Interesting Though Elementary: An Absorbing Interview [BRUC]

I love a good Sherlockian podcast. And we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to them. There are plenty out there for your specific tastes. And if you're omnivorous, it's possible that you would never run out of material!

And this week, a new one joined the ranks! One that I predict will be a show that I make time for every day it comes out. The Baker Street Irregulars put out their first episode of "The Fortnightly Dispatch," a video podcast meant to have discussions with Sherlockians and connect with scion societies.

Hosted by Steve Doyle, the first episode is a lovely discussion with Ray Betzner. Steve and Ray are old friends and it shines through. Ray is an expert on Vincent Starrett, and shared many wonderful stories about one of the most important names in the founding of Sherlockiana.

I'll be honest with you, when I saw that this was a video podcast, I can't say I was all that interested. I'm an audio podcast guy. But I gave it a shot, thinking I would watch a few minutes of this and then check out the James and the Giant Peach read along videos that had also been released that day starring Meryl Streep and Benedict Cumberbatch in one and Nick Kroll and Liam and Chris Hemsworth in another.

I was absolutely transfixed by The Fortnightly Dispatch and watched it all the way through in one sitting. You hear that? Steve Doyle and Ray Betzner beat out Meryl Streep, Cumberbatch, and the Hemsworths this week as far as I'm concerned.

Ray talked about Starrett's masterwork: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, and the origins of 221B, a sonnet known to many Sherlockians around the world. And then he made everyone jealous when he showed us the manuscript page of 221B that he owns!

Steve's guiding questions and Ray's ability to tell great stories made for such a great watch. In a time when we can't get together, this partially fills that void. Watching friends talk about Sherlock Holmes and our hobby is a great way to pass some time.

And reveling in those libraries behind each of them is a whole different kind of pleasure!

P.S. I was texting with a friend earlier this week about all of the Sherlockian podcasts out there, and promised to send him a list. I figured why not just put a list up here for everyone to see? It's by no means exhaustive, but I think you'll see what I mean when I said there are plenty out there for your tastes!

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere