I Hear Of Sherlock Everywhere

"those weekend parties" [SOLI]  While our last episode was recorded during the BSI Weekend in New York, we thought we'd cover some of the happenings in and around the  itself.   Our opening comments center around collecting and what makes a collector, but then we quickly launch into actual audio clips with individuals we met during the weekend. Our audio files open with an interview with  Art Levine, who has been attending BSI dinners since 1954. He knew and associated with the likes of Edgar Smith, Christopher Morley, Rex Stout, Basil Davenport and more.   We then flit from one newly minted BSI to another. You'll hear the excitement and energy in their voices that testify to the thrilling nature of receiving an investiture in this literary society.     We reach deep into the mail (voice and e) for our listener comments. And this episode's Gas-Lamp from the March 1995 Baker Street Journal (Vol. 45, No. 1) harkens back to our previous episode and looks at the serendipity of collecting - particularly acquirin

"...my little bookshop at the corner..." [EMPT]  When we have the opportunity to sit on a couple of sofas and interview some of the most erudite and interesting Baker Street Irregulars of our time, we take it. And it seems that the BSI Weekend serves as just the spot to do that. Two years ago, we had an opportunity to do just that with Michael Dirda (ref. ), and we were again afforded that opportunity this year. On January 16, 2014, we had the great fortune to find an upstairs room in The Players Club in Manhattan, where we plunked our microphones down in front of Ray Betzner, BSI ("The Agony Column") and the esteemed Susan Rice, BSI ("Beeswing"), ASH ("Some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen") and got them to wax poetic about the great Sherlockian and bookman, Vincent Starrett. While many people are familiar with the names of Edgar Smith and Christopher Morley when it comes to early Irregular history, Vincent Starrett may not be as widely known. He was certainly very well known in his own t

"About sixty" [BOSC] We've arrived at the Canonical number of 60 episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, so we thought it was time to celebrate in a manner suitable to such an important number. As you well know, there were 56 short stories and four novels about Sherlock Holmes, as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who in some circles is actually Watson's literary agent). In this discussion about the 60 stories, Burt and Scott delve into the origins of Sherlock Holmes and mine some original material from Doyle's biography . The journey takes us from a struggling young doctor who sold his first detective story for £25 to an encounter with Oscar Wilde that resulted in the second novel. We explore the role of the government and the burgeoning periodical industry that allowed the short stories catch on so rapidly, and the men who were able to capitalize on the craze, as told in  by Robert Veld, published by the Wessex Press (our sponsors). Following up on the  case, we briefly explore the issue of pirated

"the lawyers have been at it" [REIG]  As you've no doubt observed, if you've seen anything of the news of the past few days, the "Free Sherlock" case has concluded, . It's been big news, getting coverage in such circles as , , ,  and scores of other publications. As a listeners of our program know, Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") has been a frequent guest on the show, joining us for a  on his  to the Robert Downey, Jr. films, and then again  work. Of course, Les is also the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit in question. You can read some background to this here () and listen to one of our most popular episodes wherein we took up the question  We were once again joined by Les, who outlined the background of the case and discussed some of the legal aspects of copyright that have led us to this juncture. We try to keep the discussion as interesting as possible for the lay people out there, and Les even manages to bring in the 1903 coronation of Edward VII as part of the case law history. As if la

"We both thought the best resource" [SCAN] We can unabashedly say that we're huge fans of . So it was with great pleasure that we sat down with Jules Coomber and David Mather, two of the four (in addition to Emma and Leif) who run the burgeoning online presence of a site that pays homage to the BBC's Sherlock and the cast and crew that are responsible for it. It's been so well done that many think that it's either an official BBC site or that it's only about the show. Go with us behind the scenes to understand who these energetic and fascinating people are, what brought them to Sherlock Holmes, what keeps them committed, the relationships they've forged with the creators and staffers of the show, and some behind-the-scenes commentary about how this is all done. And please don't forget to visit , the online shop run by these enterprising people. All of the proceeds go back into running the site, which is purely a labor of love. Technically, this qualifies as our Christmas episode, which is entirely app

"We must be thankful for what we've got." [VALL]  For those in the United States, November is the month in which we celebrate Thanksgiving. We thought it a fitting time to reflect on some of the things we have to be thankful for in the world of Sherlock Holmes, and they are many. The show's multiple topics and many links reflect that. First, we have our Sherlockian society meetings. Whether you live in a city that is home to a venerable institution with a decades-old group of longstanding tradition or a town with a relatively new group, the autumn seems to be a time when meetings are held, toasts are recited and friendships rekindled. And if you haven't yet listened to  and , in which we discuss getting involved in or starting your own society, we highly recommend it. We're thankful of the work of Mr. , who helped us to transition the site from its years-old layout and to integrate content from the Baker Street Blog, to give the site its full functionality you see now. If you have a chance, get over t

"No ghosts need apply." [SUSS]  Holmes and the occult is our subject for this Halloween episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, and we're joined by editor and author , who together with J.R. Campbell edited , , and , joins us to talk about the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the spooky, outre and creepy, setting the tone for the season.  Charles (who goes by  on Twitter), had the great fortune to work with the likes of Barbara Hambly, Martin Powell and Kim Newman, among others, and he talks about the selection process for including authors and their works in the anthologies. Of course, Conan Doyle was no stranger to writing , and his Professor Challenger series dealt with such fantastical subjects as dinosaurs. We take Charles on a tangent and begin discussing the ideal Hollywood actor to portray the professor.  has contributed to Sherlock Magazine, Scarlet Street and Canadian Holmes and is a longtime Sherlockian, having been a member of the  in Calgary for 20 years and a Master Bootmaker of the  in

While our show normally allows us to inform our listeners about the Sherlockian world (and occasionally share gossipy tidbits and commentary), it is always a joy when we have the opportunity to welcome a guest to interview. This occasion was no exception, as we were fortunate enough to be joined by Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") from . Brad fashions himself , but he certainly held his own on our program, as he discussed his first meeting with Sherlock Holmes, noting that it was far from typical. It was theatrical in nature, but you'll have to listen to hear the exact work that captured Brad's attention. We were then off and running into the sci-fi world of Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and others, with Brad openly admitting his Trekkie origins (not that there's anything wrong with that). A class trip to Chicago brought him in touch with  and helped him realize that there was a world beyond the pastiches and films that he was most familiar with. Noted Irregular hermit Bob Burr ("The Rascally Lascar")

It's a show chock full of Sherlock Holmes news! Of course, Horace Harker was a reporter for the Central Press Syndicate in "The Six Napoleons," but in our case we're acting in his stead to share some of the most significant news to our own syndicate. We share a special announcement about a future feature of the program which we'll call "The Central Press Syndicate." But in the meantime, we have much to share... We pick up with a clarification on Lenore Glen Offord ("The Old Russian Woman") and tell you all about the 2011 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual, in which readers will be able to discover the many aspects of this intelligent and well-published writer. We also question what Investitures looked like under Edgar Smith's and Julian Wolff's time - particularly the presentation of the shilling as a medal. There's an opportunity for your feedback. Speaking of feedback, we're happy to share a good deal of listener mail and commentary from Episode 54. Thank you for all of your input and intelligent o

It's easy to assume that Sherlock Holmes's powers were something of an anomaly - that Holmes was a superhero with something akin to super powers, and we mere mortals cannot attain the same level of expertise and professionalism. But that assumption would be wrong, as author  has made abundantly clear. In her book , Konnikova, who holds a doctorate in psychology from Columbia University and writes the "" column for Scientific American, deconstructs the process of observation, deduction and self-knowledge. In doing so, she gives the reader concrete examples of how to approach the fabled scientific method, along with the psychology behind the process. While , our conversation with Maria in this episode took personal turns and got us much deeper into the creative process, her inspiration, and even a back story to Holmes that gave him these powers. In addition, we covered topics from the ridiculous to the sublime such as movie trailers and voice overs, storytelling, suggestions for getting your fix of Sherlo

The Baker Street Irregulars are widely known as a literary society dedicated to the study of Sherlock Holmes. Since 1934 the group has been gathering in New York City for  and has embarked on  centered around, , and analysis of extant . But more than that, the BSI wants to ensure that its own history and that of its members are recorded for posterity and the researchers who may be interested in it sometime in the future. Enter . In this episode, Burt and Scott interview Tom Francis, BSI ("The Imperial Opera at Warsaw), who is the Chair of the Trust. Tom helps us understand how and why the Trust was established, what its aims are, and how you can help this august institution. We discuss some of the holdings of the Houghton Library at Harvard University, where the Trust is housed, including the H.W. Bell collection - Bell having been an early Sherlockian scholar and member of The Speckled Band of Boston. The BSI Trust is a nonprofit organization as a subset of the Baker Street Irregulars. Donations are we

When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thinking. We blame this not on carelessness or laziness but rather on the overwhelming popularity of the great detective. The image of Holmes clad in deerstalker and Inverness cape, clenching a Meerschaum pipe in his teeth is the universal, if cliched, image of a detective. But was it true? We were recently reminded of a number of classic myths about Sherlock Holmes, thanks to (also a sponsor of our program): it has long been rumored that men wore black armbands throughout the city of London after reading "The Final Problem" in the Strand Magazine. And only anecdotal evidence has been referenced whenever this supposed fact is brought up. The BSJ is offering a free year's subscription to anyone who can definitively prove that such mourning attire was worn in response to the death of Sherlock Holmes. That got us to thinking: what other Sherlockian myths are there? And are we gui

We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts (we're careful to say neither "fans" nor "devotees" at this juncture).The first item of interest that grabbed our attention in early 2013 was the so-called "Free Sherlock" movement. Summed up, this is basically an issue that is being brought to court via a case titled , in which Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") is contesting the Conan Doyle Estate's claim that any new content that contains Sherlock Holmes must pay a royalty or license fee to the Estate. Burt and Scott parse through some of the non-technical/legal aspects of the case and discuss what's at stake.Speaking of being at stake, the other item on the docket is the debate as to what in fact constitutes a Sherlockian of good standing? That is, can one have arrived at the doorstep of 221B Baker Street via the BBC series (or Granada, or Universal, etc.) or must one have been school

Our 50th episode is a fitting one. As you know, a 50th anniversary is typically celebrated with gold. Because we appreciate our listeners so much, we would settle for nothing less than the same.But our gold comes in the form of a scintillating conversation with the two editors of the Baker Street Irregulars' eighth entry in their , , which is a look at the manuscript of "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez." Co-editors Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") and Robert Katz, MD, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") joined us to discuss just what it is that goes into creating a significant piece of scholarship such as we've come to expect from BSI publications of late.From the history of the manuscript itself, to artifacts from Paul Churchill's famed "evidence boxes," to an in-depth look at the historical background alluded to in the tale, the breadth of topics within the book is impressive. Also included are a number of other analyses on topics ranging from the historical and geographical to the linguistic, religious and m

"Compliments of the season" is how Watson described his activities regarding a visit he paid to Holmes during the Christmas season.And we know "" as the sole Christmas story in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes stories. And rather than focus on the nostalgic and its place in the lineup of winter classics, we discuss how this classic fits in the pantheon of Holmes stories in its own right as a tale of friendship, crime, discovery and what we've come to realize as some of the typical Baker Street scenes.In an effort to pay homage to this Christmas classic, the Baker Street Irregulars in 1948 crafted a special edition of "The Blue Carbuncle" that included a wonderful essay by Christopher Morley titled "." About BLUE, Morley said, "it was superb art. It hasn't a word too many or two few." That essay itself has become something of a classic as well, and we're delighted to share it with our listeners here.After Burt inhabits the person of Morley for our reading, we come to a rather alarming and satisfying conclusion. We

When Conan Doyle embarked on his whaling adventure at the age of 20, little could he have guessed what awaited him.And little did the world know how profoundly his experiences would influence his later life, including the creation for which we know him most intimately - that of Sherlock Holmes.We're joined in this episode by the editors of , Jon Lellenberg, BSI and Daniel Stashower, BSI. Jon and Dan have been with us on previous episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: when we discussed on , and again on when we covered , a lost Conan Doyle manuscript.What we learn about Conan Doyle's six and a half month voyage on the Hope is absolutely fascinating - from the provenance of the manuscript itself and how Dame Jean Conan Doyle worked tirelessly to ensure this publication could be seen, to the harrowing adventures that Arthur himself saw as part of this arctic voyage and more - and what we consider the world would have been like had this journey not taken place, or worse: if events had taken a more grisly tur

It's our Halloween show!With Victorian and Gothic influence in a number of the Sherlock Holmes stories, the Canon can be great fodder for the mysterious, occult and spooky elements of Halloween. Certainly The Hound of the Baskervilles, "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot," "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier," or "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place" have elements that can make a reader's hair stand on end.But the most direct link with Halloween as we know it today (other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "" - the original mummy story) has to be "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire." Sherlock Holmes himself was a bit dismissive of the supernatural in this case, saying "Rubbish, Watson, rubbish! What have we to do with walking corpses who can only be held in their grave by stakes driven through their hearts? It's pure lunacy."But our guest on this episode, Les Klinger (a guest on Episodes and , when he spoke about the Guy Ritchie / Robert Downey, Jr. movies and his role as Warner Brothers' consultant on the se

Joining the BBC's Sherlock on television this fall is another high-powered outing by the network CBS in the United States. If you haven't yet heard, the new show is Elementary and it stars Jonny Lee Miller as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes who is in New York after rehab, and Lucy Liu at Dr. Joan Watson, Holmes's "sober companion," whose responsibility it is to look after him an ensure he readjusts to society and doesn't relapse.   The creators were under pressure almost from the moment the project was announced, what with the success of another modern-day Sherlock Holmes enjoying popular acclaim. Rest assured, Elementary does not encroach on the territory of Sherlock.   But exactly how much of the Canon does it include or reference? And how faithful are the characters to what we know? Or does that even matter? And how closely tread is the fine line that exists between an established character and updating it to a modern setting? Join us as we debate and discuss the relative merits and attributes of the latest a

The political season is upon us. At least in America, that is. In case you've been hiding under a rock for the last 18 months, the presidential election is closing in, with Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney. This site certainly does not stand for any type of political dogma; indeed, Sherlock Holmes is for every political persuasion. So why would we want to touch the third rail of polite conversation and delve into politics on our podcast about Sherlock Holmes? As it turns out, there are a number of political figures in the Canon and politics, both domestic and international, play a role in the plots of a few of the stories. We take a look at the influence of politics inside the Sherlock Holmes stories as well as what was happening externally at the time. In addition, we even look at one member of the Baker Street Irregulars who had something of a government post and his Sherlockian scholarship - amazingly enough, written at a very crucial juncture of our country's history. Try as we might, we were unable t

A new modern urban re-interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. That's how the digital comic Watson and Holmes is being referred to.   The recent revival in Sherlock Holmes material across a variety of media has truly increased the buzz around our favorite topic. From the reimagining on the big screen, courtesy of the Robert Downey, Jr. / Jude Law films, to the small screen updating of the characters in Sherlock, through Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and soon the Jonny Lee Miller / Lucy Liu version in Elementary, there is plenty of interest in the perennial character.   Now, we're prepared to be treated to yet another version of the iconic detective and his faithful friend and colleague, thanks to . In this episode, we're joined by three of the principals who are behind the updating of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson the a modern urban setting of New York and as African American characters. Brandon Perlow, Publisher and co-creator of Watson and Holmes, Justin Gabrie, Senior Editor, and Karl Bollers, Writer