The first, Chapter and Verse Holmes, may at first make some people scratch their heads and ask why. All I can say to answer that is that it was created by the genius of Paul Thomas Miller. If you aren't familiar with how this man's particular mind works, I would encourage you to read my interview with him.
Paul has a knack for creating things that no one has thought of before and often things that people wonder why it was needed. But his work ultimately ends up being delightful and sometimes even useful. My prediction is that Chapter and Verse Holmes will be very useful to folks who are willing to embrace it. I have already used it a few times to search for a certain item in the Canon. And since I haven't had the need to cite his work yet, this week's post title seems like an appropriate time: (BOSC 1:368)
And don't just take my word for it, Watson himself points out that you can always learn something new (STUD 6:3). Even if you end up not adopting this new tool, I would heartily recommend reading Paul's introduction in the opening pages of the pdf. You would think after creating his own chronology, he would've learned not to take on such large tasks anymore, but it seems like the man is willing to sacrifice his eyesight and time with his family for our hobby. It's the least we could do to try it ourselves (SIGN 1:13)
The other site that launched a few days ago is one I'm very excited about, and not just because I'm part of the team working on it. Sherlockian Societies is a page hosted by The Beacon Society, but isn't strictly about educating students. It's a tool that will be used for any student of the Canon. The team behind this site includes Steve Mason, Mike McSwiggin, Greg Ruby, Tamar Zeffren, and myself. I'm in unbelievably good company here!
The purpose of this site is to be a central hub for information about any active Sherlockian society out there. It's not trying to be an exhaustive collection of information, but a starting point for many Sherlockians. The goal is to connect anyone interested with in-person groups that they can read about and hopefully join.
Looking to see if a city has a society you could check out? The interactive map that was originally hosted on the Crew of the Barque Lone Star site can be found on SherlockianSocieties.com
Want to know what a Sherlockian society even is? An overview of what societies can be and the different types can be found on SherlockianSocieties.com
Curious about what publications societies put out? A treasury of society newsletters is being built on SherlockianSocieties.com
Want to read about specific societies? Monthly spotlights of societies will be posted on SherlockianSocieties.com
Trying to find that piece of information you sort of remember but can't quite put your finger on? Links to The Baker Street Almanac, Sherlockian Calendar, and Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press can be found on SherlockianSocieties.com
Heard about a great presentation from a meeting and want to see what it was all about? Text from society presentations will be hosted at SherlockianSocieties.com
So do yourself a favor this week and set aside some time to spend on Chapter and Verse Holmes and Sherlockian Societies. Otherwise, you may just end up like Jefferson Hope (STUD 10:101).
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