Interesting Interview: JoAnn Alberstat

JoAnn Albertat is to Sherlockian editing what Aunt Bee was to The Andy Griffith Show: the quiet and steady presence that makes sure everything gets taken care of in the end.  Along with her husband Mark, she has served as the co-editor of Canadian Holmes, the magazine of The Bootmakers of Toronto Sherlockian society, for many years.  For as long as I've been a subscriber, the Alberstats have been at the helm and I love the familiar feel you can count on in every issue.  

But JoAnn is more than just someone who is making sure other people's articles look good.  She is out there putting forth her own research as well.  JoAnn has presented at many Sherlockian gatherings, most recently at this year's Sherlock Holmes @ 50 conference in Minnesota.  And don't be fooled by her calm demeanor.  At this latest presentation, she took historical data, connected it to a Moriarty theory, and wrapped it all up with a song from South Park.  There is a gifted intellect and a clever wit behind that friendly face.  So let's get to know a hidden gem in the Sherlockian world with this week's Interesting Interview!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

To me, a Sherlockian is captivated by Sherlock Holmes and his world in a way that makes them want to connect with others who have a similar passion. Then they can share and learn from each other – that’s the best part of being a Sherlockian.

How did you become a Sherlockian?

Growing up, I read parts of the Canon because my Dad had a Hanover edition on his bookshelf. I discovered the Halifax society, the Spence Munros, in the late 1980s when I came to Nova Scotia to attend university. I learned about the club from a fellow journalism student named Mark, whom your readers may know. I started attending the club’s meetings and social events and the rest is history.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

My background is journalism – I worked for 15 years as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in Atlantic Canada. For the last several years, I’ve worked in public sector communications. In both fields, you need to be a strong writer, editor and researcher. It’s fun to also put those skills to good use with Canadian Holmes. 

What is your favorite canonical story?

I would say “Hound” for its gothic atmosphere, strong sense of place and, of course, the Canadian connection. “Scandal in Bohemia” is also up there – it’s intriguing to see Holmes beaten at his own game and the origin of The Woman who became an archetype, although some Canadian Holmes contributors take a different view of the hype around Irene Adler.

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

Edith Pounden of The Bimetallic Question in Montreal is fun to hang out with in person and online. She’s a founder of the Legion of Zoom, which helped connect me to the wider, global world of Holmes mania. Edith is also an organizer of the Montreal club’s monthly virtual meeting about Conan Doyle’s work beyond the Canon. This is a great way to explore more of ACD’s writing.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

The thing I most enjoy is the scholarship because it’s fun to fall down Sherlockian and Doylean rabbit holes. It’s also interesting that just when you think you’re finished with a particular topic, new information surfaces that can take you in a whole new direction. It happens every single time I take on a project and I know I’m not alone! For me, Conan Doyle’s spiritualist interest in wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi is a case in point. Stay tuned (pun intended!) for an updated version of the presentation coming virtually soon to The Crew of the Barque Lone Star.

After all these years as co-editing Canadian Holmes with your husband, what are some highlights from that partnership?

The Winter 2022-23 issue comes to mind, as it was a tribute to Canadian Sherlockian Peter Calamai, BSI and MBt, a great friend and mentor. From the cover portrait by Toronto’s Peggy MacFarlane to the pastiche by “Horace Harker,” this volume was a labour of love for both Mark and me.

Whether you are connecting Professor Moriarty to Canada or connecting historical mysteries to Conan Doyle's writings, you have a penchant for bringing historical research to Sherlockiana. What is it about history that attracts you?

There’s so much social and technological change happening in Victorian times that’s reflected in the stories. Looking back today, there’s nostalgia about the era but there is also a downside of poverty, crime and discrimination. There’s no shortage of fodder to mine, including some with a Nova Scotia or Canadian connection.

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

The Case of the Murderous Doctor Cream, by Dean Jobb, delves into a real-life Victorian serial poisoner who operated on both sides of the Atlantic. The book also makes the connection to ACD’s work and Sherlock Holmes so Sherlockians would enjoy it. Dean is a former newspaper colleague of mine and columnist with Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

The Life of Crime, by Martin Edwards, is a recent study of the history of detective fiction that shows how Sherlock Holmes influenced the genre. It takes an international view of mystery writing and is a great reference for books and movies. At the same time, it’s enjoyable to read from cover to cover.

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

I hope the hybrid model of connecting is here to stay as being online helps our world connect more often than we can in person. In my view, this model encourages more people of all ages and backgrounds to become involved. With another adaptation coming up in the CBS series on Watson, perhaps that will encourage more people to discover the stories and characters.

That One Michaelmas [HOUN]

Today is September 29, so Happy Michaelmas everyone!  After today’s meeting, I’m looking forward to a goose dinner and cake for dessert.  Of course, we will have to go vote for our local magistrate, and I guess all of the lawyers and judges will have to receive their annual blessings as well.

Wait, I seem to be getting nostalgic for days gone by.  Instead I watched the last game of regular season baseball and there’s a family birthday party later today.  What happened to the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels and Michaelmas being the start of the judicial and academic years?  

And what does September 29 have to do with Sherlock Holmes?

Duh, only Holmes’s most famous story, The Hound of the Baskervilles.  You remember all of the great parts of that story: 

“Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!”

“The desolate, lifeless moor”

Selden, the Notting Hill murderer

Stapleton

…. And Michaelmas

Okay, some of you have blank looks on your faces.  It all went down around the time of the Great Rebellion and the lord of Baskerville Manor, Sir Hugo, was known to all as a cruel, godless, and profane man.  He was lusting after a yeoman’s daughter, but having enough sense she avoided him at all costs.  

While her family was away one night, Hugo and his cronies kidnap this maiden from the family farm and bring her back to Baskerville Hall.  The men lock her in a room and continue to drink and carouse downstairs while she escapes and runs across the moor.  Baskerville finds her gone and sets out for her with his hounds.

The rest of the men join in the chase along with their pistols and booze.  Empowered by the bravery that groups of drunken men seem to always have, they ride out after Hugo and eventually come across the hunting dogs, all whimpering and slinking away.  

Past that, the kidnapped woman laid dead from exhaustion and fear and Hugo Baskerville’s body was also nearby.  Plucking at the dead Baskerville’s throat was “a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye had rested upon.”  As the beast’s blazing eyes turned toward the drunken mob, the party was definitely over.

We get to hear how those guys were broken men for the rest of their days and about a family curse, but nobody ever mentions that Hugo Baskerville ruined Michaelmas.  Like so many other drunken assholes throughout history, one guy ruins it for the rest of us.  Yeah, his family was cursed by a dog, but I think the Baskerville curse is why we don’t get goose dinners, feasts with friends, or Michaelmas mattress sales today.

Instead of all of the possibilities that a modern Michaelmas could bring us, we are stuck with Halloween decorations for sale in September and unrelenting political ads that will continue for weeks and weeks.  

Hugo Baskerville: ruiner of holidays.

Interesting Interview: Athelney Jones

Going through old issues of The Baker Street Journal will make you realize that Sherlockian fan art has been around for a long time.  (The BSI even sold a book of one a few years back.)  And when newer Sherlockians came to the hobby through the BBC's adaptation, we really saw an explosion of Sherlockian artists take to the internet.  So this week's Interesting Interview subject, Athelney Jones, is following along in an age old tradition.  As you'll see below, he's tackled adaptations from Ronald Howard to Sherlock & Co.  In fact, his art got him hired on as Sherlock & Co.'s social media manager, so there's hope for those of who still want to get paid to be Sherlockians...

At 221B Con this year, I was immediately impressed with Jones's knowledge of the Canon and so, so many media adaptations and how well they adapted the original stories.  While he showed off his scholarly side at every panel I saw him on, his dealer's table showed how much fun he had with the canonical characters.  Whether it was the BBC Baker Street Boys meeting Sherlock & Co.'s Sherlock and John while Rosie plays with Archie, or his own spin on Paget illustrations, Jones has a flair for the Sherlockian world!  (Of course his parents didn't actually name him after The Sign of Four character, that's just his online handle.)  I've included as much of his art as I could in this post without turning it into a gallery exhibit, but if you like what you see below, I strongly recommend checking out more of his stuff on Instagram and Tumblr.  I'll think you'll see below that if there are more people like Jones out there, the future of Sherlockiana is in good hands!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

A Sherlockian is anyone who likes Holmes and Watson or the world within the stories, and has interest in exploring that through whatever medium they choose. If you want to be a Sherlockian, if you want to call yourself a Sherlockian, then I think you’re a Sherlockian. You actually wrote a great article about this last year that I really liked, and will point to here! Sherlockiana is an ever-evolving field and if we want to keep it alive we have to resist the urge to gatekeep. 

How did you become a Sherlockian?

BBC Sherlock fanfiction! BBC Sherlock was coming out when I was 14, at the time there were only 2 seasons. Obviously, I loved the show but what really kept me interested was the transformative work being created in online fandom. When the show lost its way, the fanart and fanfiction is what made me stick around. 

I read the canon when I got into BBC Sherlock, and since then have tried to watch as many adaptations as I can. I love to see how each time period changes the way people interpret these characters and stories, AND how each adaptation responds to those that came before it.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

I’m an illustrator and graphic designer. Sherlock Holmes was kinda my muse growing up. I spent countless hours drawing him, and now that I’m older I’ve found a lot of work drawing him for other people. Also- I met Joel Emery through my fan art of Sherlock and Co. and now I work for the show! I got the job because I know most of the people in fandom, and always have my ear to the ground. So remember! Drawing gay fanart will get you places

What is your favorite canonical story?

This is a hard question if I had to choose ONE probably "Illustrious Client." It’s got everything: the campy, evil, slightly-xenophobic, Austrian villain, Holmes getting beaten up and Watson going all mother hen on him, great illustrations, a Turkish bath scene, Kitty Winter, Shinwell Johnson, someone’s face getting dissolved by acid, Watson failing a pop quiz on Chinese pottery. It’s fantastic!

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

There’s a lot going on in Sherlockiana right now, I can’t name just one person, buuuut: 

Two big indie projects I’m watching are Beekeeper’s Picnic by Jabbage (who also runs Letters From Watson) and the zine project, Watson’s Sketchbook by Contact-Guy. Also a friend of mine, Inkonice recently contributed to the anthology project When the Rose Speaks its Name, which was the collaboration between a lot of artists and writers, so gotta shout that out too.

There’s lots of artists as well, but I’ll talk about that later.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

Probably Sherlockian illustration! One of my favorite pages on the internet is the illustration page on the ACD wiki, I just wish it went further than 1937. I love to compare different artists' rendition of the stories and look at their different styles. Some favorites are Robert Fawcett, Raymond Leon Pallier, Leo O'Mealia, and of course Dorr Steele. I’m such a Steele supremacist, I love his work on the later stories. His work on Bruce Partington and Blanched Soldier is crazy! I really wish there was a collection of his Sherlockian works like there is with Paget. I don’t think there is one.. If there is let me know, I’d scoop it up in a heartbeat.

On a similar note, fan art! I try to keep on top of who’s making interesting work and get to know them. Always hope that they stick around, and delve a little deeper into the community.

Who is an artist who has done Sherlockian work that you really enjoy?

Oh wow, so many. Contact-Guy for SURE! Their work on Watson’s Sketchbook is so inspiring, I highly recommend it. If you’ve somehow missed it.

Otherwise people doing canon-era work are: Nao (sunao555), Aydana (Aydana11918794), the incomparable Ghostbees, Gooolabatooo (gooolabatooo), and my buddys Eron (mustachecat212),  Minh (haedraulics), and Chris (Theantichris, who made a fantastic 70’s AU of canon).

There’s a lot of Sherlock and Co. and BBC artists that I admire too, but if I went into that I’d be here all week. Lots of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean artists are into BBC Sherlock and they make some crazy impressive work, even now!

A lot of your fan art focuses on Sherlock & Co., yet it's an audio drama that has never shared images of the characters.  How did you come up with your inspiration for Sherlock and John?

When I first listened to the podcast I had a really clear idea of what I wanted Sherlock to look like. There’s this illustration by thedrawingduke where Holmes and Watson are Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed. I saw that when I was young and it totally changed my brain chemistry. Since then, I’ve always really liked the idea of Holmes being Indian, so I decided to do that. Otherwise, I followed a canon-esque description: gaunt, tall, slender, bird-like, with the classic grey eyes and aquiline nose. 

John was actually a little harder, I knew I wanted him to look like an Average Joe, but didn’t know anything more specific than that. I’m not gonna lie, I googled “average white guy,” and picked the first couple of soft-faced white guys I saw to guide my drawings. Joel described my John as a bimbo once and I think that’s a pretty funny way to summarize his whole vibe. I’m not a fan of the ‘stupid Watson’ trope, but he kinda does look like a bimbo, doesn’t he.

"This is the first drawing I did for Sherlock & Co., even though they don't really look like this anymore, this was the original 'soft-faced white guy' Watson"

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Lyndsay Faye, definitely. Her stuff is incredible. Her interpretation has so much heart, and they feel so grounded in the Victorian world. The amount of research she does is really clear and every story has a little something special that keeps you engaged. And of course, I love her characterization of the boys, they feel so much like real people.

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

Much the same, honestly? Interest in Sherlock Holmes is cyclical, it's not going anywhere, and I definitely see people my age and younger wanting to engage in it. The new wave doesn’t look much like the old wave, it’s the kind of people who’d be seen at 221bcon instead of a BSI dinner. They’re younger, gayer, more female and I think primarily interested in bringing a more diverse perspective to these stories. 

I think BBC Sherlock acted as a kind of barker- bringing a lot of young people into the community. But ultimately the show didn’t share the same priorities as the fans, and a lot of people left feeling like there was untapped potential in these stories.

Ironically, I feel that shows main contribution to Sherlockiana is that it left people feeling like Holmes and Watson should be a couple, and I think whatever good mainstream adaptation manages to do that first will probably blow up and bring in a lot of new people. I definitely think it’ll happen in the next 5-10 years.

In addition to queer readings, I think we’re in for a lot more women-centric readings of the canon, as well as interpretations that make Holmes and Watson people of color, or focus on characters who are people of color. Personally, I hope we also get some adaptations that break out of the Victorian-era- or even their roles as detectives! Now that House MD, BBC, Sherlock & Co have firmly broken the seal that Rathbone loosened on modern adaptations, I hope we get some even crazier stuff. Bring back Holmes on the holodeck!

"This is the piece I made to celebrate Sherlock Holmes entering the public domain in January 2023"

Interesting Interview: Edward Pettit

Just about a year ago, the Sherlockian world was buzzing with people talking about a new podcast, Sherlock Mondays, from The Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia.  Manager of Public Programs, Ed Pettit was going to host a weekly discussion with a rotating cast of noted Sherlockians live each week on YouTube to discuss the stories we all love.  I will admit that I only watched one, as YouTube isn't my preferred way to spend time.  But when I discovered the episodes are also in an audio format, I downloaded a few to check them out.  I fully admit that I am late to this party, but these discussions are SO GOOD!

And the biggest reason for this great show is Ed Pettit.  I'm going to presume that most readers here have watched or listened to some episodes of Sherlock Mondays, so I'll be preaching to the choir here when I say that Ed is a charming and engaging host of this show.  I got to meet Ed in person last January and can attest that his energy and interest in the Sherlockian world goes beyond those sessions.  He's very active in the Philadelphia scion society, The Sons of the Copper Beeches, is a member of other groups, has consulted on a Sherlockian book, has given scores of Sherlockian presentations at The Rosenbach, and most interestingly hosted Sherlockian reading groups, game nights, and cocktail parties.  As you'll see below, Ed Pettit is a guy you want to spend time with!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and want to further explore the universes in which those stories occur, then you’re a Sherlockian.  All gates and doors are open, just enter and engage.  So you can be a Sherlockian who primarily engages in just movies or TV adaptations.  But for me, all Sherlockians exist in two types: those who have read all of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes adventures and those who have yet to read all of Doyle’s Sherlock.  And as much as I love talking to Sherlockians who have read everything (and then some), it’s actually those who are still reading the stories for the first time whom I envy. That’s the Sherlockian I wish I could always be. 

How did you become a Sherlockian?

I think it was a gradual process. Sherlock Holmes stories in movies and books were always there for me. Sherlock has a strong presence in popular culture, so I think I always engaged in small ways with Sherlock. However, around the time when the Granada Holmes TV series with Jeremy Brett was first airing in the U.S. (I was around 19 or 20), my Dad gave me a complete Strand edition with the Paget illustrations. My Dad wasn’t a Sherlockian, although he likely read some of the stories. I think he just found the book on the discount table at a big bookstore and thought I would like it.  And I read the stories and LOVED them, especially in their facsimile format. It was almost like encountering the stories like the first readers did. This was a world I wanted to be in.  But what I can’t remember is if I started reading the stories, then discovered Jeremy Brett, or if I saw some Brett episodes and then started reading. The discovery of both is intertwined in my memory. 

My deeper involvement as a Sherlockian came when I became a member of the Philadelphia scion society, The Sons of the Copper Beeches several years ago. I am now a Master Copper-Beech-Smith and the Recorder of Pedigrees for the SoCB. For many years, Steve Rothman had suggested I join, but I always hesitated because the group was male-only in those days, and I didn’t want to belong to a gender-segregated organization. The first meeting I attended was the first one that allowed women to participate and I have been keenly involved ever since. 

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

I create public programs for a rare book museum in Philadelphia, The Rosenbach Museum & Library, with an astounding collection of books and manuscripts. For the Rosenbach, I’ve hosted literary-themed cocktail parties, organized marathon readings of Moby-Dick and Dracula, set up reading courses for a many works of literature, interviewed authors, and on and on.  But these days, I mostly create web-series called Biblioventures, featuring works from our collections. Over the past few years, I’ve hosted shows on Dracula, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Pickwick Papers, and Sherlock Holmes (As you can see my interests lie in the 19^th Century; I didn’t grow this beard for nothing), in which cohosts and I talk about books serially, over many weeks, or months, in a kind of “conversational annotation.” Most of these shows also feature cocktails, and I smoke my pipe throughout all of them (the benefits of hosting them from my home office). Basically, my job is to drink, smoke, and talk about books. 

Our founder, Dr. Rosenbach, also collected (and sold) ACD’s works and we have Doyle’s manuscript of “The Adventure of the Empty House,” as well as correspondence from Baker Street Irregular founders Christopher Morley and Edgar Smith, and Vincent Starrett.  So creating a Biblioventure series that highlighted this part of our collection was really exciting for me.  More on Sherlock Mondays below.  But basically, part of my job is getting to play in the Sherlock universe (and get paid for it). 

What is your favorite canonical story?

I think my favorite short story is still “The Man with the Twisted Lip,” but that may be because it was also my favorite Jeremy Brett episode. I love what it says about identity and creativity. Neville St. Clair is a “legitimate” journalist who finds a way to make more money playing the beggar Hugh Boone. I think there’s something going on there in Doyle’s subconscious as a serious historical novelist who makes even more money creating his Sherlock Holmes adventures.  I don’t think Doyle was ashamed of his Sherlockian output, but he was certainly bemused and sometimes annoyed that his most successful work was not literarily important. Also, whenever I need to use a pseudonym, I use Hugh Boone. One time I submitted poetry to a magazine (whose main editor I knew) as Hugh Boone, so he would give me honest feedback. “Blue Carbuncle” and “Scandal in Bohemia” also rank very high because they are perfectly constructed narratives. 

My favorite novel is probably still The Sign of the Four. I think Hound is likely a better novel as a work of fiction, but the world Doyle evokes in Sign, the characters, the backstory about the stolen treasure, the chase at the end, are still very thrilling. It’s the adventure I want to go on with Sherlock and Watson. And I would definitely smoke the hookah with Thaddeus Sholto. 

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

I’ve met so many over the years and pound-for-pound Sherlockians might be the most interesting people of all the many literary fan groups I’ve been part of.  Such a rich diversity of minds. Attending scion meetings, or the BSI weekend, I am always excited to just listen to everyone tell their stories. The Sherlockian whom I am getting to know right now is Olivia Rutigliano, BSI and editor at LitHub and CrimeReads. She’s cohosted a couple of special Sherlock Mondays episodes on detective stories that were published when Doyle stopped writing Sherlock stories after “The Final Problem.” Olivia is so brilliant and knows so much about 19^th Century literature (she’s going to be cohost on my next Biblioventures series called Monsters and Ghosts, featuring Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and A Christmas Carol). Ask her about lady detective stories. You won’t be sorry. With that said, I’d also have to say the most interesting Sherlockian to me will be the next one I meet.   

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

I’m a literary historian, so I’m always interested in the publication and reception of Doyle’s works and how their literary reputation has developed over time. Because of this, I rarely play The Game. I enjoy reading what others write in Game-mode, but I’m too invested in Doyle as an author to do this myself. I’m also a big fan of genre crossover adaptations, especially with monsters or science fiction (Monstrum Opus of SherlockHolmes, Campbell and Prepolec’s anthologies like Gaslight Grimoire and Gaslight Grotesque).

How did Sherlock Mondays come about?

During the Covid pandemic, I had to work at home and figure out ways to continue public programs for the Rosenbach. Thus, Sundays with Dracula was born. We have a substantial Bram Stoker collection at the Rosenbach, including Stoker’s research notes for Dracula.  So I hosted a weekly show with rotating cohosts, talking about one chapter per week of the novel. I also brought in special guests (Leslie Klinger, Kim Newman, David Skal, Sir Christopher Fraying, and Mark Gatiss) for some of the episodes and created a signature cocktail for every show.  This show was such a success that we continued with other novels from our collections. Because I have to invest so much of myself into these shows (they are very personality driven), I need to choose books I can live with and be interested in talking about for months on end. So, all of the books so far have also been personal favorites of mine. 

Sherlock Holmes stories were a perfect fit for the show because of both our collection and my own interests. Sherlock Mondays began in September 2023 and streamed live for 40 episodes, all free to watch on theRosenbach’s YouTube channel (except for eight eps on The Hound of the Baskervilles, which were subscription only). We had great BSI member cohosts and special guests, who I think all may have been interviewed here on this blog over the years (Anastasia Klimchynskaya, Mary Alcaro, Monica Schmidt, Curtis Armstrong, Scott Monty, Burt Wolder, Leslie Klinger, Mark Jones, Paul Chapman, Steve Doyle, Max Magee). And Mary Alcaro, a great mixologist, created all the Sher-locktails for the program. I also smoked a different pipe for every episode. In effect, I got paid to talk about Sherlock Holmes for 40 weeks this year (and drank my way through it all!). We covered everything from A Study in Scarlet through the “Empty House,” in published order, and now the show will become Sherlock Monthly, starting in November 2024. We’ll pick up with “The Norwood Builder,” and every month I’ll have a different cohost to talk about a story with me.  To finish the Canon, this will probably take about three years. Yes, I realize how lucky I am. 

What are some of your favorite moments from Sherlock Mondays so far?

I love it best when the cohosts and I go down rabbit-holes about details and that happened on almost every episode. But honestly, because I do the show live for over 30 weeks in a row, they kind of blend together in my head. There’s no post production and just as one ends, I am working on the next one, so I get no time to reflect on what we’ve done. It’s always about what’s next (and for me that will be Jekyll and Hyde which begins on September 23, 2024).

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Even though Les Klinger’s New Annotated Sherlock is the gold standard for Sherlockian books, I still get a visceral pleasure rereading William Baring-Gould’s Annotated Sherlock. I can only imagine what it was like for its first readers. Nothing like this had ever been written for a fictional universe. If you are a new Sherlockian, I think this is the one book to get.

And if you are an already deeply committed Sherlockian and you haven’t read Doyle’s other works yet, I would recommend, his gothic/supernatural stories. You can find lots of different editions of these. My favorite is probably Gothic Tales edited by Darryl Jones for Oxford University Press, but there’s also the excellent Tales of Unease collection, edited by David Stuart Davies for Wordsworth. Doyle was a brilliant writer of scary stories. 

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

I think it will continue as it has been, becoming more and more open to all kinds of different people with different tastes and viewpoints. Sherlockiana used to be a white male world adept at gatekeeping. And that’s not unique to Sherlock. This has been the case for most reading communities from Shakespeare to Austen to Dickens to Doyle. Their devoted readers wanted to keep their authors to themselves and frowned upon interlopers. I see that kind of gatekeeping disappearing rapidly over the years, especially as works that were formerly considered “popular culture” have completely crashed into the world of canonical literature. The result is a far richer place where we have the opportunity to experience new and exciting viewpoints that come from readers, not just trained specialists.

Ed with his wife and five daughters

Interesting Interview: Sandra Little

One of the best things about doing Interesting Interview blog posts is getting to know someone better than I did before.  This week's interview with Sandra Little is a great example.  I've known them as a member of the John H. Watson Society and editor of their journal, The Watsonian (one of the best Sherlockian journals out there, in my opinion).  Because The Watsonian is such an inclusive publication, I figured they had always been the personification of open-mindedness in Sherlockiana, so I was surprised to find out that they started out as a strict traditionalist!

Sandra is a recipient of a Jan Stauber grant from The Beacon Society, has been a steady presence and presenter at 221B Con, given a talk at The Women of Sherlock Holmes conference in Dallas, been part of anthologies from Belanger Books and Doyle's Rotary Coffin as well as the new Sherlockian collection, When the Rose Speaks Its Name, and is a coordinator of Holmestice, a twice a year digital gift exchange between Sherlockians.  If all of that weren't enough, Sandra is a fellow educator, and during the busyness of the first weeks of school, took time out to share their views on Sherlockiana with us.  That's dedication to Sherlockiana!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

I think everyone defines this differently. For me, it’s when you pass the point of no return. It is just too much of a part of your psyche, thoughts, social life…your soul…to just move on to something else. As specific terminology, I think people generally identify it with the Canon, but for me it is a level of fascination with any subset of Sherlock Holmes. (Even if you shift between variations, it all comes back to ACD.)

How did you become a Sherlockian?

I started the journey when I was 10 years old and found my grandfather’s copy of “A Treasury of Sherlock Holmes” (Hanover House, with an intro by Adrian Conan Doyle, compiled sometime in the mid 50s—for all you book nerds). It is now in sad, sorry shape and my ex almost threw it out twice. But I read that, and I was hooked. I not only read it over and over (I thought the stories it contained were the only ones that existed), but I wanted to transform them into plays and perform them. 

When I found out about societies, I immediately wanted to join—but I was 10 and stuck on Long Island and The City was a world a way and they kidnapped people there and injected them with heroin. As obsessed as I was (and I really was), I still wasn’t a true Sherlockian. Not yet. Though the seed had been planted. I know this because I eventually forgot about it for a while. 

But it all came back to me with the first RDJ movie, and by the time BBC Sherlock rolled around and I finally decided I wasn’t too much of a purist to try it out—which is kind of hilarious, that I was once a gatekeeper who thought “The 7 Percent Solution” was sacrilege— it hit me all at once. Now the 10-year-old me inside my head was gleefully yelling, “I knew it! I knew Rache was really Rachel!”, I was joining scions and I was creating my own content. It was a sort of homecoming. It was where I belonged.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

I have had a lot of jobs before I settled back into my original field of education. I think it really does affect my areas of focus. Because I taught history, I cherish not only the preservation of the stories but also love to examine how our collective interpretation changes over time. I’ve also taught parts of the canon to adults working on their GED and rebuilding their lives, and they have shown me things I wouldn’t have given nearly enough thought to otherwise— like when an ex-con student pointed out how Holmes actually believed Horner was innocent, and how much that meant to her. It makes me want to share what I see as the real Holmes with other people. And I am sure that that is the teacher in me.

What is your favorite canonical story? 

It depends on my mood. I can absolutely say I prefer the short stories over the novels. Blue Carbuncle? Red-Headed League? Devil’s Foot? Dying Detective? I find myself drawn to stories that address key moments in the Holmes and Watson relationship more so than the quality of the mystery itself. (OK, points for SIGN, even if it is a novel, for having what I consider one of the saddest endings in all of literature.)

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting? 

So many people! So many are well-known in certain circles, but not throughout fandom, and who I feel don’t get the attention they deserve. Milquetoast (the future of Sherlockian scholarship), Vulgarweed (my co-mod for the Holmestice project and a fearless and incredibly well-read fic writer), Jones (a fantastic artist and now a vital member of the Sherlock & Co team), all the staff who keep 221B Con (which may be nearing its final year) afloat… soooo many people who you might not see at your regular scion meetings, but who would amaze you with their contributions.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you? 

What I find myself drawn to are the countless adaptations of the original work and how one can get to who Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are at their very core. How far can we journey from the original premise and still see Holmes there? Can we change time periods, gender, race, profession…and still keep his Holmesness? I think so, and the process fascinates me. I also love collecting things from Victorian and Edwardian times, like books, coins, postcards, medicines, and pocket-watches. 

How has being editor of The Watsonian affected how you enjoy this hobby?

Working on The Watsonian serves as a constant reminder of how broad this fandom is, and I always do my best to represent people from all corners of it. I see how it is evolving and evergreen. And I see how much it means to all sorts of people. I feel an obligation to make sure everyone has a voice and the torch gets passed on. So, it has made me a much more involved contributor to the immortality of Holmes and Watson, and I’m very proud of that.

Whether it is your involvement on the Sherlock & Co discord or your role as an Archive of Our Own author, you are on the cutting edge of "new" when it comes to Sherlockiana.  What argument would you make to a more traditional Sherlockian to check out interpretations of the Canon that might stray from what they are used to?

Well, I thank you for that positive assessment, but the true cutting edge folks are the ones out there right now creating their own webcomics, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of that content!

First, I’d probably say to read what you enjoy reading. Not everyone wants to play in the Holmes Adaptation Sandbox, and that's fine. They can go have fun on the slide. But…if they should become curious about what’s on offer lately, I’d remind them that trying something new in no way detracts from their old favourites. They’ll always be there waiting any time someone wants them. 

I’ll just circle back to what I mentioned earlier: I was a hardcore traditionalist when I first encountered the Canon. I didn’t like anyone messing with it. Then, I eventually realised just how often people didn’t use canonical Holmes as their starting point when flinging mud at new adaptations. They’d watch RDJ and say things like, “My Holmes is no action hero!” Holmes: who lost his left canine at Charring Cross, sent Woodley home in a cart in a “delicious” bar brawl, and, according to McMurdo, wasted his true gifts as a boxer. They were using their own uniquely-cultivated perception of Holmes. People shouldn’t fault anyone who does this; we all do it. Holmes is ridiculously projectable.

You also can’t go around saying, “I hate a modern Holmes,” but love Rathbone. Holmes was always cutting edge, of his time or ahead of it, with his fingerprints and his uncontaminated crime scenes and monographs on the behaviour of pets. And he was a contemporary figure without a trace of wistful nostalgia. So, to do modern updates actually makes sense. Different generations want different things out of the guy, and the miracle is… he always delivers. We have needed a wartime hero, a cynical challenger of the status quo, a neurodivergent champion, and Holmes took it all on with ease because, in Canon, all these things are already there. If that theoretical Sherlockian talked to enough people who enjoy that new something, they would find that a surprising number (to that Sherlockian, at least) are Canon-literate and can point out precisely where any idea came from, using Doyle’s written words. 

And that…is fun.

Artwork by tsukihasnolife

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

“A Study in Brimstone” by G S Denning. It manages to be so canon and so not canon at the same time. Yes, it is bonkers, but in a way that truly meshes with the original and shows a great deal of scholarship and attention to detail. And it’s really funny. (And also my book, “Astrakhan, I Perceive”— once I finish it up and get me a publisher…)

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

Every time a new form of Sherlock Holmes comes to the fore, a new group of fans discover the canon. Perhaps ten years is a little too soon for a new version to grab hold of the collective consciousness, as it is something of a generational pattern? In five years, we will likely still have Sherlock & Co doing their thing and hopefully going strong; we will probably have a nice and profitable Cumberbatch/Freeman Reunion Christmas Special within ten; and someone better give the rapidly expanding queer wing of the fandom a mainstream Johnlock ASAP.

Interesting Interview: Jessica Schilling & Eric Scace

Here's another first for the Interesting Interview series: a 2 for 1 special!  Jessica Schilling and Eric Scace are a couple who are not only great folks, but great Sherlockians to boot.  Jessica Schilling won the Baker Street Journal's Morley-Montgomery Award in 2020 and was invested into the BSI this January.  Eric Scace won the Morley-Montgomery Award this year and was tapped to give a fascinating talk at the Minnesota conference last month.

Both participants are super cool, and I was lucky to get to spend time talking to Eric in Minneapolis.  Seeing Eric and Jessica together during that conference was like seeing a personification of yin and yang; they have such standout personalities but if you see them together it's clear what a strong unit they are.  You'll see that Jessica and Eric bring a great energy to Sherlockiana, and the future looks bright with both of them in it!

How do you define the word “Sherlockian”?

Jessica: I’d say that anyone who’s fascinated enough by the Canon — or by the scholarship or community that surrounds it — has earned the moniker just on that fascination alone! One of the best things about this little alternate reality of ours is that it’s something people can approach from so many different angles. Literary scholar? Write a paper. Wannabe consulting detective yourself? Go deduce the dates or locations of some of the cases! Film buff? Dive into all the different ways Holmes and Watson have been depicted over the years. There really is something for everyone here.

Eric: What she said! Other observers have pointed out that most collectors need a focus; few can be the vacuum-it-all omnivore that John Bennett Shaw was. Most Sherlockians have focii for their attentions (physical or otherwise) — and for the types of events (if any) in which they prefer to participate. A attribute of the world of Sherlockians is acceptance — which, unfortunately, appears all too scarce in other spaces. The pervasive willingness to share what one knows or has with others in our community is similarly so welcome.

How did you become a Sherlockian?

Jessica: I’ve got both Eric’s good influence and my own stubbornness to blame for this one! When he and I first met, we were splitting the difference between Boston and Boulder and I’d go visit whenever I had the chance. At some point I’d asked about his plans for the weekend, and he replied “I’m going to a fancy black-tie Sherlock Holmes party” — and when I said something about wishing I could grab a last-minute flight, explained that the annual Speckled Band meeting was (at the time) a men-only affair. That felt like enough of a challenge that I had to dive back into the stories again and refresh my memory! I’d enjoyed reading them as a child, but returning as a “grown-up” cast the mysteries, and Holmes’ deductive powers, in a whole new light. And from there I was hooked. (And lucky enough to be in the inaugural class of women in the Speckled Band a few years later!)

Eric: In a spell of sick days home from school, my parents directed my attentions to the Heritage edition of the Canon off a bookshelf. Being a linear reader, I began with the introductory material of Vincent Starrett and Edgar W Smith. My introduction was thus backwards: I learned of the BSI and Writings about the Writings before reading the Writings themselves. But I hardly considered myself a Sherlockian — just a happy reader (and re-reader and re-re-…). Later Andy Peck enticed those of canonical bent to form a university scion society the met at Victoria Station. Whilst based in DC Peter Blau allowed my attendance at Red Circle events… but it wasn’t until the BSI conference at Harvard in this century that Richard Olken, John Constable, and many others in New England ensured I didn’t again escape back outside the Holmesian domain.

What is your profession and does that affect how you enjoy being a Sherlockian?

Jessica: I’ve done a lot of things for a living over the years — from music critic to magazine editor to web developer, and I’m currently helping manage (with Eric) the University of Colorado’s radio station — but the one professional activity that’s really made an imprint on how I’ve approached the Canon was my work as a journalist and newspaper designer. There are so many nuances of Victorian technology that quietly take a starring role in so many of the stories, and how Holmes uses the newspapers of his time to do his work has always been fascinating to me — whether that’s in the actual words being used, or in how they’re assembled and printed! Both my papers published in the Baker Street Journal have actually been deep dives into newspaper printing of the time and what it can teach us about the details of Holmes’ case work.

Eric: Similar to Jessica, my first job was in my local newspaper, as a compositor on a Linotype machine and other devices displacing the world of metal type. Much of my second of four professional careers involved data networking and the development of today’s global Internet. The role of Victorian newspapers and telegrams obvious Canonical curiosities — how did that actually work back then? One reads the Canon will new eyes for activities in the shadows and corners surrounding the participants in each story. 

What is your favorite canonical story?

Jessica: Maybe it’s a cliche — and it’s not got a journalism or printing tie-in at all — but like Holmes, I’m a bit smitten with Irene Adler. So I’ll have to go with SCAN.

Eric: I love Jessica's choice — and yet there are so many intriguing candidates. For me, perhaps VALL for the shear breadth of geography, characters, classic Holmesian prowess, the illustrations of Paget and Steele, and just some unforgettable dramatic lines: “I am Birdy Edwards.” for instance.

Who is a specific Sherlockian that you think others would find interesting?

Jessica: If I’m allowed to call out a friend, I’d love to highlight Amanda Downs of The Norwegian Explorers of Minneapolis! She’s just an amazing human in general, but as a Sherlockian I’m always amazed by the way she’s able to bring people, ideas, and different aspects of our community together, whether that’s through her work as a visual artist (she’s the illustrator of the Sherlock Cat stories, in addition to many others!) or as someone who bridges beautifully the scholarly side and the “fandom” side of Sherlockiana. Plus, she’s an absolutely fantastic SPODE companion.

Eric: A great pleasure in any gathering of Sherlockians comes from discovering new friends whom one wishes lived nearby: people with whom one discusses not only Sherlockiana, but many other unrelated topics of mutual interest or curiosity. Three hours at table with such people feels shockingly short, and the parting wistful. Our mini-SPODE table of four with Amanda and PJ Doyle in New York was just such an event, an accidental and delightful pairing. The names of another half-dozen such encounters come readily to mind (you know who you are!)— it hardly seems feasible to pick just one individual.

What subset of Sherlockiana really interests you?

Jessica: I did a fair amount of research at university into the very early days of online fandom, and as such I’ve always been fascinated by the different ways in which people engage with the topics and communities they love. In the years that I’ve been lucky enough to attend Sherlockian events around the country, it’s been as much fun listening to talks or attending meetings as it has been to observe how people engage with this world and with each other. In a community where there’s everything from full-tilt “cons” to a peer-reviewed journal, seeing how people engage with the Sherlockian universe is almost as much fun as that universe itself!

Eric: Despite my many trips to England for work and pleasure, and Jessica’s five year London residency, neither of us have met anyone of Holmesian bent — which feels a bit like having missed half the fun. (We seek advice on this matter.) I’m always looking forward to the next intriguing thing, it seems.

Most relationships have little inside jokes or small points of contention.  Are there any Sherlockian items that have worked their way into your relationship?

Jessica: Other than the looming, leaning pile of Sherlockian books on either bedside table? Or the fact that we should probably own two copies of Les Klinger’s Annotated so we don’t have to fight over them? I mean … no. Not at all. We’re totally normal. Really.

Eric: Other than the race to read the BSJ first. Otherwise, normal. Mostly. Well, except for that time — no, never mind; that’s a story for which the world is not yet prepared.

Both of you have won the Morley-Montgomery Award for the best article to appear that year in The Baker Street Journal.  How did each of you decide on your topics and do you write solo or with the other one as part of the writing process? 

Jessica: We’re both pretty big nerds on our own favorite topics, but as former news people, I don’t think either of us can resist the allure of a good story. This winds up being the best of both worlds — we’ve each got an in-house critic and editor should we want one, but neither of us is offended if the other asks their work to be a surprise!

Eric: Definitely we write solo — Jessica’s writing voice stands head and shoulders above my plodding prose, as these words demonstrate. But as a work comes together with that “click” of formation of the cohesive whole, it’s fun to pass the completed material to the other to get that first reaction of an initial read-through. I did have a bit of fun reproducing at full size the newspapers discussed in Jessica’s articles — complete with the appropriate holes cut with short-bladed nail scissors in the instance of the découpé warning in HOUN.

What book would you recommend to other Sherlockians?

Jessica: This might sound like it’s out of left field, but I promise it isn’t: I’m going to recommend Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things. Just as Holmes is constantly reminding Watson to lean harder into his observational abilities, Don Norman — one of the pioneers of user experience design — looks at ordinary objects with an eye to truly understand and disassemble how their design helps or hinders their users. In fact, if it had been a field in his era, I’d maybe even suggest that our good detective might have retired into a UX practice rather than beehives … but that’s just a hunch.

Eric: Be forewarned should you follow her excellent recommendation: you will then see the world as full of typos and exquisitely poor design. As befits my plodding linear methodology, when introduced recently to a local young teenager enthralled by her first canonical readings, we gave her a copy of Les’ Annotated (which Les kindly inscribed to her).

Where do you see Sherlockiana in 5 or 10 years from now?

Jessica: Barring any insider knowledge of an up-and-coming television franchise or film reimagining of our hero, my vote — or maybe, rather hope? — is that we continue to welcome more people, of more backgrounds, ages, races and interests, into this community both as we continue to stage more post-covid, in-person events and as we hopefully keep making get-togethers more accessible remotely. We’re all happy to be back meeting face-to-face again, but I think we’re all also aware of how many opportunities to meet others we had in the virtual space that might not have happened if it weren’t for those years of isolation! So, I’m rooting for the best of both worlds going forward.

Eric: That next surge of popular interest is likely not far off. There’s a study yet to be made of the potentially predictable periodicity of popular attention to the Master. We look forward to welcoming them and “their Sherlock".