"now bright, now faint, as the burning poison waxed or waned" [TWIS] After nearly 130 years in print, it seems like the phenomenon of Sherlock Holmes may have peaked. And yet, it's likely that every generation may have thought that - including the one in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was still writing the original stories. We've often said that every generation has its Sherlock Holmes, and when we move beyond the printed page, it's quite true. From William Gillette to Eille Norwood, Arthur Wontne...
Oct 15, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 106
"The detectives and I must have echoed it" [VALL] Laurie R. King, BSI ("The Red Circle") and Leslie S. Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") are no strangers to the mystery genre. Laurie is probably best known for her Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes stories, and Les has annotated the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dracula, Sandman and H.P. Lovecraft. Together, the two have edited two anthologies of stories inspired by Sherlock Holmes: and . They're back at it again with a third volume, , and we sit down with...
Sep 30, 2016•59 min•Season 9Ep. 105
"I had never heard of the institution" [GREE] Every four years, the Baker Street Irregulars, the New York-based literary society dedicated to studying Sherlock Holmes, arranges an excursion somewhere in the United States. These events happen outside of the usual BSI Weekend, and like the weekend itself, are open to all interested Sherlockians. The first in 2004 took the group to Salt Lake City on the trail of A Study in Scarlet; then in 2008, the group went to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania to the loc...
Sep 16, 2016•58 min•Season 9Ep. 104
"they were said to be a most united couple" [DANC] You might call them the first couple of the Baker Street Irregulars. Albert ("Inspector Bradstreet") and Julia ("Mrs. Turner") Rosenblatt have graced the Sherlockian scenes as a couple since the early 1970s. We had a chance to visit them at their home in New York, where we heard about a little girl named Margie and an unrelated trip to Meiringen were responsible for sparking the interest that led to so many amazing things. From arranging the qui...
Aug 30, 2016•1 hr 17 min•Season 9Ep. 103
"In summer it is a favourite resort" [VALL] How often do you think of hot summer weather when you read the Sherlock Holmes stories? According to our calculations, it should be about 25%. But it doesn't seem that way, does it? It turns out that 16 of of the 60 stories took place in the summer months. For those of you keeping track at home, they are (according to William S. Baring-Gould): "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" - June 1889 "The Man with the Twisted Lip" - June 1889 "The Engineer's Thumb" - ...
Aug 15, 2016•1 hr 2 min•Season 9Ep. 102
"the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion" [SIGN] When your interview guest says that she was hooked on Sherlock Holmes based on the line "I confess that I covet your skull," you know it's going to be a fun and unusual discussion. Even more fun is the fact that Rebecca Romney is an extraordinarily well read and well informed Sherlockian, partially owing to the fact that she is also a rare book dealer. Professionally, she works with Honey and Wax Booksellers, but you may recall her ...
Jul 30, 2016•1 hr 11 min•Season 9Ep. 101
"I am one of a hundred" [ILLU] Well, we managed to do it. And it only took us nine years, an 18-month hiatus, one lost episode and thousands of fans. That's right, it's our 100th episode. We asked you what you wanted to hear for the centenary of the first podcast for Sherlock Holmes devotees, and time and again, we heard from you, telling us to do a retrospective - a look back at our favorite moments from what we've accomplished. We also asked you what your favorite moments are and what you want...
Jul 15, 2016•2 hr 4 min•Season 9Ep. 100
"Billy had appeared in answer to a ring." [MAZA] It's a rare thing to find a Sherlockian legend these days, but Chris Redmond certainly qualifies as one. From his investiture in the Baker Street Irregulars at the tender age of 16 to his long association with the Bootmakers of Toronto, he is a respected speaker at all kinds of Sherlockian events. And online, he's probably best known for his longstanding and comprehensive reference site . Chris's writing output is impressive, steady and ranges fro...
Jun 30, 2016•1 hr 17 min•Season 9Ep. 99
"Oh, he has a European fame, has he?" [REDC] While Sherlock Holmes is firmly rooted in London, the connections to Europe in the Sherlock Holmes stories are many. But have you ever stopped to ponder, as a whole, how mentions of the Continent and various European countries stack up? You might be surprised. Travel with us as Burt and Scott take a deeper look into some of the European influences that Conan Doyle infused into the various stories. From Moriarty's European reputation to the "European s...
Jun 15, 2016•1 hr 18 min•Season 9Ep. 98
"After an excellent voyage the Hotspur landed us at Sydney" [GLOR] Australian Sherlockians are some of the most amazing people. We had the opportunity to put our theory to the test not once, but twice. And the most recent occasion was in April 2016 on a visit to Sydney. There we met with some wonderful and fun Sherlockians: Bill Barnes, BSI, Roseane McNamara, BSI, Kerry Murphy, Christopher Sequeira, Doug Elliott, BSI, Robert Veld, Erin O'Neill, and Malcolm Ellis, to be specific. While we were th...
May 31, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 97
"See how beautifully the spring works" [STUD] Spring is here! Suh-per-ing is here! Life is skittles and life is beer... You may not have realized this, but more than a quarter of the Sherlock Holmes stories occurred in the spring. We took the opportunity to call out a few of them an delve into why the season worked as both a setting for the stories and as tool to juxtapose Holmes and Watson. Of course, we don't stop there, as we chat about what our 100th episode may contain (just four episodes a...
May 15, 2016•1 hr 22 min•Season 9Ep. 96
"It is a curious collection." [MUSG] You've probably heard us extolling the virtues of A Curious Collection of Dates: Sherlock Holmes Through the Year on previous shows. We're big fans of this book. But after this episode, you'll understand why we're also fans of the authors. Leah Guinn and Jaime N. Mahoney join us to give us the backstory on what it was like to develop the concept and bring this reference tome to life, including their decision to go with a premier publisher like Wessex Press, w...
Apr 30, 2016•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 95
"absolute nonsense" [VALL] This episode is a little different. As you know, we alternate between interview shows and Burt and Scott discussing whatever comes to mind. In this case, we had a number of news-related items to stitch together, but we had help in doing so. This was something of a chowder, a goulash, a salmagundi, a boullabaise, a melange of content. First, Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Anstruther") joined us again, but this time he told us all about — the latest in the BSI's series of quadrenni...
Apr 15, 2016•1 hr 24 min•Season 9Ep. 94
"He has nerve and he has knowledge." [SPEC] If you're a regular listener of our show, you may remember that in , we chatted with Steve Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear"), Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") and Andy Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") about the BSI Manuscript Series entry about "The Empty House." During that conversation, Bob and Andy excitedly told us about their next project — a then-unnamed book about medicine in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Well, this January their book made its de...
Mar 30, 2016•1 hr 21 min•Season 9Ep. 93
"dreaming of the bright green fields" [CROO] Mid March means it's time for the wearing of the green, as St. Patrick's Day approaches. Accordingly, we grab our shillelaghs and affect a brogue as we discuss some of the Irish connections in the Sherlock Holmes stories. While there are many Irish references, both subtle and overt, we concentrate primarily on two of the stories where the Irish connection is a central plot point. And interestingly enough, both involved some sort of Irish secret societ...
Mar 15, 2016•1 hr 23 min•Season 9Ep. 92
"it is a likely ruse" [ENGR] February is a shorter month, so the latest episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere comes to you a day earlier. We're joined by Maria Konnikova, whom you may remember as the author of . She first appeared on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere to discuss that very book. Maria is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, where she writes a regular column with a focus on psychology and culture, and her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Scientific America...
Feb 29, 2016•1 hr 24 min•Season 9Ep. 91
"I loved with such a love as comes once in a lifetime" [PRIO] We're aware of the quotes "to Sherlock Holmes, she was always the woman," and "I have never loved, Watson," but what was Sherlock Holmes's relationship with love? Was he truly "an automaton — a calculating machine," or was he more familiar with the emotion than we've previously considered. In honor of Valentine's Day (yesterday), we discuss this and the various relationships in the Sherlock Holmes stories that involved couples, whethe...
Feb 14, 2016•1 hr 45 min•Season 9Ep. 90
"the cleverness of women" [SCAN] When the Baker Street Irregulars finally made the watershed decision to admit women to its membership in 1991, Evelyn Herzog, BSI ("The Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet"), ASH ("Violet Hunter") and Susan Rice, 2s., BSI ("Beeswing"), ASH ("A Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations Upon the Segregation of the Queen") were there. And yet the history of what led up to that moment is not widely known. From Evy's and Susan's perspectives, it began some ...
Jan 30, 2016•1 hr 23 min•Season 9Ep. 89
"a malicious and abominable smile" [DYIN] You've likely seen the online chatter and either managed to see the episode or miss the spoilers for to date. Before listening to this episode, we recommend watching (or even re-watching) it, for you'll have better context around some of our references. We're pleased to bring you some of our observations and even some conjecture about the intent and direction of the show based on our viewings. We even throw in nods to Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles An...
Jan 15, 2016•1 hr 16 min•Season 9Ep. 88
"with the big book under my arm" [STOC] If you've been with us for a while, you'll have heard about Otto Penzler, BSI ("The King of Bohemia") before. He was our guest on when we talked about book collecting. Otto is back with us to talk about the genesis of , the largest anthology of stories about Sherlock Holmes to date, as well as the rest of his enterprises. We learn about what goes into selecting (and discarding) stories that make up the nine Big Book anthologies under the Vintage Crime/Blac...
Dec 30, 2015•1 hr 24 min•Season 8Ep. 87
"an extraordinarily astute couple" [VALL] Anyone who has been following Sherlock Holmes on television and in popular culture over the last five years or so should be familiar with the names and . Steven is showrunner, writer and producer for Sherlock and Doctor Who, and Sue is a producer of a number of programs, including Doctor Who and Sherlock, as well as of numerous British television comedies. Steven and Sue met at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 1996 and joined Hartswood Films, where S...
Dec 15, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 8Ep. 86
"its neat morroco case" [SIGN] Those Sherlockians who came to the hobby from the 1970s onward will be familiar with the name Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Moroccan Case"). His book became a runaway hit in 1974 and 1975, eventually becoming a movie for which Meyer himself wrote the screenplay. The 2015 Christmas Annual Together Again for the First Time, which celebrates the four decades since the book and film appeared. A master storytelling, Nick Meyer brings us behind the scenes of becoming a Sh...
Nov 30, 2015•2 hr•Season 8Ep. 85
As the holiday shopping season nears, we thought it was a great time to create in your life. If you're into Sherlock Holmes in any way, it's likely that you have a wish list. Whether it's an early edition of the stories, a complete collection of , a , or something else. We recently asked , and you responded in force. We took those suggestions and ran with them, and created a show to highlight some of the many things for the Sherlock Holmes fanatic in your life, whether it's you or a loved one. O...
Nov 15, 2015•1 hr 10 min•Season 8Ep. 84
"the sister of Vernet, the French artist" [GREE] Did you ever have a chance to talk with someone with whom you immediately felt a connection? That's exactly how Bonnie MacBird impressed us when we chatted with her about her new book in this latest interview episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. From her most amazing experience on her recent book tour to her first meeting with Sherlock Holmes (at a remarkable age!), to how she found her inspiration for the novel, Bonnie shares her very consid...
Oct 30, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Season 8Ep. 83
"Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery" [REDC] We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Sherlock Holmes is no stranger to either, and with a growing database that includes some tens of thousands of work, it's easy to think that Sherlock Holmes is probably the most imitated literary character in history. We take the time in this show to explore some of the motivations behind pastiches — as well as the cliched ingredients in so many pastiches (Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft Ho...
Oct 15, 2015•1 hr 6 min•Season 8Ep. 82
"Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft." [GREE] If asked, who would you say is the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan? Prior to January 2015, we would not have said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But when he made a surprise appearance at the 2015 BSI Dinner and we had a chance to speak with him we discovered it was in fact he. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse have written a new book called , due out next week. We won't give too much away, but it chronicles the early...
Sep 15, 2015•1 hr 52 min•Season 8Ep. 81
"this exhibition of the great detective" [VALL] If you were tasked with writing about the significance of Sherlock Holmes in popular culture, how would you go about it? After all, it's been a topic of numerous books throughout the years and we're currently awash in Sherlock Holmes books, shows, websites and the rest. Journalist Zach Dundas took a very unconventional approach with his book . It's a combination travelogue, memoir and cultural biography that brings us through the Sherlock Holmes ch...
Aug 15, 2015•1 hr 30 min•Season 8Ep. 80
Glen Miranker, BSI, 2s ("The Origin of Tree Worship") is one of the foremost Sherlockian and Doylean collectors in the world. To see his collection in person would send chills up even the most austere Sherlockian's spine. We asked Glen to join us, not solely because of the depth and breadth of his Sherlockian collection, but because he has many personal stories that effectively illustrate what it means to be a collector. From his first real collectible book to the individuals who mentored him al...
Jul 15, 2015•1 hr 53 min•Season 8Ep. 79
The 15th of every month brings a new episode, and our latest is chock full of Sherlockian nuggets. There's a legal case afoot, in case you haven't heard. We cover the latest broadside from the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. - the #FreeMrHolmes saga - and discuss the movie starring Sir Ian McKellen. We ponder Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's epitaph if written under the present clouds of the estate's business dealings. We also take a moment to pause and reflect on the screening of the William Gillette 1916 fil...
Jun 15, 2015•1 hr 35 min•Season 8Ep. 78
"It is a nice household" [SPEC] It's been exactly one month since our last episode, as as is our tradition on the 15th of every month, we bring you another episode of our show. In this episode, come with us to Boston as we investigate the Speckled Band of Boston - the oldest scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars, which was founded in 1940. In addition to a recap of some of the main Sherlock Holmes news of the last month, we bring you a number of special audio features. Burt and Scott both...
May 15, 2015•1 hr 55 min•Season 8Ep. 77
