Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (August 10 - August 16, 2013)

"I leave it with you. It will be a great day when you bring us the news. It's just the last stroke that will bring them all to their knees."

- The Valley of Fear

Last weekend I had the tremendous good fortune to attend Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Place, a three day conference organized by the venerable Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections and the University of Minnesota. I'm saving all related #SHMN13 links plus my various reviews for posts later this week, but for now I'll say that the experience was an incredibly inspiring one, and I hope to channel some of that inspiration into Always1895.net.

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 27 - August 2, 2013)

"It was by concealing such links in the chain that Watson was enabled to produce his meretricious finales."

- 'The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier'

A weekly roundup of links from across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895 @ gmail.com.

Only one week to go until Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Place in Minnesota! I hope to see many of you there. For those Sherlockian Twitter users posting from the conference or following from home, it’s been officially decided that the hashtag #SHMN13 will stand for Sherlock Holmes Through Time & Place. See you soon!

221B Con - “Watsons Through Time" (52:10) “Recorded live at 221B Con, this panel was all about all the Watsons through ALL OF TIME! Well, as much as we could fit in just under an hour. Panelists were Kristina Manente (Curly), Ashley Polasek, Eddy Webb, and Roane." The original panel subtitle was “From ladies’ man to comedic buffoon, how have representations of John Watson changed over time" and the panelists do a great job weaving current and vintage Sherlock Holmes adaptations in along with the Canon. An overarching theme is - predictably but alas still necessary - the ‘Watson is not stupid’ theme, and of course plenty of time is spent discussing, analyzing and giggling about the Sherlock and John (BBC Sherlock first names rule applies here) dynamic. The word on the street (OK, on Twitter) is that a few more 221B Con panels are set to be released - I’ll put 6,000 pounds (though “I am a poor man") that “Fandom: What the Hell is Wrong With Us?" wins out. 

[At some point, you’ll develop a soft spot for Nigel Bruce so don’t be too harsh on him now.]

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"My Collection of M's Is a Fine One" [EMPT]

This morning we were treated to the news that the major villain in the BBC's Sherlock Season 3 has been announced.  It is none other than a modern-day manifestation of Charles Augustus Milverton: Charles Augustus Magnussen.

The announcement was made by producer Sue Vertue via her Twitter account and the news immediately spread across the web. The villain will be played by Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, who may be known to a wider audience from his role in The Killing.

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 20 - July 26, 2013)

"...and you know how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied."

- 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band'

A weekly roundup of links from across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com.

A Requiem For Sherlock Holmes announced dates for a staged reading happening this coming weekend August 8th - 10th, 2013 at WorkShop in NYC by PGM Productions. More about PGM: "One could say the ‘creative trust’ of PGM was informally born over a friendly glass of Scotch. On the evening of January 18, 2012, WorkShop Theater Company members, Paul Singleton, Greg Oliver Bodine and Michael Selkirk met at The Players on Gramercy Park to discuss partnering on a Sherlock Holmes play that Greg would write, with Paul and Michael in the iconic roles of Holmes and Watson....it was agreed that Greg should adapt two Sherlock Holmes stories, "The Final Problem" and "The Adventure of The Empty House". Learn more by following PGM on their Facebook page. And for a preview, check out A Requiem For Sherlock video. Lastly, those Sherlockians who attended The William Gillette Memorial Luncheon during BSI Weekend 2013 were treated to a short but brilliant five minute teaser featuring the epic scene when Holmes and Moriarty first meet (ie. "All that I have to say has already crossed your mind..." FINA). To be clear, this weekend's performance is not the final play, but simply a read through - the actual performance is scheduled for sometime in 2014.

[Note that the flier features a depiction of a black arm band reportedly worn by Londoners after "The Final Problem" appeared in The Strand (December 1893); to find out more about black mourning arm bands, the 'death' of Sherlock Holmes and whether or not they are "apocryphal", check out the next link re: Peter Calamai.]

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 13 - July 19, 2013)

"...we must spare time to run down together on Saturday morning, and make sure that this curious and inconclusive investigation has no untoward ending."

- 'The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist'

A weekly roundup of links from across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com.

[Baker Street Journal
Summer 2013 (Vol. 63, No. 2).]

The Baker Street Journal’s Summer 2013 issue recently appeared in our mailboxes bringing joy to Sherlockians the world over, and for those with a particular fascination for the Altamont phase of Holmes’ career, an extra special treat lay within the familiar yellow wrappers illuminated with a gorgeous portrait of Holmes/Altamont which originally appeared on the cover of Collier’s Weekly Magazine (September, 1917) from the brush of my favorite Canonical illustrator Frederic Dorr Steele. As always you can read an online version of Steve Rothman’s latest "Editor’s Gas-Lamp" to whet your appetite. If you’re not a current subscriber to the BSJ, I strongly suggest procuring the very reasonable $38.50 yearly subscription rate and treating yourself to the greatest (ir)regular Sherlockian publication on the market (since 1946). 

I Hear of Sherlock released Episode 54 of their IHOSE podcast featuring an interview with columnist and psychologist Maria Konnikova, author of Mastermind, on ‘mindfulness’ and other related mental techniques employed by Holmes in the course of his adventures. Ms Konnikova is an excellent spokesperson for psychology, particularly when conveying some of the fundamental concepts of Cognitive Psychology by way of the Canon. Make sure to subscribe to Konnikova’s Scientific American column ‘Literally Psyched’. Next, Mr Wolder and Mr Monty discuss one of my favorite collections of early 20th century, pre-BSI/BSJ era writings - in this case 1895 to 1933 - on Holmes and the Canon, Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and The Bookman, edited by noted Sherlockian scholar S. E. Dahlinger and annotator extraordinaire Leslie S. Klinger on Gasogene Books. 

Following their chat about The Bookman, they announced that IHOSE’s sister website The Baker Street Blog began syndicating the Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (i.e. what you are reading right this very moment!) and that in future episodes of IHOSE, listeners can expect to hear Matt Laffey (he wrote in the third person…) deliver a range of short audio segments on everything from summaries of recent Sherlockian news items to hard hitting, on the ground reporting from various Sherlockian meetings, soirees, conferences, parties and hootenannies. Episode 54 ends with a traditional reading from the BSJ’s “Editor’s Gas-Lamp" though instead of dusting off a decade’s old issue, Steve Rothman’s piece from this Summer’s issue (Vol. 63, No. 2) is used. Another great episode made even more memorable by Monty and Wolder’s extremely kind and generous praise of Always1895 as well as the announcement that I’ll be contributing regular audio pieces to the podcast - an honor that’s particularly amazing considering IHOSE was one of my primary gateways into contemporary Sherlockian culture. [Editor's note: we are thrilled that Matt has taken us up on our offer to join us as a regular contributor and look forward to bringing you that feature on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.]

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 6 - July 12, 2013)

""Friday!" he cried."

- The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

A weekly roundup of links across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com.

[Don Hobbs addressing 75
brainiacs on the finer points of
collecting Sherlockiana.]

Inspector Lestrade’s Blotter Page’s Don Hobbs gave a special talk on Collecting Sherlock Holmes at a recent Mensa meeting in Fort Worth, TX to about 75 attendees, many of which weren't Sherlockians but none-the-less: “The attendees could not have been more responsive. They laughed in all of the right places, asked intelligent (pun intended) questions and showed genuine interest. My allotted time of seventy-five minutes flew by so fast that I actually skipped over a few of the paragraphs of my talk. Afterwards, one of the attendees told me that it was the best and most interesting talk he had heard so far at this meeting. Considering that some of the talks included “Has the Onion Outlived its Usefulness?"; “Spiritual Exercise Light"; and “Friendly Delicate Bridge"  I am not sure if this was a compliment or an insult. Another one said that when a room full of Mensa Member all clap, that is a great accomplishment. I was pleased." And though I would like to know if the onion has in fact outlived it’s usefulness, I would very much like to read/hear Mr Hobbs’ entire talk - let’s hope he decides to post the contents of ‘Collecting Sherlock Holmes’ sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy this interview with Don Hobbs on collecting Sherlock Holmes translations. Q: How did you first get started collecting? Hobbs: “I have always been a collector. I believe one either has the collector gene or not. I am the former."

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 1 - July 5, 2013)

"...business is mostly done of an evening. Mr. Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening."

- The Adventure of the Red-Headed League

A weekly roundup of links across the web related to Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of Matt Laffey from Always1895.net. As usual, we welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com.

[Mattias Boström, BSI “The Swedish Pathological Society".]

Mattias Bostrom was interviewed this week on Baker Street Beat by Dan Andriacco about Mr Boström’s recently published Från Holmes till Sherlock ("From Holmes to Sherlock" in English). Mr Boström’s opus, though currently only available in Swedish, is already causing quite a stir in the Sherlockian world. Like Mr Andriacco, I was fortunate enough to have received an inscribed copy of what is one of the finest looking Sherlockian books published in the last few years - and going by just the end notes and bibliography (which are mostly in English), it’s overwhelmingly clear that the book I’m holding is a meticulously researched scholarly love letter to ACD and his most famous creation. Boström answers questions on how he first discovered ACD and Holmes, how he came to write Från Holmes till Sherlock, what his research practices are, if/when we can expect an English translation and the level of popularity of Sherlock Holmes in the Scandinavian countries. A fascinating interview which will leave Sherlockians wanting more: “In my book I present some previously unknown facts regarding the years when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was alive, but in the later half of the book there are big chunks of unknown facts."

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Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (June 23 - June 30, 2013)

"I hammered away until Friday." 
               - 'The Stock-broker's Clerk'

Today we start a new tradition on the site. As we prepare to combine our work here with that of our audio work, we thought it was time to expand our editorial offerings. We still have a fine lineup of authors who occasionally pitch in with excellent contributions from the corners of the Sherlockian world that grab their attention.

Now we add Matt Laffey to that list. If you don't know Matt, he is a dedicated Sherlockian from Brooklyn with an eye toward the online world and an affability that makes him excellent company at gatherings in the offline one. In short: a classic Sherlockian. His web site Always1895.net is a treasure trove of material, with a weekly feature that he calls "Friday Sherlock Links Compendium."

To us, that means that he's somewhat of a modern-day weekly Peter Blau. And we're proud to welcome Matt and his weekly contributions here on our site, as we thought this comprehensive round-up would make an excellent addition here. In the future, Matt will be posting his work directly under his own byline. We welcome your comments and feedback, and if you have any material to include in the weekly roundup, please send to always1895@gmail.com.

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"You Remind Me of Edgar" [STUD]

The evening of May 2 marked the 2013 Edgar® Awards banquet, during which the winners of the Mystery Writers of America grant the most prestigious award in the mystery genre to the authors and creators who gave us such treasures over the previous year.

As usual, Sherlock Holmes-related and -inspired work was present across a number of categories of both nominees and winners, and we'd like to share the results that may be of interest to those of you who are either completists on your collecting habits or who simply like to know relevant news about works of Sherlock Holmes.

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"Upon These Tragic Events" [HOUN]

All eyes have been on Boston in the last 36 hours. As with others, we extend our heartfelt sympathy for the victims, their families and loved ones. As we spent 20 years in Boston, it is particularly gut wrenching to observe the goings on from afar, powerless to do anything to help.

Because we specialize in the written word, we thought that it might be helpful to reflect on a world that Vincent Starrett remembered and lived in some 70 years ago when he penned the sonnet "221B" that appeared in Profile by Gaslight. That sentiment is very much still in play in 2013 as we contemplate a world that explodes.

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"Don't Imagine That You Can Bully Me" [CHAS]

It isn't often one gets a ringside seat at a legal-literary battle royal, but it would seem that we're about to bear witness to some activity in that particular area.

Of course, you'll recall that recent legal battles in England have revolved around Undershaw, Conan Doyle's home for about a decade that included when he wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles. We've covered that topic extensively here - click for more background on that topic.

But this is wholly different.

The noted Sherlockian scholar, Baker Street Irregular and prominent attorney Leslie Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library and The Grand Game: A Celebration of Sherlockian Scholarship, to name a few, has filed a civil lawsuit against the Conan Doyle Estate to determine that the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are in fact in the public domain.

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"The Gleam of an Electric Switch" [CHAS]

Over a decade ago, The Baker Street Journal did the unthinkable: it entered into the electronic age. That is to say, it released a CD-ROM containing every issue from 1946-2000, debuted its web site and introduced an online ordering system.

And while the Baker Street Irregulars are not yet offering an electronic subscription option to the BSJ (we believe it to be inevitable, considering what's been happening in the news and book industry over the course of the last, oh decade or so, but we certainly don't expect it in the near term), the Journal has come a long way in its recent history. From updating the style of the wrappers to including a different cover image on each new issue, the physical version is much more pleasing to the eyes and hands.

And the Journal, which has for years offered advertising space within its own pages, has begun sponsoring other outlets worthy of association, such as The Baker Street Babes and I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere podcasts. We trust that those affiliations have garnered the attention of a new swath of fans who have discovered Sherlock Holmes in a variety of manners.

For those interested in understanding what happens between the yellow covers can get a sample by clicking on the Current Contents section of the site, which at minimum will show the Editor's Gas-Lamp.

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"You Like This Weather?" [CHAS]

Much of the East coast of the United States is bracing today for the approach of Hurricane Sandy, the so-called "Frankenstorm" that is one of the largest in modern history.

And while we don't profess to be meteorologists (nor do we play one on TV), we thought that we might be able to think about Sherlock Holmes through the lens of severe weather.What does the weather have to do with Sherlock Holmes? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

We'd like to invite your ideas, memories and input to help us discern exactly how weather played a role in the Sherlock Holmes stories. You can do that by leaving a comment below. We'll get things started by enumerating a few items that might get you thinking.

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"Interesting, Though Elementary" [HOUN]

As you're no doubt aware, the CBS show Elementary airs at 10 p.m. on Thursdays beginning on September 27 (the day this post went live). We've covered the show previously, from breaking news to an analysis to what it might be. And of course, the program has generated its share of controversy as well as assumptions about the quality of the representation of Sherlock Holmes.

But today, we're honored to be joined by Rob Doherty, the executive producer and writer of Elementary. Rob has a solid CV when it comes to television writing and production. His credits include Star Trek: Voyager, Point Pleasant, Medium and Ringer, to name a few. We had an opportunity to sit down with him and briefly put some questions to him that we thought you might have on your mind as well.

If there are additional questions that you think we should have asked, let us know! We may have an opportunity to host Rob on an episode of the podcast at some point in the future.

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"Not Quite So Bad as That" [SIGN]

On May 16, amid the flurry of Sherlock buzz hitting the web, CBS announced its fall schedule and Elementary made the cut, set to air on Thursdays at 10:00 pm, the time slot currently occupied by the Sherlock Holmes-inspired “The Mentalist” (which will move to Sundays).

The initial chatter was limited, due largely to the fact that there wasn't much information available about the series other than its stars, Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. When compared with the impressively successful "Sherlock," it was natural for some commentators to wonder if the American production was simply borrowing heavily on the British hit.

We'll know for certain on September 27, when the series will premiere on CBS. Now we're seeing a fuller synopsis of Elementary than we’ve yet had, including this tidbit; “Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sober companion, Dr. Watson.”

There was also three minute trailer of  Elementary that Sherlockians  no doubt combed through for clues on the quality of the show as if it were the Zapruder film. In the last couple of weeks, CBS has posted a longer  trailer (video embedded below the jump).

Steven Moffat, co-creator of BBC’s Sherlock told TheInsider.com in May, "What we did with our Sherlock was just take it from Victorian times into modern day. They've got three big changes: it's Sherlock Holmes in America, it's Sherlock Holmes updated and it's Sherlock Holmes with a female Watson. I wonder if he's Sherlock Holmes in any sense other than he's called Sherlock Holmes.”

For months Moffat held the threat of lawsuit over CBS’s head if their Holmes incarnation was not noticeably different from the BBC; now he wonders if the very differences he called for make it anything but Sherlock Holmes. Politics lost a fine spin doctor when Moffat entered show business. Of course spin is a major part of a producer’s job and Moffat is very good at what he does, as even a cursory review of his résumé will confirm.

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"A Wilder Exhibition Of Passion" [CREE]

In 1851, the Great Exhibition highlighted then "cutting edge" technology and industry. For its 100th anniversary, the Exhibition used then-current means to create a special highlight for Sherlockians - a replica of Holmes' sitting room, which is now on display in the Sherlock Holmes Pub in London.

Not to be outdone, the current version of the Exhibition is now online...and also contains an excellent opportunity for Sherlockians to participate and demonstrate a slightly wilder exhibitions of their own passions.

Thanks to a strong Internet presence (including the Great Exhibition on Twitter), people can actually vote for those things which are "great" about Great Britain. Of special interest to Sherlockians are the two following categories of interest:

Sherlock Holmes - http://www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/sherlock-holmes

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - http://www.thegreatexhibition2012.co.uk/greats/sir-arthur-conan-doyle

At the 1951 Exhibition, the ability to view the Great Detective's drawing room helped the character make a deeper impact on history; now, Sherlockians can play an active role in making sure that impact is felt for future generations as well.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.
 
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"Possible Actors in This Drama" [SECO]

Sherlock Holmes has a long history in the medium of radio, stretching back as far as 1930 and possibly (if certain reports are to believed) even earlier.

Among the notable actors who have played Holmes and Watson on the radio are such luminaries as William Gillette, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Clive Merrison, Michael Williams, Andrew Sachs, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, John Neville, Cartlon Hobbs and Norman Shelley, among many, many, many others. For every screen appearance by Holmes and Watson there are at least three times that number in the medium of sound.

Do you have what it takes to join their ranks?

This July the Post Meridian Radio Players will be presenting an original live radio adaptation of The Hound
of the Baskervilles as part of their Summer Mystery Radio Theater. The Hound will close out an evening of other classic radio mysteries, including a recreation of the Burns and Allen classic "Gracie Take Up Crime Solving" and the Suspense classic "Sorry, Wrong Number."

For those Baker Street Blog readers of a theatrical bent who are in the Boston area, auditions will be held in
Somerville, MA on the evenings of May 21st and 22nd. Further information on the production can be found on the Hub of the Universe website. Check out their site for information on auditions, including sides and sign-up.

All are welcome.


When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"Breaking the News" [HOUN]

BREAKING NEWS

We're pleased to announce that you can participate in a live chat with Mark Gatiss, co-creator and star of Sherlock, right here on The Baker Street Blog at 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 14. Details are below.

The #SherlockPBS Twitter chats are one thing, and the  PBS-hosted event in New York was another, but we think this takes things to a much higher level. The PBS Masterpiece Sherlock team are giving you an opportunity to ask questions directly to Mark Gatiss in real-time for all to see! You might consider asking him about the creative process, how he came to realize a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century, how he collaborates with Steven Moffat, or what he thinks of playing Mycroft Holmes, the much smarter (and usually much heavier) brother of Sherlock Holmes.

In our experience with live chats, there will likely be many more questions submitted than the subject can answer, and not all of the questions may be able to be displayed, due to the rather ponderous administrative task of the moderators. But if you ask insightful and appropriate questions, we can all be the beneficiaries of them if Mark can answer.

If you'd like to be reminded of the chat, simply enter your email address in the form below and select when you'd like to be notified. And if you miss the opportunity to participate live, we'll have the transcript available in the same embedded chat below, so you can replay it at any time. And bookmark this post so you can come back on Monday to participate.

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"Awaiting the Return of Our Colleagues" [VALL]

Sherlock mania as at its heights. The second series of the BBC's Sherlock is making its way to the U.S. shores currently, and fandom online and offline is continuing to grow.

On behalf of the show, Burt made his way to New York City on May 2, 2012 for the sneak preview of the new season and question and answer time with some of the cast and crew of Sherlock, including Rebecca Eaton, Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue and of course, Benedict Cumberbatch. About 800 people crowded into a theatre after 10,000 applied for seats, and the reaction - including screams - were reminiscent of the Beatles coming to the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s. And this is nothing new; Frank Sinatra garnered a similar reaction at the Paramount in New York City back in the 1940s. Thanks to Burt's courageous reporting, we have some clips from the event and the queue, as well as a question and answer session with the cast, in which we're able to hear and feel the excitement of the crowd.

We've witnessed the #believeinsherlock movement that arose from the BBC airing of the series and how the phenomenon has grown. We discuss a bit of that and we sing our own praises to Sherlock Holmes, in a manner of speaking.

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"His Task Was Successfully Accomplished" [HOUN]

We recently covered the Steampunk Holmes project underway at Kickstarter ("A Decidedly Nautical Appearance" [NOBL]). With support from a variety of sites such as Geeks Are Sexy, AppAdvice and the Baker Street Babes, there was certainly a good deal of attention drawn to the project, which needed $29,000 pledged by the deadline of May 3.

When we wrote about the Steampunk Holmes Kickstarter, only a little more than 50% of the funds had been raised. Last evening, with 41 hours to go before the project pledge period ended, the project met its funding goals. In a note to backers, the team wrote:

"Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent."

Steampunk Holmes is 100% funded. Thanks to all our fans and followers. Thanks to those who posted and tweeted and blogged about us. Thanks to YOU.

We couldn't have done it without you.
We can't wait to get started.
Any further funds will just go to make it better.

As of the writing of this entry, there are 879 backers for a total of $29,905 pledged. What a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to what seemed like an insurmountable task just two days ago.

If you contributed to the funds or passed along our original post, we thank you for playing an important part in helping to bring this very unique and exciting project to life. We look forward to bringing you further news of its development.


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