I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

“there appeared a long telegram” [SECO]  Nicholas Meyer's first Sherlock Holmes book, The Seven Per-Cent Solution, became and remains the high-water mark for Sherlock Holmes pastiches. So when he edits another one of Dr. Watson's recovered manuscripts, it's always worthwhile. The latest is Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell, published by Mysterious Press, and it takes Holmes and Watson across the Atlantic, dodging German U-boats in pursuit of a coded telegram from Berlin to an unknown recipient in Mexico. We talk with Nick about his choice of setting and time, get into psychological and even philosophical discourses, and get a tan...

“culminated in that moment of revelation” [3GAR]    As an educator, Tracy Revels makes sure her students have fun learning. Which would explain why at her college, students can take one of her classes about Sherlock Holmes. But Tracy's own love of learning and reading gave rise to another outlet for her fascination with Sherlock Holmes: writing. Her Shadow trilogy (, , and ) find Sherlock Holmes in the world of the occult, and her series of 41 short stories, previously published in various volumes of , are due out as a trilogy this fall. We explore these with her, as well as some of the more m...

“we have our story-teller here” [SIGN]  Glen Miranker is always good for a story. And more times than not, his stories involve fascinating items from his extensive collection. In this episode, we had a chance to talk with Glen about This Work of Storytelling: Arthur Conan Doyle's speech to the Authors' Club, London, June 29, 1896, published by Wessex Press. The book consists of a facsimile manuscript of the speech, together with other letters and documents, essays, and commentary from a variety of Sherlockians. Along the way, a mystery is solved and we have the added pleasure of the writing of Cathy Miran...

“quick insight into character” [BERY]     As Americans, it is always a joy to meet an Englishman, and doubly so if he portrays Sherlock Holmes. Luke Barton has done that not only on stage but in audiobooks as well. Our conversation with Luke explores how he has prepared for his many appearances as Holmes on stage — including one production in which he alternated the roles of Holmes and Watson. His insights into the deeper aspects of the detective are admirable, and his skill is evident. We have Sherlockian news, Madeline Quinones' segment "A Chance of Listening," and a special comedy feature feature w...

“remarkably rich tenor voice” [VALL]     Following the feedback we got from our previous , we thought we'd continue with another. This time, it's James Montgomery, BSI ("The Red Circle"), who was a frequent correspondent with Smith. Montgomery played an important role in the development of the   — a role whose effects are still felt until this day. His tenor voice graced many dinners of the Baker Street Irregulars and other Sherlock Holmes societies, and his scholarship still stands strong today. In addition to the audio clips of Montgomery, we have Sherlockian news, listener comments, Madeline Quinones' segment "A Chance of Listening," and of course t...

“we turned our faces westward” [SIXN]     While Sherlock Holmes is a perennial British subject, his influence in and by America cannot be denied. Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes were admirers of the United States, and A West Wind, a recent BSI Press book, delves into that relationship.  Co-editors Ray Betzner, BSI ("The Agony Column") and Tom Horrocks, BSI ("Colonel Sebastian Moran") join us to talk about this remarkable book. We're also joined by a contributor of the book who offers some insight into how Sherlock Holmes was presented to Americans visually. We have Sherlockian news, listener comments, our new segment, "A Chance...

 “seventeen years of age” [SIGN] Mycroft Holmes spoke for all of us in "The Greek Interpreter" when he greeted Dr. Watson with the fateful line: “I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler.” And yes, in our minds, we'll always hear that line in the voice of the inimitable Charles Gray in the Granada series — a sound clip that serves as the opening for our podcast introduction. Little did we know when we began the podcast on June 14, 2007 — exactly 17 years ago today — that we'd have this kind of longevity. That is like a young animal trying to walk immediately aft...

“do but get into the clutches” [BOSC]     We've held off a bit on the traditional interview with the editor of the BSI Manuscript Series this season — not for any lack of interest, but simply for scheduling reasons — but we hope it's worth the wait. Steve Doyle, BSI ("The Western Morning News") is the editor of Clutches of a Fiend, the BSI Manuscript entry for "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client," and he joined us to talk about this book. It's something personal for Steve, as he has a connection to the story via his local Sherlock Holmes society, The Illustrious Clients of...

“I wanted to speak with Mr. Smith” [SIGN]     This is the third in our series on Legends of the Baker Street Journal; we've previously explored publisher Ben Abramson (Episode 269) and BSI founder Christopher Morley (Episode 272). This time, we'll be looking at wordsmith and able administrator, Edgar W. Smith. It was Smith who deftly managed the operations of the Baker Street Irregulars and whose own interest in Sherlockian scholarship (his own and others) caused him to promote books and eventually found The Baker Street Journal. We follow Edgar's Sherlockian journey from his early correspondence with Vincent Starrett and Christopher Morley, to the 194...

“That was the curious incident” [SILV]     From time to time, we see analysis and debate about whether Sherlock Holmes was autistic, had , or is in some other way on the spectrum. As neurodiversity becomes more understood and accepted in the 21st century, it seems natural to explore this not only with Holmes, but with other characters in the genre as well.  In The Autistic Sleuth, Christopher Chan and Patricia Meyer Chan, Ph.D., test the question: Is the entertainment industry celebrating neurodiversity or is it reinforcing stereotypes? They analyze how two dozen characters appearing in filmed productions from around the globe wh...