I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles

“I am one of the hounds” [STUD]   The golden age of Hollywood brought us stars like William Powell and Myrna Loy, and of course Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. In Elizabeth Crowens' new novel Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, we find them (and Dashiell Hammett) intervowen in a story that begins with the disappearance of Asta from The Thin Man movies, and Rathbone's own lost pup. Young private detectives Babs Norman and Guy Brandt team up with him to dig up the reasons behind these ca...

BrettCon

Canonical Cornerstones

“some short sketch of the essentials” [BLAC]     What are the essential volumes that every Sherlockian should have in their library? John Bennett Shaw had an idea with what became known as . But a more modest and attainable version was needed. In stepped Peter Eckrich and Rob Nunn, BSI (“Elementary”). IHOSE listeners may recall Peter and Rob from their previous work, . This time, they collected individuals who had a strong view as to which Sherlockian books ought to be part of every Sherl...

A History of the Woman

“to Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman” [SCAN]  This is a fascinating episode that brings us closer to the inside story of "The Woman" — an honor bestowed every year by the Baker Street Irregulars — and a bit of personal history from one of those very women. Beverly Wolov is a longtime Sherlockian and is well-known by the Sherlockian community as a longtime companion of Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter"). You've heard from Peter on four episodes previously (links to those below), but ...

The Lantern's Dance

“a most complete and remarkable woman” [LION]    It's odd to think that the Mary Russell series predates this show, yet we've never spoken with Laurie R. King, BSI ("The Red Circle") specifically about her most acclaimed series. The 18th book in the Mary Russell series, The Lantern's Dance, is available on February 14, and Ms. King joined us to talk about her creation. Her familiarity with Sherlock Holmes is far from typical, and this unusual pairing of Ms. Russell and Mr. Holmes, which ...

BSI Weekend Recap

“those week-end parties” [SOLI]    The Baker Street Irregulars just marked their 90th anniversary with the BSI Weekend, filled with events for Sherlockians of all kinds. If you weren't able to make it to New York — or even if you were! — tune in to hear about some of the events, people, books, and more that were part of our experience. And plan ahead for other events in the year ahead. After all, it's meeting up with other kinsprits that make this little hobby so special. Our first Canon...

The Classified Dossier of Sherlock Holmes

“you have a good dossier there” [LAST]    There were supernatural elements in the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Elements of gothic intrigue like voodoo, a possible vampire, a family curse, and a spectral hound come to mind. So when Christian Klaver looked at the intersection of his interests in sci-fi, fantasy, Sherlock Holmes, and writing, it was only natural to find some existing and contemporary examples and bring them to life. Thus was born series from Titan Books. Christian sha...

A Christmas Story Without Slush

“I’ve read enough of the slush” [VALL]    Following our , we revisited Christopher Morley's wonderful introduction to the Baker Street Irregulars' edition of "The Blue Carbuncle" from 1948. For our Patreon supporters (and our PayPal supporters here) we have Burt's full reading of Morley's essay, followed by commentary and discussion with Scott afterward. You can hear a sample here.   You can listen to the full version if you're  for as little as $1 a month. Or if you'd prefer to , ...

Belanger Books

“a line of books” [NOBL]    Derrick Belanger is one half of the duo responsible for Belanger Books, one of the prominent Sherlockian publishers, founded in 2015. His passion for Sherlock Holmes began uncommonly — in a way we can't ever recall hearing from a guest before. But that passion fueled the founding and direction of Belanger Books, which focuses on traditional Sherlock Holmes pastiches as well as the Solar Pons stories. Many of the titles on Belanger Books began as Kickstarter ef...

Sherlock Mondays

“I was much astounded by this programme” [HOUN]    When Sherlockians are looking for more ways to fill their listening and viewing time, what are they to do? We would of course recommend you to either of the podcasts we create, but lucky for you, there's an even better option!  Sherlock Mondays are offered through the Rosenbach Museum and Library, running from September 2023 to April 2024. These Biblioventures are the creation of Edward G. Pettit, who is the Sunstein Senior Manager of Pu...

On the Road with Erik Deckers

“the man flew past us on the road” [PRIO]  Photo credit:   We love writers and we love humor, so when we meet a writer who has a humor column, even better. And Erik Deckers — a name familiar to people in these parts — fits the bill. Erik's weekly syndicated humor column is a fun read, just as his attempts at solving the Canonical Couplet each episode are a fun listen. But we delve deeper than humor with Erik: we talk about his writing history, his term as a writer-in-residence at...

Sherlock & Co.

“the reputation of being excellent company” [ENGR]   For this 275th episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, we're joined by another podcast. It always delights us to talk about audio with other audio geeks.   Joel Emery is writer and co-creator of Sherlock & Co., a new podcast from Goalhanger Podcasts. Together with his partner Adam Jarrell, they're dramatizing the entire canon of 60 stories in the form of a real-crime podcast, with John H. Watson as the narrator.   It's an ambiti...

The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes

“How came you there?” [BLAC]    Questing was Sherlock Holmes's business. He took in the world around him and tried (and succeeded most often) to make sense of it — as did his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. In his efforts to connect the dots in his latest book, , Andrew Lycett goes questing, just as many of his previous biographical subjects did.   We journey with Andrew across the place, the times, the wider world that gave birth to this remarkable character, and the way the character shape...

Close to Holmes

“The table was set out ready for me, and Mr. Duncan” [REDH]    The wonder and magic of the Sherlock Holmes stories is that they were set, for their contemporary audience, in a city and its surroundings that were very familiar and very real. Alistair Duncan set out to capture that in his book Close to Holmes, taking us on many journeys by foot and other conveyances, with wonderful photographs supported by vivid descriptions. Even though we weren't alive when the stories were written, we ...

Legends of the BSJ - Christopher Morley

“For three hours we strolled about together” [RESI]    As we continue our look at some of the early Baker Street Irregulars associated with The Baker Street Journal (we began with its publisher Ben Abramson in Episode 269), we turn to Christopher Morley. Morley was the right man at the right time with the right attitude, and Steven Rothman, BSI, 2s. ("The Valley of Fear") is the foremost expert on this legend of the BSJ. We look at Morley's early life, his influences, his literary works,...

The Collected Papers of Sherlock Holmes and More

“put the papers on the sundial” [FIVE]    David Marcum is still at it. When we last left this prolific author and editor, he was 28 volumes into The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. Now, he is approaching the 40th volume and has edited over 1,000 Sherlock Holmes pastiches. His own stories — now at 113 — can be found in multiple volumes of The Collected Papers of Sherlock Holmes, and he continues to dedicate his time to related characters such as Solar Pons and Nero Wolfe. We spoke...

CrimeReads with Olivia Rutigliano

“read twelve hours a day at the annals of crime” [VALL]    We all come to Sherlock Holmes in our own way. And Olivia Rutigliano is the first on this program to discover the detective in one particular fashion. We won't spoil it (you have to listen to find out), but suffice it to say it was enough to propel her not only into the world of detective fiction but an education and career in writing. Olivia is Associate Editor of CrimeReads, a vertical of LitHub and she is pursuing her doctorat...

Ben Abramson Speaks

“my strange old book-collector” [EMPT]  Ben Abramson with Vincent Starrett at a signing event for ‘Books Alive’ Circa 1940. Location Unknown / Photographer Unknown (Source: )   There are some Sherlockians we wish we could have interviewed for this program — individuals long gone but fondly remembered — whose unique perspectives would be a boon to our listeners. Unfortunately, most of them are beyond our reach. In this case however, we have one who is available to us but comes to ...

A Study in Sherlock - Watson's Notebook

“Out came the official notebook” [WIST]    As we know from experience with Jonas Oldacre, when a builder puts his mind to something, he can really go far. In the case of Raymond Farney though, it concerns something that began as a personal project but ended up becoming a book — a reference book of more than 600 pages: A Study in Sherlock - Watson's Notebook. This unique tome is a wonderful companion to anyone who's reading the Sherlock Holmes canon, either for pleasure or for research pu...

Sherlock Holmes Re-Imagined

“a cascade of children's bricks” [TWIS]    Sherlock Holmes has been given form thanks to artists like Sidney Paget, Frederic Dorr Steele, Howard Elcock, Frank Wiles, and Arthur Twidle. He has sprung to life from the stage and screen through the magic of William Gillette, Eille Norwood, Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Jeremy Brett, and Benedict Cumberbatch. But James Macaluso has made a world where Sherlock Holmes is universally relatable: through the Re-Imagined Sherlock Holmes in LEGO bu...

Holmes in the Heartland

“an event of extreme importance” [SIGN]    There seems to be an explosion of Sherlock Holmes events of late. And the second outing of Holmes in the Heartland is an excellent entry in that horse race. Rob Nunn, BSI ("Elementary") and Heather Hinson of the Parallel Case of St. Louis join us to talk about this pandemic-delayed event that is taking place July 28–30, 2023 at the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. The clever theme for this second entry in the Heartland serie...

Ken Ludwig's Moriarty

“Look how close they play the game” [3GAB]    Ken Ludwig, BSI ("Jack Stapleton") has seen his plays, Sherlockian and otherwise, grace the stage and win awards since the 1980s. And Ashley Polasek, BSI ("Singlestick") took on the role of Executive Director of the Ken Ludwig Company in 2022. Together, the two join us to talk about Ken's latest Sherlockian play, Moriarty, which premiered at the Cleveland Playhouse in April and May of 2023. But the discussion goes well beyond that to include ...

The Baker Street Journal's New Editor

“some stuff that would suit my editor” [VALL]    It's not that often that editor's door at The Baker Street Journal swings open. In fact, the last time it happened was at the turn of the century. But this January, Dan Andriacco, BSI ("St. Saviour’s, Near King’s Cross") was announced as the newest editor of the BSJ. Dan assumes the seat that Steve Rothman, BSI, 2s. ("The Valley of Fear") has aptly occupied for 23 years (hear our interview with Steve in Episode 221), but he is not alone. D...

Sherlock Holmes: A Father's Time

“Children, my dear boy, children.” [GREE]    Parenting is a mystery to everyone — even to Sherlock Holmes. That's the premise of the books brought to us by author Arye Dworken and illustrator Mike Weinreb. Eleanor and Alistair Holmes are lucky enough to have Sherlock Holmes for a father, but Holmes isn't quite as sure of himself at home as he is at work. This is the recurring theme that Dworken first explored in Sherlock Holmes and the Dinnertime Mystery and examines from another angle i...

Embellishments in the Sherlockian Spring

“see how beautifully the spring works” [STUD]    The world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts is alive and blooming! It is the spring, after all. And with such a season of renewal, we see continued interest and growth in activities and interests around Sherlock Holmes. A number of Sherlockian conferences and gatherings are happening, all around the country. Individual Sherlockians (namely, our listeners) are making themselves known not only to us but to new audiences as well. And online there...

Stimulating Medicine

“there is nothing more stimulating” [HOUN]    The latest entry in the BSI Press Professions series is a sequel: Stimulating Medicine: More Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine, and the Sherlockian Canon. What makes it even more interesting is that it was developed during the pandemic.   Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") and Andy Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") joined forces for the sixth time, and join us for a sixth time to discuss this volume. More than the people, tools, and places th...

A Dose of Curare

“Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally” [STUD]    There's a large number of Sherlock Holmes stories that involve poisons or toxins. Once you begin to tally them up, you may be surprised, as was our guest in this episode. Marina Stajic, BSI ("Curare"), ASH ("Lady Frances Carfax") has written and presented extensively on Sherlock Holmes and poisons. Her chosen profession makes her the ideal individual to do this: she was a forensic toxicologist. Her Sherlockian scholarship ha...

Sketches of Scions

“fitting subjects for this series of sketches” [REIG]     One of Burt's and Scott's great interests is music. When it converges with the world of Sherlock Holmes, it becomes all the more interesting. Joshua Harvey lives at that convergence and has some wonderful stories to tell about his history with music, with Sherlock Holmes, and with Patrick Gowers, the composer of the score of the Granada/ITV Sherlock Holmes series. In addition to his work with Gowers' material, Josh threw himself i...

The Monstrum Opus of Sherlock Holmes

“the fruit of my leisured ease, the magnum opus” [LAST]     What happens when Sherlock Holmes faces off against forces of the supernatural? Well...nothing. At least nothing in the Canon. But unleash the creative minds of Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") and Rob Nunn, BSI ("Elementary") and 17 creative Sherlockian authors and you've got The Monstrum Opus of Sherlock Holmes: A Compendium of Horrors Dr. Watson Dared Not Tell. We've been horror-ing for the last two episodes. Hmm. The du...

The Haven Horror

“our visit to The Haven” [LION]     The latest in the BSI Manuscript Series from the BSI Press is The Haven Horror. If that reference isn't immediately recognizable, it's not surprising; it's a phrase taken from “The Adventure of the Retired Colourman,” which comes at the tail end of the Canon. Phil Bergem, BSI ("Birdy Edwards") joins us to talk about this volume in his new role as editor. Phil has long been the annotator/transcriber of manuscripts for the series, but he took on new resp...

The BSI Weekend in Review

“Holmes gave me a brief review of what had passed” [THOR]     The 2023 BSI Weekend has come and gone, and it was filled with plenty of food, friends, and frivolity. We provide a glimpse of what we saw — including a number of our listeners and guests — and put it in context for you. Far from being inside baseball, this episode is a look at what makes Sherlockians tick and why we place so much value in attending events that help us express our fondness for our hobby and each other. The Can...

Sherlock Holmes in the Public Domain

“enter the sacred domain to-night without fear” [SHOS]     When the #FreeSherlock movement began a decade ago, there were 50 of the original 60 Sherlock Holmes stories in the public domain in the United States. And now, when January 1, 2023 rolls around, "The Veiled Lodger" and "Shoscombe Old Place" will be the final two stories no longer under copyright. To mark this occasion and the final episode of Season 16 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, we invited Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey ...

The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes

“a strange and wild life” [STUD]     How often have you come across a phrase in the Sherlock Holmes stories that you're not familiar with? Or just a general concept, such as the cost of items and what it was like to live on a pension?  Author Liese Sherwood-Fabre discovered a number of questions as she was researching her series of books The Early Casefiles of Sherlock Holmes. So, in gathering her research, she published another series: The Life of Times of Sherlock Holmes. We take a loo...

My Scientific Methods

“duly considered and scientifically handled” [HOUN]   The Baker Street Irregulars Press follows the success of its Professions Series (previous titles covered medicine, the law, the military, and education) continues with My Scientific Methods: Scient in the Sherlockian Canon. The editor, Dana Richards, BSI ("The Priory School") shares with us not only his interest in puzzles and the science behind them, but also the story that led to the creation of this excellent addition to the series. Fr...

The Devil's Blaze

“You can go to blazes!” [3STU]     The Devil's Blaze: Sherlock Holmes 1943 is the follow-up novel to Robert J. Harris' highly-acclaimed first novel, A Study in Crimson: Sherlock Holmes 1942. Fans of the Basil Rathbone / Nigel Bruce films will recognize the setting, as Holmes and Watson are in wartime London and prominent figures in science and the military are bursting into flame and being incinerated. Author Bob Harris joins us in this episode to talk about his inspiration for this very...

What Child Is This?

“a child has done the horrid thing” [SIGN]     Bonnie MacBird, BSI ("Art In the Blood") is back with her fifth Sherlock Holmes novel. This time, we're treated to a Christmas tale in What Child Is This?, where we encounter a kidnapped three-year-old and a missing son of an aristocrat, with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Heffie O'Malley at the center of it call. Bonnie shares her writing process with us, discusses how it changed during the pandemic, and what it was like collaborating wit...

A Sherlockian Semiquincentennial

“Each daughter can claim an income of £250” [SPEC]   Well, this managed to sneak up on us. It's the 250th episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Now in our 16th season, we've managed to accumulate a significant catalogue of discussions and interviews since our first show in 2007. We reminisce on some of the highlights of episodes since our centennial, including a few clips that represent what we as Sherlockians love about this pasttime. This wouldn't be a show without an audience; you are...

Remembering Nicholas Utechin

“conversation through the length and breadth of England.” [SILV]   In August 2022, we lost a towering figure in the world of Sherlock Holmes fans. Nicholas Utechin, BSI ("The Ancient British Barrow") passed away. Nick joined The Sherlock Holmes Society of London in 1966 at the tender age of  14. Ten years later, he began a 30-year run as editor of The Sherlock Holmes Journal. Nick was made an Honorary Member of the SHSL in 2006 and was also a Master Copper-beech-smith of The Sons of The ...

The Sherlock Home

“That and a toothbrush are, I think, all that we need” [SPEC]  What if you could stay in a Victorian-themed home with plenty of Sherlock Holmes-inspired elements? Don't answer just yet. What if you could stay in such a place and had to solve a mystery before you left? That's what Ken and TamiKai Frazier have developed in this unique house in San Antonio, Texas, to delight people who love puzzles, mysteries, and escape rooms, but who also want a relaxed and authentic atmosphere in which to so...

Big Finish

“some interest to finish” [DANC]   We live in an age when Sherlock Holmes audio productions are more prolific than ever. For listeners of a show like I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, that is excellent news indeed. And for fans of Big Finish Productions, there are plenty of stories from which to choose, both new and old. Big Finish executive producer, writer, composer, and actor Nicholas Briggs and writer Jonathan Barnes join us to talk about the creative process and output there. We cover dram...

Sherlock Holmes and the British Empire

“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY]   At the end of July 2022, the Baker Street Irregulars held a conference in upstate New York titled "Sherlock Holmes and the British Empire." That itself isn't news (although ), but what is news is the breadth and depth of presentations that were given there. Half of our intrepid reporting team attended the event and captured commentary from some of the esteemed presenters to give a flavor of the event to IHOSE listeners who w...

Moriarty: The Devil's Game

“Now, then, listen to this” [SIGN]  Earlier this month, Audible and Treefort Media released a ten-part podcast, Moriarty: The Devil’s Game, written by Charles Kindinger and starring Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Phil Lamarr, Adam Godley, and Lindsay Whisler, with a special appearance by Curtis Armstrong. The story takes what we know from the traditional Holmes-Moriarty archrivalry and turns it on its head, getting us to familiar territory by taking a very different route indeed. Charles K...

The Finest Assorted Collection

“Maybe you collect yourself” [EMPT]   Many Sherlockians are collectors. Most of those collect books or related written material. But collectors are an interesting breed, as widely varied as the general population. Peter Eckrich and Rob Nunn discovered this fact as they set out to put together The Finest Assorted Collection: Essays on Collecting Sherlock Holmes. In essays written by 27 Sherlockians, they take us on a journey of collecting that highlights the eccentricities of the collections a...

On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes

“I may be on the trail in this matter” [BERY]   There are a number of  one can take in and around London. But for the true fan, tracking Holmes's steps by foot is incomparable. Stephen Browning has written On the Trail of Sherlock Holmes to take us on seven separate walks around London and an eighth outside the city. But the book goes far beyond simply being a set of maps and tours. Listen to hear about Steve's approach to organizing the book, telling stories about Conan Doyle and Sherlock...

Foundational Fandoms

“the very foundations of revealed religion” [GOLD]   Thanks to two decades of digital expansion, you can now find fandoms pretty much everywhere across the internet. And you can find a fandom for just about anything. We invited Allison Broesder to join us to discuss her ongoing work on foundational fandoms, tracing certain kinds of fanfic as far back as the 1300s. Of course, Sherlock Holmes plays a central role in how we think about modern fandom. And Allison's work at the graduate level expl...

Baker Street Inquiries

"How did you word your inquiries?" [STUD] Sherlock Holmes has lived a rich life beyond the 60 stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A much fuller life, in fact. When Michelle Birkby chose to write about the world of Sherlock Holmes, she took a different approach: what if, she wondered, we were to experience Victorian London through the eyes of two very capable women — two women deeply connected with Holmes and Watson. And that is how the Baker Street Inquiry series began: through the eye...

Anticipations in A Sherlock Holmes Commentary

“a turn which neither of us could have anticipated” [REIG]   D. Martin Dakin’s A Sherlock Holmes Commentary is one of the more important contributions to Sherlockian scholarship. In it, he discussed the entirety of the Sherlock Holmes canon, plus two apocryphal tales. But Dakin also acknowledged that he was probably missing the discovery of scholarship that had happened prior to his time. Bruce Harris, in his Anticipations in D. Martin Dakin’s A Sherlock Holmes Commentary, digs deeper into t...

Sherlock Holmes in Comics

"this comic interlude" [3GAB] Sherlock Holmes has appeared in comic strips for nearly a century and in comic books for almost as long. And the comics industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, having spawned movies, television shows, and large-scale conventions. So isn't it time that someone chronicled Sherlock Holmes's appearance in comics? Johanna Draper Carlson has done just that with her new site Sherlock Holmes in Comics. We chat with her about her early Sherlock Holmes influence (a ...

Referring to My Notes

“on referring to my notes” [REIG] Long-time students of Sherlock Holmes might think that Guy Warrack covered all there was to say in his 1947 classic Sherlock Holmes and Music. But longtime listeners of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere know that there’s always something more to be discovered or said. Alexander Katz, BSI (“Sarasate”) and Karen Wilson, BSI (“Bartholomew Wilson”) have edited the latest volume in the BSI Press Professions series that focuses on music. Called Referring to My Notes: M...

A Celebration of Sherlock Holmes

“your celebrated friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes” [NAVA]   A free event at DePaul University is on our radar, and it should be on yours too. Paul Booth, a professor of digital communication and media art, developed the DePaul Pop Culture Conference over the last decade, and this year's topic is A Celebration of Sherlock Holmes. Professor Booth joined us to discuss how different elements of society converge to form popular culture, and how Sherlock Holmes, by many measures, is the perfect represen...