"a tremendous abyss" [FINA] The BSI Manuscript series continues to churn out remarkable books on an annual basis. In 2015, we're pleased to see the manuscript for "The Empty House" printed, analyzed and opined in , edited by Robert Katz, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree"), Steven Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear") and Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram"). The trio of editors joined us for a discussion of how this project came about - including getting access to the MS from the famed in Philadelphia. The i...
Apr 15, 2015•1 hr 43 min•Season 8Ep. 76
"she loved the Prince" [SHOS] For our diamond jubilee episode - our 75th - we're pleased to welcome Sonia Fetherston, BSI ("The Solitary Cyclist"), author of the latest entry in the Baker Street Irregulars Biography Series, . Bliss Austin, BSI ("The Engineer's Thumb") was among the first class that was given titular investitures to the Baker Street Irregulars. But he was more than that, as we discovered. He was an accomplished researcher and industrialist who rose to the executive ranks of U.S. ...
Mar 15, 2015•1 hr 32 min•Season 8Ep. 75
The #BSIWeekend 2015 is in the history books. As usual, it was a reminder of the richness of friendship and fun that are the side effect - and in some cases, the driver - of our interest in Sherlock Holmes. And it is the subject of this episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. As you know, the is a gathering of some hundrends of interested Sherlockians that is always full of food, fun and friends, and this year was no exception. In fact, this year it coincided with the 125th anniversary of the ...
Feb 16, 2015•1 hr 16 min•Season 8Ep. 74
"on miracle plays" [SIGN] Theatrical Sherlockians probably know Ken Ludwig best for his play , which focused on William Gillette and won an Edgar® Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the best play of 2012. More widely cultured individuals know that he is an internationally-acclaimed and Tony® Award-winning playwright whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had six shows on Broadway and six in the West End - including Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Ov...
Jan 22, 2015•1 hr 2 min•Season 8Ep. 73
"the compliments of the season" [BLUE] As you know, December 27 marks "the second day after Christmas," the day on which Dr. Watson called up on Mr. Sherlock Holmes to wish him "the compliments of the season"in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." We've long celebrated that particular story on this date - even opting for reading it on . But rather than simply rehash the tried and true, we thought we'd mix things up a bit this year and bring in a guest. Peter Blau, 2s., BSI ("Black Peter") has ...
Dec 27, 2014•47 min•Season 7Ep. 72
Mike Whelan is the "Wiggins" of the Baker Street Irregulars and has been such since 1997. He joined us as a guest on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere first in December 2007 (Episodes and ). As a reminder, the Baker Street Irregulars, the literary society dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, was founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley, administered ably from 1940-1960 by Edgar W. Smith, followed by Julian Wolff from 1960-1986 and Tom Stix, Jr. from 1986-1997. In our conversation with Mike, we touch on both J...
Dec 15, 2014•1 hr 29 min•Season 7Ep. 71
This. Is. IHOSE! In our 70th episode, we've joined forces with three of the formidably intelligent to create a Sherlockian version of the popular American game show Jeopardy. To say that it was one of our most technically challenging episode yet would be a massive understatement. But we hope you find that it was pulled off with aplomb. , and faced off against each other with Burt and Scott filling the role of Alex Trebek in what could be summed up as "the nervous tutor, the careless servant, and...
Nov 28, 2014•1 hr 50 min•Season 7Ep. 70
In , we explored some of the early days of Sherlock Holmes on radio with Bert Coules. We're pleased to present the second part of that episode as we make a deeper dive into Sherlock Holmes as portrayed in radio productions. The bulk of our conversation with Bert centers - appropriately so - around the BBC Radio 4 series starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams (). After selling a dramatized version of The Hound of the Baskervilles to the BBC (which starred Roger Rees), Bert was given the gre...
Oct 18, 2014•1 hr 41 min•Season 7Ep. 69
Sherlock Holmes has a rich history on radio, beginning in the 1930s and running clear through to the 2010s. From William Gillette to Basil Rathbone, Cedric Hardwicke to John Gielgud, and Carlton Hobbs to Roger Rees. But there is one production that stands heads and shoulders above the rest. The BBC Radio 4 series starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams managed to do what no other production had done before it: to dramatize all 60 Sherlock Holmes with the same principal cast members. The hea...
Sep 29, 2014•1 hr 23 min•Season 7Ep. 68
Well, we've done it. We've finally produced a mega-episode. And what better topic to go all epic on you than the outsized at the University of Minnesota Libraries? Our guest this episode is Tim Johnson, Curator of Special Collections and Rare Books & E. W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Tim gives us a nice history of the and the beginnings of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the university, which was made possible through a nu...
Aug 26, 2014•1 hr 50 min•Season 7Ep. 67
It's summertime and the Sherlocking is easy! In our 66th episode, we travel down the road with the top down and enjoy the sites and news along the way. Our breezy conversation ranges from hockey and snow (it's Christmas in July!), which sends us down a rabbit hole of snow in the Canon, to the latest in the #FreeSherlock movement, and then on to some events. But the real fun begins when Burt and Scott investigate the various iterations of Sherlockian tchotchkes that give us kicks as Sherlockians....
Jul 21, 2014•1 hr 35 min•Season 7Ep. 66
After a slight delay (thanks to a crashed hard drive and a lost interview), we're back with a super-sized episode that we hope will make up for our absence. We're pleased to welcome Tom Richmond, one of the "Usual Gang of Idiots" at . Tom's career has been a most interesting one, and we explore how he managed to take an adolescent aspiration and turn it into an award-winning career at the bible of comedic publications. During this show, you'll find out how inspiration comes to a creative type wh...
Jun 21, 2014•1 hr 44 min•Season 7Ep. 65
After a long hiatus, we're back in the Collectors' Corner. This time, we're joined by the Maniac Collector himself, Don Hobbs, BSI ("Inspector Lestrade"). For those of you who don't know Don, you're in for a treat, for Don is a Texan through and through - and that means big stories, a big appetite for his interests and a big BIG collection of Sherlock Holmes books in translation. Of the 100 languages that the Canon has been translated into, Don has books in 96 of those languages. And that's only...
May 16, 2014•1 hr 12 min•Season 7Ep. 64
The Baker Street Irregulars Manuscript Series has another entry, and once again we find ourselves chatting with co-editors Robert Katz, MD, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") and Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram"). Bob and Andy of course were our guests on , and we're delighted to have them with us again to share the secret as to how lightning strikes twice and these two fine editors regroup to wrangle together scholarship, research and fun for our Sherlockian edification. This time, the title is , and i...
Apr 10, 2014•1 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 63
"those weekend parties" [SOLI] While our last episode was recorded during the BSI Weekend in New York, we thought we'd cover some of the happenings in and around the itself. Our opening comments center around collecting and what makes a collector, but then we quickly launch into actual audio clips with individuals we met during the weekend. Our audio files open with an interview with Art Levine, who has been attending BSI dinners since 1954. He knew and associated with the likes of Edgar Smith, ...
Mar 14, 2014•1 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 62
"...my little bookshop at the corner..." [EMPT] When we have the opportunity to sit on a couple of sofas and interview some of the most erudite and interesting Baker Street Irregulars of our time, we take it. And it seems that the BSI Weekend serves as just the spot to do that. Two years ago, we had an opportunity to do just that with Michael Dirda (ref. ), and we were again afforded that opportunity this year. On January 16, 2014, we had the great fortune to find an upstairs room in The Players...
Feb 10, 2014•1 hr 29 min•Season 7Ep. 61
"About sixty" [BOSC] We've arrived at the Canonical number of 60 episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, so we thought it was time to celebrate in a manner suitable to such an important number. As you well know, there were 56 short stories and four novels about Sherlock Holmes, as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (who in some circles is actually Watson's literary agent). In this discussion about the 60 stories, Burt and Scott delve into the origins of Sherlock Holmes and mine some original m...
Jan 11, 2014•1 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 60
"the lawyers have been at it" [REIG] As you've no doubt observed, if you've seen anything of the news of the past few days, the "Free Sherlock" case has concluded, . It's been big news, getting coverage in such circles as , , , and scores of other publications. As a listeners of our program know, Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") has been a frequent guest on the show, joining us for a on his to the Robert Downey, Jr. films, and then again work. Of course, Les is also the lead plaintiff...
Dec 30, 2013•1 hr 16 min
"We both thought the best resource" [SCAN] We can unabashedly say that we're huge fans of . So it was with great pleasure that we sat down with Jules Coomber and David Mather, two of the four (in addition to Emma and Leif) who run the burgeoning online presence of a site that pays homage to the BBC's Sherlock and the cast and crew that are responsible for it. It's been so well done that many think that it's either an official BBC site or that it's only about the show. Go with us behind the scene...
Dec 11, 2013•1 hr 25 min•Season 6Ep. 59
"We must be thankful for what we've got." [VALL] For those in the United States, November is the month in which we celebrate Thanksgiving. We thought it a fitting time to reflect on some of the things we have to be thankful for in the world of Sherlock Holmes, and they are many. The show's multiple topics and many links reflect that. First, we have our Sherlockian society meetings. Whether you live in a city that is home to a venerable institution with a decades-old group of longstanding traditi...
Nov 11, 2013•1 hr 22 min•Season 6Ep. 58
"No ghosts need apply." [SUSS] Holmes and the occult is our subject for this Halloween episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, and we're joined by editor and author , who together with J.R. Campbell edited , , and , joins us to talk about the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the spooky, outre and creepy, setting the tone for the season. Charles (who goes by on Twitter), had the great fortune to work with the likes of Barbara Hambly, Martin Powell and Kim Newman, among others, and he talks a...
Oct 14, 2013•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 57
While our show normally allows us to inform our listeners about the Sherlockian world (and occasionally share gossipy tidbits and commentary), it is always a joy when we have the opportunity to welcome a guest to interview. This occasion was no exception, as we were fortunate enough to be joined by Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") from . Brad fashions himself , but he certainly held his own on our program, as he discussed his first meeting with Sherlock Holmes, noting that it was far from t...
Sep 02, 2013•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 56
It's a show chock full of Sherlock Holmes news! Of course, Horace Harker was a reporter for the Central Press Syndicate in "The Six Napoleons," but in our case we're acting in his stead to share some of the most significant news to our own syndicate. We share a special announcement about a future feature of the program which we'll call "The Central Press Syndicate." But in the meantime, we have much to share... We pick up with a clarification on Lenore Glen Offord ("The Old Russian Woman") and t...
Aug 11, 2013•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 55
It's easy to assume that Sherlock Holmes's powers were something of an anomaly - that Holmes was a superhero with something akin to super powers, and we mere mortals cannot attain the same level of expertise and professionalism. But that assumption would be wrong, as author has made abundantly clear. In her book , Konnikova, who holds a doctorate in psychology from Columbia University and writes the "" column for Scientific American, deconstructs the process of observation, deduction and self-kn...
Jul 14, 2013•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 54
The Baker Street Irregulars are widely known as a literary society dedicated to the study of Sherlock Holmes. Since 1934 the group has been gathering in New York City for and has embarked on centered around, , and analysis of extant . But more than that, the BSI wants to ensure that its own history and that of its members are recorded for posterity and the researchers who may be interested in it sometime in the future. Enter . In this episode, Burt and Scott interview Tom Francis, BSI ("The Impe...
Jun 09, 2013•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 53
When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thinking. We blame this not on carelessness or laziness but rather on the overwhelming popularity of the great detective. The image of Holmes clad in deerstalker and Inverness cape, clenching a Meerschaum pipe in his teeth is the universal, if cliched, image of a detective. But was it true? We were recently reminded of a number of classic myths about Sherlock Holmes,...
May 11, 2013•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 52
We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts (we're careful to say neither "fans" nor "devotees" at this juncture).The first item of interest that grabbed our attention in early 2013 was the so-called "Free Sherlock" movement. Summed up, this is basically an issue that is being brought to court via a case titled , in which Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") is contesti...
Apr 16, 2013•55 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Our 50th episode is a fitting one. As you know, a 50th anniversary is typically celebrated with gold. Because we appreciate our listeners so much, we would settle for nothing less than the same.But our gold comes in the form of a scintillating conversation with the two editors of the Baker Street Irregulars' eighth entry in their , , which is a look at the manuscript of "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez." Co-editors Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") and Robert Katz, MD, BSI ("Dr. Ains...
Jan 21, 2013•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 50
"Compliments of the season" is how Watson described his activities regarding a visit he paid to Holmes during the Christmas season.And we know "" as the sole Christmas story in the Canon of Sherlock Holmes stories. And rather than focus on the nostalgic and its place in the lineup of winter classics, we discuss how this classic fits in the pantheon of Holmes stories in its own right as a tale of friendship, crime, discovery and what we've come to realize as some of the typical Baker Street scene...
Dec 19, 2012•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 49
When Conan Doyle embarked on his whaling adventure at the age of 20, little could he have guessed what awaited him. And little did the world know how profoundly his experiences would influence his later life, including the creation for which we know him most intimately - that of Sherlock Holmes. We're joined in this episode by the editors of , Jon Lellenberg, BSI and Daniel Stashower, BSI. Jon and Dan have been with us on previous episodes of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: when we discussed on ,...
Dec 05, 2012•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 48
