a local BBQ spot and before we ate I was privy to my first ever speed word search. It's stressful looking for all of those words while you're being timed! Once everyone had their food, conversations started up all around the room. Peter Eckrich and I spent quite a bit of time talking with Dan and Ann Andriacco, two wonderful folks. Dan and Ann's son has recently been stationed close to St. Louis, so we were filling them in on all of the things to do with and without the grandkids every when they visit. I was lucky enough to have Dan next to my table all day at the conference. He's one of those folks I've emailed back and forth with and I always check his blog, but getting to spend time with him in person was so great.
And that was my real take away from Holmes, Doyle and Friends. If all of the day's talks were published somewhere they would be interesting reading. But hearing them live as well as the questions and comments that came after were much better. If all of the conversations I had had happened through email, I still would've been happy, but being part of a group over a meal or a beer is just so much better! I started out my Sherlockian life as a guy who just interacted with people online, but the more and more I go to events, the more I know that Sherlockiana isn't just about the stories, it's about the people you engage with.
And these are some good people.
My wife and daughter were quick to capitalize on the weekend as well, taking advantage of the hotel pool and the Boonshoft Museum. And Friday was all about the American Girl store in Columbus, so I missed out on most of the welcome reception that evening. I got to the reception just as it was wrapping up and after saying hello to some folks I knew, I had the singular pleasure of finally meeting Fran Martin in real life. Fran is, hands down, one of the nicest Sherlockians I've ever met! (It didn't hurt that she gave my daughter and me each a chocolate magnifying glass) She is quiet and reserved, but a true delight to be around. Meeting Fran should be on everyone's Sherlockian bucket list.Although I missed out on most of the reception, luckily Sherlockians are a social group, so there were quite a few people ready to sit around a table at the hotel bar. Until karaoke started. Then it was coincidental how quickly we all felt tired and called it a night.
I had a vendor's table at the convention to sell copies of The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street, About Sixty and About Being a Sherlockian, so my morning started pretty early. Before setting up the table, I headed down for breakfast, and although I sat down at a table by myself, I was soon joined by Joe and Peter Eckrich, Fran Martin, Ray Betzner and Monica Schmidt. I was quickly learning that there aren't strangers when you're at a Sherlockian event.
I'm not a morning person, but Saturday morning was one of the real highlights of the weekend for me. The program officially started at 10, but people started milling through the conference room checking out vendor tables and chatting up other Sherlockians starting as early at 8:00. These two hours had over fifty Sherlockians socializing and shopping. I was lucky enough to catch up with other Sherlockians, meet new ones, and even get talked into being part of a promo video for the Baker Street Journal.
A lot of my conversations with people Friday night and Saturday morning involved us introducing ourselves and immediately recognizing one another's names from the online world. It was very nice to finally put a face to the Twitter accounts, Facebook comments, and blog posts. And you know what? They are even better in real life!
Another notable Sherlockian I met this week was Ray Betzner. I have to say, I was familiar with Ray's name and his work on Studies in Starrett, so I was a little nervous meeting him. Plus, the man can really rock a bow tie, a skill I am very envious of (When I try a bow tie, I look like someone tied a knot on a giraffe). Ray is now one of my favorite Sherlockians. His dry wit and quiet knowledge made every conversation I had with him a pleasure and I was sorry when each one ended. At one point, my daughter was sitting with me at the vendor's table and Ray had a great conversation with her, and continued it when he saw her eating breakfast later that morning. My daughter now calls him "the bow tie guy."
Holmes, Doyle and Friends was officially called to order a few minutes early and the festivities began! As I said earlier, this was my first conference, and there wasn't a theme, so it was nice to see the range of topics covered throughout the day. Members of the Agra Treasures ran a great program.
Ray Betzner started the day off with an interesting look into the understudied role of Mary Watson and included one of the best lines as to why she deserves more attention: "Mary Watson wasn't Yoko Ono."
Donald Curtis was up next with a history of gentlemen's clubs in London, but not THAT kind of gentlemen's club. And even though they are still called gentlemen's clubs, many of them are co-ed nowadays.
Jacquelyn Morris taught us all the difference between high tea and afternoon tea, something I was absolutely clueless about before her talk. Plus, it made me think that my daughter and I should read Eloise at the Plaza together.
And what's the perfect thing to do right after hearing about teas, scones, and jam? Eat lunch. Brad Keefauver showed up Saturday morning, and I hadn't had much time to talk with him so far, so I made it a point to sit by him and Bill Mason at lunch. Just like at breakfast, we were soon surrounded by a bunch of other folks, some I'd met before, and some new. But all of them were a blast to hang out with.
After lunch, Mark Friedman told us his play "Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Crown Jewel," complete with musical tracks. I've posted about Sherlockian plays before, but Mark's play was one that I will definitely be checking out if it's anywhere near the St. Louis area.
Then came Monica Schmidt, who started her talk with a humorous and cringe-worthy story of what happens when someone from the internet copies the original artwork on your tattoo. Shen then made all of us just a little wary as she delved into what it takes to be qualified as a hoarder. There are six specific criteria, and no matter what my wife says, I'm in the clear.
For now.
Steve Doyle was up next with a look at the connections between Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. His talk made a strong argument not only for Holmes' involvement in the investigation, but also the real reason why Holmes was cranky the morning that The Valley of Fear started. And going by Steve's logic, it's time to rethink trekking to New York in January to celebrate Holmes' birthday.
Following Steve was one of the most informative talks of the day. Brent Morris took everyone through an NSA analysis of how Holmes broke the cipher in The Dancing Men. My notes from this talk were pretty extensive, but a few highlights are that the letter E accounts for 1/8 of normal English, the letters E,T,N,O,R,I,A and S are the most common (not R,S,T,L,N and E as Wheel of Fortune would have you believe), and that the most common letters in the English language are an anagram of "senorita." That's got to come up in trivia at some point in my life, right? Brent also kept referring to Holmes' work in DANC as "crypt analysis," and I kept getting images of Holmes working a code while inside the crypt from Shoscombe Old Place.
Liese Sherwood-Fabre rounded out the program with an insightful talk on the justice and penal system in Victorian England. And making my teacher heart happy, she had handouts!
As the program wrapped up, I was happy to see that I'd sold a handful of books, and even happier to know that I was taking home more for myself to read. That's what dealer's tables are for, right?
Dinner took us to a local BBQ spot and before we ate I was privy to my first ever speed word search. It's stressful looking for all of those words while you're being timed! Once everyone had their food, conversations started up all around the room. Peter Eckrich and I spent quite a bit of time talking with Dan and Ann Andriacco, two wonderful folks. Dan and Ann's son has recently been stationed close to St. Louis, so we were filling them in on all of the things to do with and without the grandkids every when they visit. I was lucky enough to have Dan next to my table all day at the conference. He's one of those folks I've emailed back and forth with and I always check his blog, but getting to spend time with him in person was so great.
And that was my real take away from Holmes, Doyle and Friends. If all of the day's talks were published somewhere they would be interesting reading. But hearing them live as well as the questions and comments that came after were much better. If all of the conversations I had had happened through email, I still would've been happy, but being part of a group over a meal or a beer is just so much better! I started out my Sherlockian life as a guy who just interacted with people online, but the more and more I go to events, the more I know that Sherlockiana isn't just about the stories, it's about the people you engage with.
And these are some good people.
March 5, 2018
Interesting Interviews: Beth Gallego
This week will start a new feature on Interesting Though Elementary: Interesting Interviews. The world is full of great Sherlockians doing wonderful things. Each month, I hope to con one of them into answering a few questions about their views on our hobby, their interests, and the impact that they have on the Sherlockian world.
My inaugural interview is with Beth Gallego, head of The John H. Watson Society. The JHWS is the open and inclusive worldwide online Sherlockian society founded in 2013. In the five years since it's inception, the JWHS has made its mark on Sherlockiana. Establishing a regular journal, The Watsonian, putting out the annual John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt that invigorates and infuriates Sherlockians for an entire month, and publishing a very active blog are just a few of the society's contributions to Sherlockiana.
Beth Gallego is the acting head, or Boy in Buttons, of JHWS. Besides overseeing a major Sherlockian society, Beth is a mother, wife, librarian and knitter. All of these aspects of her life were chronicled in her delightful podcast, This Tangled Skein. Some people are hoping for season five of Sherlock or the third movie of the Robert Downey Jr. series, but for my money, the real Sherlockian hiatus is waiting for Beth to have time to revive what was my favorite podcast while it aired.
Beth also chronicles her reading adventures on her own personal blog and can be found weighing in on Sherlockian topics on Twitter. Beth is truly one of the most interesting Sherlockians out there, and I consider myself very lucky to get her thoughts on Sherlockians, the Canon, and the John H. Watson Society.
I define a "Sherlockian" as someone who is interested in Sherlock Holmes, in any of his many and varied incarnations. It's someone who reads a story or sees a show and thinks, "I need to know more about this guy." It's someone who ends up doing more than just reading or watching; someone who engages with the stories in some way, whether that's in research, writing, art, or socializing.
I took my time in getting to Baker Street, but they do say that when the mind is ready, the master appears. So, for me, the Master appeared in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch. The short version of my Sherlockian origin story is that I watched (BBC) *Sherlock* in the time between Series 2 and Series 3, and I fell in love. I desperately needed to know more and to talk to people about my new obsession. There is a longer version that involves knitting, podcasts, and the Internet that I wrote for the book *About Being a Sherlockian* last year.
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" is the best story. (I wrote the essay on it for *About Sixty*.) I will admit to a soft spot for "The Illustrious Client" and "The Red-Headed League", though.
Adaptations and pastiches for young people: from board books to comic books to YA novels, I try to keep tabs on it all. I'm interested, too, in what I think of as "The Writings on the Writings on the Writings" - the history of Sherlockiana and Sherlockians, the way interest has waxed and waned over the years and the different ways people have expressed that interest, such as forming societies, writing books, creating art, and collecting anything and everything.
I like looking into some of the quirky details that pop up in the Canon. Like Watson's "rubber-soled tennis shoes" in CHAS or the Vegetarian Restaurant in REDH. After all, there's nothing so important as trifles.
The John H Watson Society was founded in friendship. Don Libey (the original "Buttons") created it as a birthday gift for his friend, Don Yates. He said that it was modeled on "the highly energetic and enthusiastic culture of The Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H."
Our "Buttons" described the mission of the Society as "committed to recognition of Doctor Watson’s contributions, albeit often masked and misunderstood, to the cases, adventures and memoirs he wrote as the first biographer of Sherlock Holmes. The Society believes that Watson has an equality of stature with Holmes and that his accomplishments and talents deserve further scholarship and research. The various film and TV depictions of John H Watson have introduced opportunities for Revisionist concepts and writing never before entertained, and the endless research into the Traditionalist relationship of Watson to the Canon is, equally, verdant with new potential."
In addition to our website, we are a publishing Society, printing two issues of our journal, The Watsonian, each year. In the past, we have also published a series of monographs and a series of novellas by members of the Society.
It has been, from the beginning, an open, Internet-based society welcoming Sherlockians from all over the world and at all stages of involvement. At heart, we're about having fun.
When our "Buttons" passed away, he left very big shoes to fill. The Society was his labor of love, and he performed a lot of the labor himself! When he appointed me the Associate Webmistress, he was spending several hours a day on the Society, an hour of which was just working on the technological aspects. He wrote the first two Treasure Hunts, created weekly quizzes, and posted a weekly discussion topic, in addition to other activity on the website and behind the scenes. After his unexpected passing, it took a team of several members to do what "Buttons" had been doing!
My primary role as "Selena Buttons" is to keep the Society running smoothly. I still take care of the website administrative tasks, and I'm always on the look-out for folks who would like to contribute to the blog, write quizzes, or contribute in some other way. I maintain the physical inventory of publication back issues for the Shop and fulfill orders. I communicate with our Publications Editor (who has her own team of Associate Editors) about the Watsonian issues and check in with our Treasurer about finances. I keep track of memberships; yes, I'm the one who assigns Society Monikers to new members. And I generally promote the Society wherever and whenever I can.
Since we are a large Society with members from many different backgrounds and points of view, discussions can become heated. There are some topics that people have *very strong feelings* about, and we don't all have to agree, but we do have to treat each other with respect. I sometimes have to remind people that we are here to engage with the Canon with a sense of fun. Friendship is our watchword: Dr Watson was the best friend one could ever hope to have. I strive to live up to that.
I don't! At least, not until everyone else does.
I subscribe to the *Baker Street Journal* and the *Serpentine Muse*, as well as receiving the *Sherlock Holmes Journal* and *Canadian Holmes* with membership in the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Bootmakers of Toronto, respectively. And, of course, *The Watsonian*. I find the range of scholarship fascinating and a little intimidating, frankly. I also read quite a bit of pastiche; some of it is fabulous (hi, Lyndsay Faye!), some of it not so much! I'm lucky to have an amazing used bookstore quite close to me, so I regularly drop in and find something interesting to take home.
That's an interesting thing to ponder. In 2023, the last of the Case-Book stories should fall into public domain in the US. By then, I expect both CBS *Elementary* and the Guy Ritchie films will have wrapped up their runs. (I have faith that we will at some point get that third Ritchie film.) Then again, we'll probably have had one more series from the BBC, so there will be plenty of heated discussion in whatever online forum rises up between now and then. (#SorryNotSorry)
Scholarship will continue to explore the nooks and crannies of the Canon from points of view that have been underrepresented in the past. Local groups will form and sometimes disperse, just as they have for decades now.
For a long time, Sherlockians who wanted to talk to other Sherlockians had to get themselves to a scheduled meeting or wait for their words to appear in print, and then wait some more for the response to appear. Technology has given us nearly instant and constant opportunities for discussion with Sherlockians of radically different backgrounds and interests. This, of course, has been a double-edged sword. But the world only spins forward, and who knows what innovations will come in the next few years?
I suspect we'll be just on the cusp of a new interpretation that sets off another surge of interest and brings in a new wave of fans. A new movie, television show, Internet series, 3-D holographic interactive virtual reality experience.... I can't quite imagine what it will be. But I look forward to finding out.
My inaugural interview is with Beth Gallego, head of The John H. Watson Society. The JHWS is the open and inclusive worldwide online Sherlockian society founded in 2013. In the five years since it's inception, the JWHS has made its mark on Sherlockiana. Establishing a regular journal, The Watsonian, putting out the annual John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt that invigorates and infuriates Sherlockians for an entire month, and publishing a very active blog are just a few of the society's contributions to Sherlockiana.
Beth Gallego is the acting head, or Boy in Buttons, of JHWS. Besides overseeing a major Sherlockian society, Beth is a mother, wife, librarian and knitter. All of these aspects of her life were chronicled in her delightful podcast, This Tangled Skein. Some people are hoping for season five of Sherlock or the third movie of the Robert Downey Jr. series, but for my money, the real Sherlockian hiatus is waiting for Beth to have time to revive what was my favorite podcast while it aired.
Beth also chronicles her reading adventures on her own personal blog and can be found weighing in on Sherlockian topics on Twitter. Beth is truly one of the most interesting Sherlockians out there, and I consider myself very lucky to get her thoughts on Sherlockians, the Canon, and the John H. Watson Society.
How do you define the word 'Sherlockian'?
I define a "Sherlockian" as someone who is interested in Sherlock Holmes, in any of his many and varied incarnations. It's someone who reads a story or sees a show and thinks, "I need to know more about this guy." It's someone who ends up doing more than just reading or watching; someone who engages with the stories in some way, whether that's in research, writing, art, or socializing.
How did you become a Sherlockian?
I took my time in getting to Baker Street, but they do say that when the mind is ready, the master appears. So, for me, the Master appeared in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch. The short version of my Sherlockian origin story is that I watched (BBC) *Sherlock* in the time between Series 2 and Series 3, and I fell in love. I desperately needed to know more and to talk to people about my new obsession. There is a longer version that involves knitting, podcasts, and the Internet that I wrote for the book *About Being a Sherlockian* last year.
What is your favorite canonical story?
"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" is the best story. (I wrote the essay on it for *About Sixty*.) I will admit to a soft spot for "The Illustrious Client" and "The Red-Headed League", though.
What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?
Adaptations and pastiches for young people: from board books to comic books to YA novels, I try to keep tabs on it all. I'm interested, too, in what I think of as "The Writings on the Writings on the Writings" - the history of Sherlockiana and Sherlockians, the way interest has waxed and waned over the years and the different ways people have expressed that interest, such as forming societies, writing books, creating art, and collecting anything and everything.
What things do you like to research related to Sherlock Holmes?
I like looking into some of the quirky details that pop up in the Canon. Like Watson's "rubber-soled tennis shoes" in CHAS or the Vegetarian Restaurant in REDH. After all, there's nothing so important as trifles.
What is the mission behind the John H. Watson Society and why was it formed?
The John H Watson Society was founded in friendship. Don Libey (the original "Buttons") created it as a birthday gift for his friend, Don Yates. He said that it was modeled on "the highly energetic and enthusiastic culture of The Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H."
Our "Buttons" described the mission of the Society as "committed to recognition of Doctor Watson’s contributions, albeit often masked and misunderstood, to the cases, adventures and memoirs he wrote as the first biographer of Sherlock Holmes. The Society believes that Watson has an equality of stature with Holmes and that his accomplishments and talents deserve further scholarship and research. The various film and TV depictions of John H Watson have introduced opportunities for Revisionist concepts and writing never before entertained, and the endless research into the Traditionalist relationship of Watson to the Canon is, equally, verdant with new potential."
In addition to our website, we are a publishing Society, printing two issues of our journal, The Watsonian, each year. In the past, we have also published a series of monographs and a series of novellas by members of the Society.
It has been, from the beginning, an open, Internet-based society welcoming Sherlockians from all over the world and at all stages of involvement. At heart, we're about having fun.
As head of JHWS, what is your role?
When our "Buttons" passed away, he left very big shoes to fill. The Society was his labor of love, and he performed a lot of the labor himself! When he appointed me the Associate Webmistress, he was spending several hours a day on the Society, an hour of which was just working on the technological aspects. He wrote the first two Treasure Hunts, created weekly quizzes, and posted a weekly discussion topic, in addition to other activity on the website and behind the scenes. After his unexpected passing, it took a team of several members to do what "Buttons" had been doing!
My primary role as "Selena Buttons" is to keep the Society running smoothly. I still take care of the website administrative tasks, and I'm always on the look-out for folks who would like to contribute to the blog, write quizzes, or contribute in some other way. I maintain the physical inventory of publication back issues for the Shop and fulfill orders. I communicate with our Publications Editor (who has her own team of Associate Editors) about the Watsonian issues and check in with our Treasurer about finances. I keep track of memberships; yes, I'm the one who assigns Society Monikers to new members. And I generally promote the Society wherever and whenever I can.
Since we are a large Society with members from many different backgrounds and points of view, discussions can become heated. There are some topics that people have *very strong feelings* about, and we don't all have to agree, but we do have to treat each other with respect. I sometimes have to remind people that we are here to engage with the Canon with a sense of fun. Friendship is our watchword: Dr Watson was the best friend one could ever hope to have. I strive to live up to that.
Do you get to see the answers to the treasure hunt? (Because I know a guy who might be willing to pay for them)
I don't! At least, not until everyone else does.
What Sherlockian things do you like to read besides the Canon?
I subscribe to the *Baker Street Journal* and the *Serpentine Muse*, as well as receiving the *Sherlock Holmes Journal* and *Canadian Holmes* with membership in the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Bootmakers of Toronto, respectively. And, of course, *The Watsonian*. I find the range of scholarship fascinating and a little intimidating, frankly. I also read quite a bit of pastiche; some of it is fabulous (hi, Lyndsay Faye!), some of it not so much! I'm lucky to have an amazing used bookstore quite close to me, so I regularly drop in and find something interesting to take home.
Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?
That's an interesting thing to ponder. In 2023, the last of the Case-Book stories should fall into public domain in the US. By then, I expect both CBS *Elementary* and the Guy Ritchie films will have wrapped up their runs. (I have faith that we will at some point get that third Ritchie film.) Then again, we'll probably have had one more series from the BBC, so there will be plenty of heated discussion in whatever online forum rises up between now and then. (#SorryNotSorry)
Scholarship will continue to explore the nooks and crannies of the Canon from points of view that have been underrepresented in the past. Local groups will form and sometimes disperse, just as they have for decades now.
For a long time, Sherlockians who wanted to talk to other Sherlockians had to get themselves to a scheduled meeting or wait for their words to appear in print, and then wait some more for the response to appear. Technology has given us nearly instant and constant opportunities for discussion with Sherlockians of radically different backgrounds and interests. This, of course, has been a double-edged sword. But the world only spins forward, and who knows what innovations will come in the next few years?
I suspect we'll be just on the cusp of a new interpretation that sets off another surge of interest and brings in a new wave of fans. A new movie, television show, Internet series, 3-D holographic interactive virtual reality experience.... I can't quite imagine what it will be. But I look forward to finding out.
February 25, 2018
I Have Heard Some Really Extraordinary Stories
Last week's post stirred up some discussion. I had my own hypocrisy pointed out in the comments section, gatekeeping was discussed on Facebook, and issues were raised on Twitter. I think having open discussions about our differences is healthy and helps us grow, so the natural progression would be to double down on last week's topic. But I think I'm going to take a left turn here.
A lot of comments I saw in different spots had to do with the differences in Sherlockians. And my guiding principal is that all of our interests stem from the Canon. (If you're not interested in Doyle's original stories and only want to talk about later interpretations of those characters, then I believe we have different interests.) And because of that, and we are already two months into 2018, let's revisit how we are doing in The Irregular Canonical Book Club.
One of my goals for 2018 is to read a short story each week, and I'm proud to say that I've stayed on pace so far! Already, I've read:
The Adventure of the Three StudentsThe Adventure of the Copper BeechesThe Adventure of the Musgrave RitualThe Adventure of the Reigate SquireThe Adventure of the Crooked ManThe Adventure of the Golden Pince NezThe Adventure of the Resident Patient
I've mapped out the stories so that the two scions I belong to won't overlap with my Irregular Canonical Book Club reading. In an interesting turn of events, I've found myself starting from about the middle of the Canon - not a typical starting point.
And you know what? It's nice.
When I came up with this plan, I figured January would have me reading about Irene Adler, redheads, short sighted women and Australian criminals, while February would take me to stories about the KKK, beggars, geese and snakes. That's what you expect when you start to read the Canon.
Instead, I was reliving academic scandals, mysterious employers and Holmes' origins as 2018 started. These stories aren't the top stars of the Canon, but are still really good stories. So are the big hits so popular in some part due to the fact that they are up front in the Canon?
Don't get me wrong, SCAN, SPEC, REDH and BLUE are fantastic stories and I love reading them and teaching them to my students, but do they get a little extra boost because they are right up front in the list of stories?
If Helen Stoner's plight were part of The Case-Book, would it still be held up as one of the best stories in the Canon, or simply just another good Sherlock Holmes tale? If Baron Gruner's crimes were part of The Adventures, would he eclipse Moriarty in popularity?
I can't answer those questions, but I can say that I'm looking forward to 44 more weeks of Sherlock Holmes stories in an order that gets me thinking about them in a new light!
How about you? Those of you out there who are rereading the Canon in 2018, how is your year going so far?
A lot of comments I saw in different spots had to do with the differences in Sherlockians. And my guiding principal is that all of our interests stem from the Canon. (If you're not interested in Doyle's original stories and only want to talk about later interpretations of those characters, then I believe we have different interests.) And because of that, and we are already two months into 2018, let's revisit how we are doing in The Irregular Canonical Book Club.
One of my goals for 2018 is to read a short story each week, and I'm proud to say that I've stayed on pace so far! Already, I've read:
The Adventure of the Three StudentsThe Adventure of the Copper BeechesThe Adventure of the Musgrave RitualThe Adventure of the Reigate SquireThe Adventure of the Crooked ManThe Adventure of the Golden Pince NezThe Adventure of the Resident Patient
I've mapped out the stories so that the two scions I belong to won't overlap with my Irregular Canonical Book Club reading. In an interesting turn of events, I've found myself starting from about the middle of the Canon - not a typical starting point.
And you know what? It's nice.
When I came up with this plan, I figured January would have me reading about Irene Adler, redheads, short sighted women and Australian criminals, while February would take me to stories about the KKK, beggars, geese and snakes. That's what you expect when you start to read the Canon.
Instead, I was reliving academic scandals, mysterious employers and Holmes' origins as 2018 started. These stories aren't the top stars of the Canon, but are still really good stories. So are the big hits so popular in some part due to the fact that they are up front in the Canon?
Don't get me wrong, SCAN, SPEC, REDH and BLUE are fantastic stories and I love reading them and teaching them to my students, but do they get a little extra boost because they are right up front in the list of stories?
If Helen Stoner's plight were part of The Case-Book, would it still be held up as one of the best stories in the Canon, or simply just another good Sherlock Holmes tale? If Baron Gruner's crimes were part of The Adventures, would he eclipse Moriarty in popularity?
I can't answer those questions, but I can say that I'm looking forward to 44 more weeks of Sherlock Holmes stories in an order that gets me thinking about them in a new light!
How about you? Those of you out there who are rereading the Canon in 2018, how is your year going so far?
February 21, 2018
February 18, 2018
A Safe Space in Sherlockiana
A quick follow up from last week: I promised a link to the recap from St. Louis' Noble Bachelors meeting where the St. Louis Sherlockian Research Collection was debuted. You can find a report with lots of pictures HERE.
**********
A few days ago, I read the School Library Journal article on sexual harassment in children's publishing, and more specifically, the comments section following it where women in the children's publishing industry told tales and named names of sexual harassment they've endured from well-known names in that industry. As a fifth grade teacher, seeing some of those names really bothered me. This affects books that I put in the hands of my students and will result in changes to how I choose books to place in my classroom library in the future.
Not these, though.
So, what does all of this have to do with a blog about Sherlockians, you ask? Well, there are two areas in my life that I am deeply interested in: teaching and Sherlockiana. As I was reading the SLJ article and comments, I was struck with the fact that if an industry that one could expect to be wholesome, such as children's publishing, can be affected by this, can my other interest?
That thought really made me stop and think. I'm a middle-aged white guy, so I can be very oblivious to issues concerning other groups until it's pointed out to me. But this thought really worried me. Now, let me make myself clear, I am NOT saying that Sherlockiana has a history of sexual harassment, and I am not aware of any such allegations. But what concerns me is, have we made our hobby an inviting one and a safe space for people who aren't white dudes?
I think the male/female dynamic in our hobby is a fairly stable one, but the generational differences worry me.
Just so you know, I couldn't find anything other than a
white boy for a picture of kid Sherlock Holmes.
One of the most prominent flare ups was in 2012 between longtime Sherlockian Phillip Shreffler and The Baker Street Babes. Other instances, such as disagreements over gender identification, "fan" vs. "devotee" debates, and how meetings and events should be run continue to happen when two generations exist in the same space.
But as I write this, I'm still very hopeful. The Baker Street Irregulars weekend and 221B Con are two WILDLY different events, but they both stem from the same root: Sherlock Holmes. And if you want to break Sherlockians into camps of "old" and "new", there are "new" Sherlockians represented at the BSI weekend, and "old" Sherlockians represented at 221B Con. Many Cumberbatch fans have embraced Brett's interpretation of Holmes while traditionalists are happy to listen to a anime fan discuss the parallels to the Canon.
I am by no means an expert on this, just an observer. I don't expect the old guard who still subscribe to every paper journal to sign up for Tumblr anytime soon, but places like The Stranger's Room on Facebook creates a nice middle ground.
Last week, I posted about my excitement about Sherlockiana in St. Louis and the upcoming Holmes in the Heartland weekend we have planned for August. It was a conscious effort on our part to make it welcoming to Sherlockians of all generations. At one planning meeting, we discussed finding a middle road between the BSI Weekend and 221B Con. I think this middle ground is the future of Sherlockiana.
Holmes famously said of Moriarty, "He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them." Why not create our own center of a Sherlockian web, where we can know every quiver of interests out there and investigate the ones that interest us? Chronologists and cosplayers can coexist in our safe middle ground without judgement. Elementary fans and Robert Downey Jr. devotees can discuss their favorite canonical tales. People with grey hair can enjoy a drink with people with purple hair.
Why the hell not? We're all here because of Sherlock Holmes, and we should welcome everyone into a safe space where no judgments are passed.
**********
A few days ago, I read the School Library Journal article on sexual harassment in children's publishing, and more specifically, the comments section following it where women in the children's publishing industry told tales and named names of sexual harassment they've endured from well-known names in that industry. As a fifth grade teacher, seeing some of those names really bothered me. This affects books that I put in the hands of my students and will result in changes to how I choose books to place in my classroom library in the future.
Not these, though.So, what does all of this have to do with a blog about Sherlockians, you ask? Well, there are two areas in my life that I am deeply interested in: teaching and Sherlockiana. As I was reading the SLJ article and comments, I was struck with the fact that if an industry that one could expect to be wholesome, such as children's publishing, can be affected by this, can my other interest?
That thought really made me stop and think. I'm a middle-aged white guy, so I can be very oblivious to issues concerning other groups until it's pointed out to me. But this thought really worried me. Now, let me make myself clear, I am NOT saying that Sherlockiana has a history of sexual harassment, and I am not aware of any such allegations. But what concerns me is, have we made our hobby an inviting one and a safe space for people who aren't white dudes?
I think the male/female dynamic in our hobby is a fairly stable one, but the generational differences worry me.
Just so you know, I couldn't find anything other than a white boy for a picture of kid Sherlock Holmes.
One of the most prominent flare ups was in 2012 between longtime Sherlockian Phillip Shreffler and The Baker Street Babes. Other instances, such as disagreements over gender identification, "fan" vs. "devotee" debates, and how meetings and events should be run continue to happen when two generations exist in the same space.
But as I write this, I'm still very hopeful. The Baker Street Irregulars weekend and 221B Con are two WILDLY different events, but they both stem from the same root: Sherlock Holmes. And if you want to break Sherlockians into camps of "old" and "new", there are "new" Sherlockians represented at the BSI weekend, and "old" Sherlockians represented at 221B Con. Many Cumberbatch fans have embraced Brett's interpretation of Holmes while traditionalists are happy to listen to a anime fan discuss the parallels to the Canon.
I am by no means an expert on this, just an observer. I don't expect the old guard who still subscribe to every paper journal to sign up for Tumblr anytime soon, but places like The Stranger's Room on Facebook creates a nice middle ground.
Last week, I posted about my excitement about Sherlockiana in St. Louis and the upcoming Holmes in the Heartland weekend we have planned for August. It was a conscious effort on our part to make it welcoming to Sherlockians of all generations. At one planning meeting, we discussed finding a middle road between the BSI Weekend and 221B Con. I think this middle ground is the future of Sherlockiana.
Holmes famously said of Moriarty, "He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them." Why not create our own center of a Sherlockian web, where we can know every quiver of interests out there and investigate the ones that interest us? Chronologists and cosplayers can coexist in our safe middle ground without judgement. Elementary fans and Robert Downey Jr. devotees can discuss their favorite canonical tales. People with grey hair can enjoy a drink with people with purple hair.
Why the hell not? We're all here because of Sherlock Holmes, and we should welcome everyone into a safe space where no judgments are passed.
February 11, 2018
One (Or Two) Events of Importance in Town
Well, that escalated quickly.
Last week's post, An Open Letter to Steven Moffatt, garnered over 5,600 views as of today. Wow. What I had intended to just be a post for me to vent about Moffatt's handling of his viewers and the characters they enjoy really blew up!
And, for the overwhelming amount of you that had nice words to say about the post whether you agreed with me or not, thank you. I love that there are a lot of us out there that can connect with one another and share our opinions.
And for the few that felt the need to tell me that my opinion wasn't valid, that's your opinion. And I am happy to give your opinion just as much validity as you gave mine.
Moving on!
I live in Edwardsville, IL, about 20 minutes east of St. Louis, MO. So, St. Louis is naturally my Sherlockian hub. And what a hub it's becoming! We have five active scion societies in the city and suburbs, and a history of others that have come and gone throughout the city's history. Dr. Gray Chandler Briggs of St. Louis, first identified the real 221B Baker Street as 111 Baker Street on a trip to London in the 1930's. Other notable Sherlockians such as Philip Shreffler, Pasquale Accardo, and many others have called St. Louis their home.
But I'm not here to talk about the past (although I could listen to the stories about it all day long...). What gets me really excited is the POTENTIAL of St. Louis's future in Sherlockiana.
Yesterday, the Noble Bachelors of St. Louis held its annual meeting. Typically, this is a dinner, with a noted speaker, quiz, and socialization. What we got yesterday was all of that and more! Instead of the typical venue of the past few years, The Noble Bachelors took the opportunity to use this year's meeting to unveil the Sherlockian Research Collection at the St. Louis Public Library's Rare Books and Special Collections Room. This collection houses a complete run of The Baker Street Journal, as well as many other texts for research use by ANY Sherlockian who wishes to visit St. Louis.
Although I've talked about the collection before, this was my first time seeing it on display. And let me tell you, it looks much nicer than when it was in all of those boxes I had to help move! The Parallel Case of St. Louis blog will have a recap and write up of the Noble Bachelors event and the dedication of the library next week, and I will be sure to link to that story in my next post.
Man, I love Sherlockian gatherings! I was honored to be recognized as the Noble Bachelor of the Year by the group. But also, a bunch of Sherlockians got together and talked about Sherlock Holmes! (It was an added bonus that we were in a truly beautiful library. Talk about ambiance!) I knew most of the people in the room, but don't get to see some of them on a regular basis. It was great to touch base with folks and meet other Sherlockians that I've only known by name.
And this is what I'm really excited for when Holmes in the Heartland happens in August. The Parallel Case of St. Louis just released the first details for the event, happening August 10-12. And, I'm a little biased, but I think the lineup of speakers is a very impressive one! I'm just going to quote the Parallel Case's website here:
Confirmed speakers include:Tim Johnson, curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of MinnesotaMary Schroeder, founder of the St. Louis Sherlockian collection and longtime St. Louis SherlockianBill Mason, BSI, author of "Pursuing Sherlock Holmes" and former Head Light of The Beacon SocietyTassy Hayden, fan fiction writer and co-host of the wildly popular The Three Patch PodcastBrad Keefauver, BSI, blogger at Sherlock Peoria and author of "The Elementary Methods of Sherlock Holmes"Don Hobbs, BSI, owner of the largest foreign language Sherlockian book collection
C'mon.... tell me this isn't a group you would want to hear speak? We have a few other presentations that haven't been confirmed yet, so there will be more to announce soon!
We also wanted to hold some optional events on Friday and Sunday to allow for people's different travel plans. Friday night will be the Welcome to St. Louis Blues Carbuncle and 221BBQ Night, featuring a tour of the National Blues Museum and dinner at Sugarfire Smokehouse in downtown St. Louis. And Sunday, there will be a high tea at The London Tea Room and a tour of the Becker Medical Library on the campus of Washington University.
I can go on and on about how much I'm looking forward to this event and how great the people planning it are, but this post has been long enough already. Registration for Holmes in the Heartland opens in May, so mark your calendars. Please come at once and join us there. A jemmy, a dark lantern, a chisel, and a revolver are optional.
Last week's post, An Open Letter to Steven Moffatt, garnered over 5,600 views as of today. Wow. What I had intended to just be a post for me to vent about Moffatt's handling of his viewers and the characters they enjoy really blew up!
And, for the overwhelming amount of you that had nice words to say about the post whether you agreed with me or not, thank you. I love that there are a lot of us out there that can connect with one another and share our opinions.
And for the few that felt the need to tell me that my opinion wasn't valid, that's your opinion. And I am happy to give your opinion just as much validity as you gave mine.
Moving on!
I live in Edwardsville, IL, about 20 minutes east of St. Louis, MO. So, St. Louis is naturally my Sherlockian hub. And what a hub it's becoming! We have five active scion societies in the city and suburbs, and a history of others that have come and gone throughout the city's history. Dr. Gray Chandler Briggs of St. Louis, first identified the real 221B Baker Street as 111 Baker Street on a trip to London in the 1930's. Other notable Sherlockians such as Philip Shreffler, Pasquale Accardo, and many others have called St. Louis their home.
But I'm not here to talk about the past (although I could listen to the stories about it all day long...). What gets me really excited is the POTENTIAL of St. Louis's future in Sherlockiana.
Yesterday, the Noble Bachelors of St. Louis held its annual meeting. Typically, this is a dinner, with a noted speaker, quiz, and socialization. What we got yesterday was all of that and more! Instead of the typical venue of the past few years, The Noble Bachelors took the opportunity to use this year's meeting to unveil the Sherlockian Research Collection at the St. Louis Public Library's Rare Books and Special Collections Room. This collection houses a complete run of The Baker Street Journal, as well as many other texts for research use by ANY Sherlockian who wishes to visit St. Louis.
Although I've talked about the collection before, this was my first time seeing it on display. And let me tell you, it looks much nicer than when it was in all of those boxes I had to help move! The Parallel Case of St. Louis blog will have a recap and write up of the Noble Bachelors event and the dedication of the library next week, and I will be sure to link to that story in my next post.
Man, I love Sherlockian gatherings! I was honored to be recognized as the Noble Bachelor of the Year by the group. But also, a bunch of Sherlockians got together and talked about Sherlock Holmes! (It was an added bonus that we were in a truly beautiful library. Talk about ambiance!) I knew most of the people in the room, but don't get to see some of them on a regular basis. It was great to touch base with folks and meet other Sherlockians that I've only known by name.
And this is what I'm really excited for when Holmes in the Heartland happens in August. The Parallel Case of St. Louis just released the first details for the event, happening August 10-12. And, I'm a little biased, but I think the lineup of speakers is a very impressive one! I'm just going to quote the Parallel Case's website here:
Confirmed speakers include:Tim Johnson, curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of MinnesotaMary Schroeder, founder of the St. Louis Sherlockian collection and longtime St. Louis SherlockianBill Mason, BSI, author of "Pursuing Sherlock Holmes" and former Head Light of The Beacon SocietyTassy Hayden, fan fiction writer and co-host of the wildly popular The Three Patch PodcastBrad Keefauver, BSI, blogger at Sherlock Peoria and author of "The Elementary Methods of Sherlock Holmes"Don Hobbs, BSI, owner of the largest foreign language Sherlockian book collection
C'mon.... tell me this isn't a group you would want to hear speak? We have a few other presentations that haven't been confirmed yet, so there will be more to announce soon!
We also wanted to hold some optional events on Friday and Sunday to allow for people's different travel plans. Friday night will be the Welcome to St. Louis Blues Carbuncle and 221BBQ Night, featuring a tour of the National Blues Museum and dinner at Sugarfire Smokehouse in downtown St. Louis. And Sunday, there will be a high tea at The London Tea Room and a tour of the Becker Medical Library on the campus of Washington University.
I can go on and on about how much I'm looking forward to this event and how great the people planning it are, but this post has been long enough already. Registration for Holmes in the Heartland opens in May, so mark your calendars. Please come at once and join us there. A jemmy, a dark lantern, a chisel, and a revolver are optional.
February 4, 2018
An Open Letter to Steven Moffatt
On Thursday, Radio Times gave Steven Moffatt another opportunity to dangle the possibility of more Sherlock to the show's fans. And the internet took another vague statement from him as a definite confirmation that BBC's update of the Sherlock Holmes stories will be back in 2020 or 2021.
I would like to formally address Mr. Moffatt and his recurring hints about returning Sherlock to TV:
Stop.
Please stop.
You've done enough.
Mr. Moffatt, you have taken Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories and brought them to a whole new generation that has created such an outpouring of emotion for The Great Detective that will not be rivaled again in my lifetime. Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, and your take on him created a groundswell that was revolutionary.
Season one was some of the finest television I've ever seen in my life! After season one, the cultural revolution was on, and you were of course going to adapt three of the most popular of all the Holmes stories: Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, and The Hound. You went down the tried and true pastiche road of over-inflating Moriarty and Adler's roles in the Sherlock Holmes world, but your episodes were great, so I forgive you for that. And the cliffhanger of season two? Hoo boy! (It's not too soon to talk about spoilers yet, is it?)
And then came season three. Gotta say, I didn't love it. For me, the show became more of "This is Steven Moffatt's character and not Conan Doyle's character, and Steven Moffatt will do what Steven Moffatt wants."
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Okay.... I wasn't totally sold on season three. I still bought the blu-ray when it came out, but the show was very different from the brilliance I loved in season one. And then there was quite a bit of a hiatus. But to appease the fan base, we were given a Victorian Christmas special.
Oh My God. Look at how good this looks! All doubts I had after season three were gone. Mr. Moffatt, you told us that this wasn't going to have to do anything with the arc of the contemporary Sherlock series, that this was just something fun that you wanted to do with the characters. I'm sold! I even got my wife to sit down and watch the Victorian special with me, and she has NO interest in Sherlock Holmes.
When Mycroft said his line about "a virus in the computer," I cringed. Oh no. We'd been sold a bill of goods. What had promised to be a fun throwback to a different time ended up to be a crazy convoluted fever dream. At one point, my wife looked at me and asked, "Why do you like this show?" I couldn't come up with an answer to that anymore.
But, like the Sherlockian fan that I am, I came back for season four. Admittedly, I didn't have high hopes, but Culverton Smith is a great character, and I looked forward to seeing what you could do with him.
And I got what I deserved. Four and a half hours of crap spread over three weeks.
The aquarium scene:
John punching Sherlock:
And Eurus?
The show had taken a hard left turn in to Crazy Town, and Steven Moffatt was the giddy mayor out to prove that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with these characters, because he's Steven Moffatt, dammit.
It's been over a year, and the last episode still makes me angry. What kind of shitshow was that supposed to be? Did you forget that you had 60 stories of Conan Doyle's to work with and decided that you really liked the SAW movies instead?
BBC's Sherlock started out as one of the greatest things on TV and turned into complete trash. But you can't leave well enough alone, can you? "Maybe we'll come back..." "There's more stories to tell..." "Sherlock and John grow old together..."
Please, just admit that you are done bastardizing Sherlock Holmes and move on to other projects. Dracula. King Arthur. Blackadder. Red Dwarf. Monty Python. Big Brother. Go stick your grubby little hands into some other British intellectual property and leave Sherlock Holmes alone.
I will be forever grateful for the great television that your first two seasons brought us, and even more thankful for the great fans that it produced and introduced to Conan Doyle's stories and the Sherlockian world at large.
We've got it from here, Steve. Those of us who revel in the Canon more than you obviously do are happy to take the BBC fans and discuss the original stories with them. And there's a great fan fiction community out there for fans that want to keep telling stories about Sherlock, John, Molly, Mystrade, otters, and whatever else they can think up.
Mr. Moffat, You've done your part. It's time to move on.
I would like to formally address Mr. Moffatt and his recurring hints about returning Sherlock to TV:
Stop.Please stop.
You've done enough.
Mr. Moffatt, you have taken Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories and brought them to a whole new generation that has created such an outpouring of emotion for The Great Detective that will not be rivaled again in my lifetime. Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, and your take on him created a groundswell that was revolutionary.
Season one was some of the finest television I've ever seen in my life! After season one, the cultural revolution was on, and you were of course going to adapt three of the most popular of all the Holmes stories: Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, and The Hound. You went down the tried and true pastiche road of over-inflating Moriarty and Adler's roles in the Sherlock Holmes world, but your episodes were great, so I forgive you for that. And the cliffhanger of season two? Hoo boy! (It's not too soon to talk about spoilers yet, is it?)
And then came season three. Gotta say, I didn't love it. For me, the show became more of "This is Steven Moffatt's character and not Conan Doyle's character, and Steven Moffatt will do what Steven Moffatt wants."
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Okay.... I wasn't totally sold on season three. I still bought the blu-ray when it came out, but the show was very different from the brilliance I loved in season one. And then there was quite a bit of a hiatus. But to appease the fan base, we were given a Victorian Christmas special.
Oh My God. Look at how good this looks! All doubts I had after season three were gone. Mr. Moffatt, you told us that this wasn't going to have to do anything with the arc of the contemporary Sherlock series, that this was just something fun that you wanted to do with the characters. I'm sold! I even got my wife to sit down and watch the Victorian special with me, and she has NO interest in Sherlock Holmes.
When Mycroft said his line about "a virus in the computer," I cringed. Oh no. We'd been sold a bill of goods. What had promised to be a fun throwback to a different time ended up to be a crazy convoluted fever dream. At one point, my wife looked at me and asked, "Why do you like this show?" I couldn't come up with an answer to that anymore.
But, like the Sherlockian fan that I am, I came back for season four. Admittedly, I didn't have high hopes, but Culverton Smith is a great character, and I looked forward to seeing what you could do with him.
And I got what I deserved. Four and a half hours of crap spread over three weeks.
The aquarium scene:
John punching Sherlock:
And Eurus?
The show had taken a hard left turn in to Crazy Town, and Steven Moffatt was the giddy mayor out to prove that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with these characters, because he's Steven Moffatt, dammit.
It's been over a year, and the last episode still makes me angry. What kind of shitshow was that supposed to be? Did you forget that you had 60 stories of Conan Doyle's to work with and decided that you really liked the SAW movies instead?
BBC's Sherlock started out as one of the greatest things on TV and turned into complete trash. But you can't leave well enough alone, can you? "Maybe we'll come back..." "There's more stories to tell..." "Sherlock and John grow old together..."
Please, just admit that you are done bastardizing Sherlock Holmes and move on to other projects. Dracula. King Arthur. Blackadder. Red Dwarf. Monty Python. Big Brother. Go stick your grubby little hands into some other British intellectual property and leave Sherlock Holmes alone.
I will be forever grateful for the great television that your first two seasons brought us, and even more thankful for the great fans that it produced and introduced to Conan Doyle's stories and the Sherlockian world at large.
We've got it from here, Steve. Those of us who revel in the Canon more than you obviously do are happy to take the BBC fans and discuss the original stories with them. And there's a great fan fiction community out there for fans that want to keep telling stories about Sherlock, John, Molly, Mystrade, otters, and whatever else they can think up.
Mr. Moffat, You've done your part. It's time to move on.
