"I Am Much Obliged to Him For Picking Up My Books.” [EMPT]

Have you heard of BAFAB? It's short for Buy a Friend a Book, the brainchild of author Debra Hamel. Buy a Friend a Book Week is upon us - for the first week of July, go out and buy a friend a book, for no reason at all. According to the site:

Just get yourself to a real-life or virtual book store during Buy a Friend a Book Week (the first weeks of January, April, July, and October) and, well, buy a friend a book (or e-book)! But here's the fun part: you can't buy your friend a book because it's their birthday or they just graduated or got engaged or had a baby or anything else. You have to give them a book for no good reason. In fact, this present out of the blue from you should shock the pants off of whomever you decide to give it to. And it'll make them happy. And that's the point: promote reading, promote friendships. Just make sure to let them know about Buy a Friend a Book Week. (How? Print out this explanation and include it in your gift book. Or, if you're not giving your friend the book in person, just point them to the explanation's URL.)

So, if you're interested in reading, friendship, books or any combination thereof, please consider BAFAB. To get you started, here are some links to notable online bookstores. While you're at it, why not introduce someone to Sherlock Holmes?

"You've Two Horses in for the Wessex Cup" [SILV]

As many of you may know, Burt Wolder and I have begun a podcast for Sherlockians called I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. It's the first podcast of its kind - a Sherlockian talk show of sorts, where we discuss all sorts of things related to the world of Sherlock Holmes (where it is always 1895).

We've just released our second episode in which we interview Steve Doyle, BSI and Mark Gagen, BSI. They are the driving force behind Wessex Press / Gasogene Books and are the coordinators of the From Gillette to Brett II conference later this year. We had a delightful time speaking with them (I hope you'll agree).

You can hear the episode right here on your computer, as a podcast doesn't require any sort of fancy equipment. You get to choose when and where you want to listen. Just click the link over in the right column to hear the latest episode. Or, try this:

And if you're intrigued by what you hear, I'd only ask two things of you:

1. Subscribe to our show using any of the methods listed on the show site
2. Tell just three other people about it and encourage them to listen

Oh, wait - I lied - there's a third thing: if you have anything to say about the show, good or bad, leave us a comment, send us an email or call our comment phone number. All of these are available on the show's site.

"Notably in Tennessee" [FIVE]

The mentions of American locales are scattered throughout the Canon. There are 25 states mentioned - quite an accomplishment, when one considers that there were fewer than 48 states while Conan Doyle was writing - with the Deep South taking up 8 of those slots.

It was the Deep South that represented particularly mysterious and misunderstood backgrounds - think The Five Orange Pips and The Yellow Face as prime examples. "The Five Orange Pips" actually contains a mention of 7 states in the South, including Tennessee.

In a nod to the Volunteer State, this installment in the Sherlock Holmes Music Video series uses "Walking in Memphis" as its soundtrack. Enjoy.

If you're using a feed reader, click here for the video.

"Volume 'H' in His Encyclopaedia of Reference" [PRIO]

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may also be familiar with Brad Keefauver's Sherlock Peoria web site. On it, Brad has a weekly feature called The View From Sherlock Peoria in which he writes very well-considered and unique opinion pieces. It's worth a regular bookmark (since Brad hasn't instituted an RSS feed or email subscription yet).

And if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I like to use new media / new technology to offer Sherlockians unique and creative ways to connect with each other and share information about Sherlock Holmes. So when new technology combines with masterful insight a la Keefauver, you know it's something worth considering.

In one of his entries last week, Brad touched on an idea that I've been considering for a while, but just haven't figured out how to put it to work. As I recently indicated, I'm a little strapped for time. Therefore, I was thrilled when he broached - however preliminarily - the idea of a Sherlockipedia. Take a look at his perspective and see what you think.

The essence of a "wiki" is that the community bands together to use its collective knowledge to create a knowledge base. The most famous of these is Wikipedia (you can see the entry for Sherlock Holmes). The more edited or added to an article is, the more accurate and comprehensive it is.

Can you imagine the day that a wiki exists for Sherlockian information? I was originally thinking it would be an online version of the Encyclopedia Sherlockiana, but I quickly realized that it can also serve as a clearing-house for events, societies, famous Sherlockians, online and offline resources, travel tie-ins, books, etc. It's very exciting.

I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this will work out and hashing out the details with Brad. Expect to read more about it here, which will certainly include the clarion call for contributions. Let me ask you - would you be willing to apply your expertise to such a project?

"Where Are the Slippers Now?" [VALL]

If you happen to be in Connecticut or New York at all this summer, there's a play you might consider seeing. Not that it's a Sherlock Holmes play, by any stretch of the imagination. But the casting - at least in one regard - is very Sherlockian.

Al Rosenblatt, BSI ("Inspector Bradstreet") has informed me that Paxton Whitehead will be appearing at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT from July 12 - July 27, 2007 in Relatively Speaking, a comedy.

According to the site, the plot goes something like this:

Greg falls madly for Ginny whose affections are elsewhere. Greg follows Ginny when she goes on an unexpected visit to ‘see her parents.’ Meanwhile, Philip suspects his wife, Sheila, is having an affair. Sheila is not the least bit suspicious of Philip. Could Sheila and Philip both be wrong? Who are Philip and Sheila’s unexpected guests for Sunday lunch?

A marvelous mixture of misunderstandings, mistaken identities and incriminating slippers.

No word whether Mr. Whitehead is playing Greg or Phillip (or Ginny or Sheila, for that matter). For those of you unfamiliar with his work, his stage credits can be found on the Internet Broadway Database and his film and TV work can be found on the Internet Movie Database.

Tickets are available through the Westport Country Playhouse site, phone and online orders.

"Give Me a Clear Answer to My Questions" [HOUN]

In the blogosphere, a standard term is "meme." According to Wikipedia, a meme is "a unit of cultural information transmitted from one mind to another." In other words, it's a conversation-starter.

Adam's Blog - a non-Sherlockian blog at that - started a Sherlock Holmes meme, which I'll continue here. The idea is to either post a comment with your responses, or post your answers on your own blog, if you have one, providing a link to this post.

In Chapter 2 of A Study in Scarlet, Dr. Watson atttempts to capture the essence of his new acquaintance for the reader by creating a list that he titles "Sherlock Holmes - his limits."

Knowledge of Literature. -- Nil.


" " Philosophy. -- Nil.


" " Astronomy. -- Nil.


" " Politics. -- Feeble.


" " Botany. -- Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.


Knowledge of Geology. -- Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.


Knowledge of Chemistry. -- Profound.


" " Anatomy. -- Accurate, but unsystematic


" " Sensational Literature. -- Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.


Plays the violin well.


Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.


Has a good practical knowledge of British law.

So, on with our meme!

1) What is something you know practically nothing about?

Popular music

2) What is something where your knowledge is weak?

Lately, it's got to be U.S. politics. I don't have any interest in following the presidential race, nor do I care to engage in petty party-based bickering.

3) What is something you know just enough about to get by?

Current sports news

4) What is something where you have a profound depth of knowledge?

The Sherlock Holmes Canon and all Sherlockiana; the emerging world of social media / new media and marketing.

5) What is something that you do even though you don't do it well?

Golf

6) What is something you are expert at?

Navigating the streets of Boston by car - and finding a parking space while doing so.

What about you? What are your limits? If you have a blog, please post these questions and link back to this post; if you don't have a blog, I welcome comments.

"I Should Be Very Glad of a Little Assistance." [SIGN]

When I first started this blog nearly two years ago, I really had no idea how it was going to work. It was a trial, an experiment, a unique and new way of informing Sherlockians on a variety of topics.

Couple that with the lightning-like evolution of new media in a fairly short period of time and what you've been lucky enough to witness is a revolution in the way we communicate. The different tools and widgets that have sprouted in the sidebar are testament to that.

So when I started taking data from Ron Fish's comprehensive master Calendar of Sherlockian Events and integrated it with a Google calendar, I thought it was simply another outgrowth of the process. I liked the idea of using the Google version, because it allows me to show dates directly on this blog and has a traditional calendar-style approach.

But I've come to a point where I can't manage the Google calendar any more. So here are my questions for you, dear readers:

1. Should I abandon the Google calendar entirely?
2. If not, is there someone who would be willing to help out with inputting the dates? (It's very basic)
3. If so, would the use of another application with a calendar plug-in feature, such as Upcoming be a feasible approach?

I realize that some of this may sound like mumbo-jumbo to some of you. But click on the links and see what you think is the best approach.

The bottom line is this: if I can get someone to help keep track of these events in a new application, I'm more than happy to entertain whichever version you're comfortable using.

I thank you in advance for your willingness to answer these questions and/or assist me.

"I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere" [GREE]

For Sherlockians who have a keen interest in the appearance of Sherlock Holmes in popular culture, literature, news or any other day-to-day occurrence, you're probably familiar with that now-famous phrase:

"I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler."

That shot-heard-round-the-world was the first thing that Mycroft Holmes uttered in the Canon, and they were of course directed to Dr. Watson.

Well, I've got my own version - let's call it a shot-heard-round-the-blogosphere. That survey that many of you were kind enough to participate in showed me that 60% of the respondents would be interested in one way or another, so I went right ahead with my idea.

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, the podcast for devotees of Sherlock Holmes, was officially launched on June 14, 2007, co-hosted by Scott Monty and Burt Wolder.

Twice a month, Burt and I will be airing a show that is comprised of lively discussion, interviews, storytelling, history, event coverage and whatever else comes to mind. Think of it as talk radio for Sherlockians. But our programming isn't pre-ordained - we want to hear from you to give us suggestions, tell us where to improve or comment on shows.

We've got a dedicated call-in line where you can leave a message: +1 774 221-7323, or 774-221-READ. You can also email us at comment [at] ihearofsherlock [dot] com.

I hope you'll join us for a listen. Here's a quick intro as to what a podcast is and how to get started. The game's afoot!

"We All Turned Round at the Words" [REDC]

Other than early issues, The Baker Street Journal has tended to stay away from pastiches, or stories written about Sherlock Holmes in the style of Doyle. Call it the purists in us, or call it the lack of editorial space that those early volumes so plentifully offered (remember too that they bankrupted publisher Ben Abramson).

I was recently contacted by Mark Wardecker to see if I knew if the BSJ would run a pastiche that he had written. I let him know that it wouldn't. While I don't typically enjoy that form of Sherlockian work myself, nor do I wish this blog to be a repository of the same, I did take a quick look at what he had done with "The Adventure of the Second Round." Mark describes it as follows:

This particular story is set very late, just before Watson's last marriage and Holmes' subsequent retirement. Once again, Holmes and Watson find themselves "moving in high life" (ABBE) after they are called in by the Yard to help solve a murder in Kensington.

Like I said, I'm not a fan of this particular genre - I'm a Canonical purist. As a rule, writers that attempt to mimic Conan Doyle's unique and sparse style usually fall short. With very few words (as opposed to his Victorian colleagues such as Dickens or Trollope), he managed to set vivid scenes for us. And most writers just can't accomplish it in the same facile way the Doyle did.

While it is an admirable first attempt, Wardecker's work is no exception to this rule. You'll find that is is about 90% dialog (I don't know the exact figures, but I know Doyle used significantly more narrative in his work). It's very believable as far as that goes, but there are certain turns of phrase that mark it as alternatively modern or stilted, which is another hallmark of pastiches.

I'd recommend that you take a look at it yourselves, because your enjoyment of it may be far different than my own. You can see what Mark says about it on his blog The Analytical Engines; in addition, you can download the PDF here.

I'd be interested to know what you think of it.

"Upon the Luminous Screen" [EMPT]

Can it be that four years have lapsed since the "From Gillette to Brett" conference held in Indianapolis? The answer would appear to be "yes," as that remarkable event - which featured an appearance by Edward Hardwicke, who played Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes - occurred in 2003.

Wessex Press (aka Steve Doyle and Mark Gagen, both members of the Baker Street Irregulars) have announced From Gillette to Brett II, being held in Indianapolis, Indiana from November 16-18, 2007. Their website has all of the information, but here's the official announcement:

In 2003 Wessex Press sponsored one of the most memorable Sherlockian conferences of all time. Devoted to Sherlock Holmes on stage, screen, television, and radio, From Gillette to Brett featured a film festival, Sherlockian vendors, and an all-star roster of distinguished speakers and presenters. And now, like every box office success, the time has come for a sequel!

The cost for registration is only $99 and the Saturday evening banquet is an additional $47. Quite a bargain for admission to see a stellar cast. The Wessex Press website has the complete information, including accommodations and speaker lineup. I have links below to travel arrangements as well (hotel reservation information can be found on the conference site).

And to demonstrate how far we've come in just four years, here's the YouTube version:



If your feedreader doesn't show video, here's the link.

"He Never Spoke of the Softer Passions" [SCAN]

While we know that Sherlock Holmes "never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer," we are aware that he knew how to charm the ladies and get results from them.

In this installment of the Sherlock Holmes Music Video series, we see Mr. Holmes using his abilities to engage with his clients. But will he say something stupid?

If you're using a feedreader, please click here to see the video.

"He Has Peremptorily Requested" [SECO]

I just received a quick update from Gary Thaden, President of the Norwegian Explorers regarding the upcoming conference they're hosting in Minnesota:

Spots are going quickly, but there is still room to register for the Norwegian Explorer’s conference, "Victorian Secrets and Edwardian Enigmas" on July 6-8, 2007. The conference is committee is working on another great conference. Confirmed speakers are Michael Dirda, Michael Kean, Bill Mason, Dana Richards, Daniel Stashower, Sue Vizoskie and a couple of local favorites.

The conference will be held at Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The conference hotel is the Holiday Inn Metrodome. The conference is jointly sponsored by Norwegian Explorers, University of Minnesota Libraries (Special Collections and Rare Books), and Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections of the University of Minnesota. We look forward to seeing you there. Email Julie McKuras if you are coming (Mike9750 [at] aol [dot] com) so we can reserve a spot for you and then pick up the conference brochure off the University of Minnesota Libraries Special Collections Sherlockian website.

The Minnesotans have a reputation for great events and friendly, warm hospitality. I'm told that you haven't been to a Sherlockian even until you've had pizza at Julie's house! If you haven't registered yet, please consider doing so now.

"I Was Too Busy to Visit Baker Street" [STOC]

When Dr. Watson took on a new practice in the Paddington district, he wrote

For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business.

- The Stockbroker's Clerk

I find myself in a similar situation. You may have noticed that the postings to the blog haven't been coming as fast and furious as they used to. Fear not! This is only a temporary matter. The truth is, I've taken a new job and I had some time off in between that I used to spend some time with my family and prepare for new opportunity. I hope to get back to my normal frenzied schedule of 4-6 posts a week that you've come to expect from me.

For those of you who are curious, I'm now working for a company called crayon, which is a "new marketing" company specializing in reaching consumers through the world of new media - blogs, podcasts, wikis, virtual worlds, etc. Obviously the perfect fit for someone who has been involved in the blogosphere one way or another for about 4 years.

I have a number of posts in the hopper - topics that have been swirling around in my head or that you have been kind enough to volunteer. I ask that you be patient as I try to get up to speed. It may take a bit, but I promise, it will be worth it.