Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (August 11 - August 17, 2012)

This post is a few days late….thanks for bearing with my ‘summer hours’ here at Always 1895….

Sherlock Peoria’s Brad Keefauver takes note of the explosively successful article written by psychologist and Sherlockian Ms Maria Konnikova (mentioned in last week’s Friday Links) about why it is incorrect to call Sherlock Holmes a psychopath. Mr Keefauver contrasts the recent Baker Street Journal paper by Dr Lisa Sanders which strongly suggests that Holmes had Asperger’s Syndrome with Konnikova’s article. Konnikova’s paper, inspired by BBC Sherlock’s line that he (Sherlock) is a “high-functioning sociopath” and not a psychopath (spoiler: psychopath = sociopath), argues the case that Holmes, using a scientific set of diagnostic tools (ie. the DSM IV), is not even close to being a sociopath. So in the end whom does Mr Keefauver side? “Well, I’m leaning toward Konnikova, but let me tell you who I really believe. There was this doctor who had actually met Sherlock Holmes and spent a substantial amount of time with him. You know his name. He’s a doctor I’ve trusted since the day I first met him.” Read the entire piece for Keefauver’s ultimate decision, but one can get a fairly good sense of his view simply from the title of his piece:  ”Diagnosis: Best and wisest.” 

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[Sherlock Holmes in Victorian Psycho.]

Dan Andriacco asks “What would you add to a “must have” list for a Sherlockian library?” Using the legendary ‘Shaw 100’ - that infinitely useful master list of Sherlockian scholarship, reference material and pastiches devised by John Bennett Shaw - as a jumping off point, Mr Andriacco invites Paul Herbert, BSI to recommend a few recent titles that would serve as worthy additions. To see all of Mr Herbert’s suggestions check out Andriacco’s latest post ‘The Basic Holmesian Library’. One of my long term Sherlockian collector goals is to acquire each and every title on the original (and updated) Shaw 100 list and I’m proud to say I’ve managed to rack up approximately 60-70% of it’s contents. The more expensive/obscure titles still elude me but I hope it’s only a matter of time before my quest is complete. Coincidentally, one of the Shaw 100 books I have yet to score is a book by Paul Herbert himself entitled The Sincerest Form of Flattery: An Historical Survey of Parodies, Pastiches, and Other Imitative Writings of Sherlock Holmes, 1891-1980 on Gasogene Press (1983), which appears to sell for anywhere between $50 and $120. Mr Andriacco’s post also suggests the more subtle point that, though the Shaw 100 represents the apex of Sherlockian scholarship, there continues to be new and worthy items published as Sherlockian culture marches on - and that it’s best to think of the Shaw 100 not as an inflexible document written in stone but as a living, dynamic list open to new and important Holmesian-centric books. (Note: For more information on the great John Bennett Shaw (1913-1994), check out the JBS obituary from Jim Hawkins of The Nashville Scholars of the Three Pipe Problem.) 

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[The great John Bennett Shaw, legendary Sherlockian book collector and creator of the Shaw 100.]

Smithsonian Blog in “The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street” looks at various attempts at capturing the lay of 221B via floor plan schematics. As any Sherlockian who has ever attempted to make sense of the various references in the canon of the features of 221B knows, there are more than a few contradictions and confusing descriptions which make the creation of such a floor plan all but impossible. But I imagine it’s this very ‘impossibility’ which drives readers of the canon to try, and there’s been a few notable attempts, which this article explores. This post is the “sixth and final post in [Smithsonian Blog’s] series on Design and Sherlock Holmes. Previous investigations look into Mind Palaces, The Tech Tool of a Modern Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes’s Original Tools of Deduction, Holmes’s Iconic Deerstalker Hat, and The Mysteriously Replicating Flat at 221b Baker Street.” When you have the chance, make sure to read all of them.

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[Click the above image for a much larger version of this fine 221B floor plan along with  an annotated version and extensive creation notes.]

Barefoot on Baker Street reminds her readers to not forget the ongoing fight to Save Undershaw. In particular, Ms Walters points to the work of “Steve Emecz, the man behind Sherlock Holmes specialist publisher MX Publishing, has put together a small collection of three books (including one of [Charlotte Anne Walters]) whose royalties go to the Save Undershaw Campaign”: 1) Sherlock’s Home: The Empty House, 2) Allistar Duncan’s An Entirely New Country and 3) Charlotte Anne Walters’s 56 Sherlock Holmes Stories in 56 Days. MX is offering all three works as the Save Undershaw Collection. 

My Dear Watson offered up two charming behind the scene photos: the first (below) features a younger Jeremy Brett with a gaggle of young ladies/fans along with the woman (Gayle Hunnicutt) aka Irene Adler and the second (click to see) contains a devastatingly good looking Brett with the first Granada Watson David Burke. Even if you’re not a fan of the proliferation of Sherlock-themed Tumblr/blog sites as of late, one has to admit the benefit of the thousands of Holmes fans of various levels of experience/commitment scouring the digital and analog worlds for new and obscure images, in particular behind the scenes-style photos featuring classic Holmes actors such as Jeremy Brett, Douglas Wilmer, Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, etc.

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[JB, Gayle Hunnicutt and friends.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

Baker Street Babes in “Episode 30: The Episode of Dubious Legality - Betsy Rosenblatt, the OTW, and Fanworks” the babes talk about some of the legal issues surrounding fandom culture. Edifying. 

Sherlock Cares looks at “How Sherlock Can Ease John Into the Truth About His Fall” - which raises a point I’m very much looking forward to finding out more about: just how will Sherlock explain his ‘death’ to John? Or more importantly, how will Sherlock reveal himself to his best friend and the most suffering of mortals?

Examiner posted a piece by Nick Redfern on Hounds of the Baskervilles From Demon Dogs to Sherlock Holmes which features “authors Timothy Beckley, Nick Redfern, Andrew Gable, Claudia Cunningham, and William Kern. Also the book contains the original story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As well as actual case accounts of run ins from eye witnesses who have seen these actual black demon dogs.”

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[Just one representation of a demon dog.]

GQ “In the denouement to the second series of BBC One’s Sherlock, Holmes apparently jumps from  a rooftop to meet his maker. Only - guess what - he’s alive! Here are the five most likely theories for how he faked it.” A very high profile article. 

Daily Mail Online reflects on whether or not Benedict Cumberbatch’s complaints about being targeted as “posh” are warranted. I like BC and all, but I can’t see how his career has been adversely affected by being “too posh.” Maybe it hurts his feelings a little, but as a working actor, he’s been extremely successful. What do you think?

Time on Dangerous Work gets some serious mainstream press coverage from Time magazine: ACD’s “personal narrative is a precursor to Sherlock Holmes that packs in just as much drama.” Not sure how ACD’s early journal can impact the real life details of Holmes’ career, but perhaps the author of this Time article mistakenly believes that Sherlock Holmes is just a fictional character thought-up by Watson’s literary agent ACD. 

What Culture in ‘The Great Detective’s Most Faithful Adaptation’ reflects on recent Homes adaptations in this lengthy and interesting piece. 

I Believe in Mycroft Holmes points out 13 ways that we should all appreciate Mycroft Holmes (even) more than we do. For example: 13) “The Reichenbach Fall”, The Diogenes Club: Mycroft’s first appearance in this final episode is just one last instance of Mycroft doing what he always does: watching Sherlock, combing for threats, trying to keep him safe. Summoning John, he hands over carefully prepared folders, likely full of all manner of classified information, just to keep his brother informed.”

NY Observer on “Bartitsu Defend Yourself Like a Sir: Bartitsu, an Adaptable Martial Art for the Modern Gentleman” must have just heard about this ‘bartitsu thing’ that has been gaining popularity steadily in NYC and beyond.

Bookish Adventures posted this great still from Granada’s “The Sign of Four” of Jeremy Brett as Holmes, Ms Mary Morstan (soon to be Mrs Watson played by the lovely Jenny Seagrove) and Edward Hardwicke as Dr Watson.

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[The sign of three from “The Sign of Four”.]

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