Strictly Sherlock

A Correction!

In my previous blog, I credited the Baker Street Babes with being the operators of 221B Con.  It has since been brought to my attention that this information is incorrect.  221B Con is actually run by a five person board: Taylor Blumenberg, Cathy Dodds, Heather Holloway, Crystal Noll, and Liz Arnold.  I sincerely apologize for my error.  Since the Con was so much fun---and trust me, it was well-organized and ran very efficiently, something I am NOT accustomed to with academic meetings!---I want these fine young women to get proper credit for their work.  I hope they will host another 221B Con next year, and that it will have even more attendees.

 

The Baker Street Babes were a strong presence at the Con, and I hope they will continue to receive enthusiastic support from the Sherlockian community.

 

As for my other comment, I was not in any way referring any particular article or dust-up, but more the random chatter that I have heard and private debates I have been involved with.  As someone who works with young people, it is very important to me that our Sherlockian world always be open and inviting to them. I remember being frightened about the first time I attended a scion meeting, worried that I would not pass a potential test.  Fortunately, the Survivors of the Gloria Scott proved to be wonderful folk who have become a significant part of my life.  This is the pleasant and supportive experience I would wish for all potential Sherlockians.

 

Whew!  Hope that clears everything up.

A Report From 221B Con

On April 13 I attended the inaugural meeting of 221B Con, a gathering of Sherlock Holmes fans in Atlanta.  Organized by the Baker Street Babes, a group of young women who have, in little more than a year, made a major impact in the Sherlockian world, the event drew 629 people.  I attended as the guest of organizer Taylor Blumenberg, the Baker Street Babe who conducted a podcast interview with me last fall.  I was on the program in three aspects: I talked about my teaching and writing in ‘An Hour With Tracy Revels,’ served as one of three judges in the costume contest, and along with fellow Sherlockian author Stephanie Osborn, I sat as a panelist on a session called ‘Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and Fantasy.’  The conference spanned Saturday and Sunday, but unfortunately (due to school obligations and a rather painful case of bronchitis) I could only attend Saturday’s sessions.

 

For the uninitiated, a ‘Con’ comprises many events, both planned and spontaneous.  Every hour brought a choice of four different panels to attend.  Sessions included historical discussions, speculation over the next season of SHERLOCK, consideration of theatrical interpretations, and workshops on writing pastiches or making Sherlockian costumes.  A number of representatives of other creative organizations---such as steampunk societies and Dragoncon, a popular Atlanta gathering of science fiction fans---handed out information on their activities.  A dealer’s room featured books, handicrafts (quite the selection of deerstalkers, including knitted ones!), jewelry, artwork, and even teas.  Several authors, including yours truly, had books for sale.  Perhaps most unexpected and exciting were the sudden re-enactments of scenes from various adventures.  Two talented young ladies commandeered the lobby to portray a critical scene from the stage play Frankenstein, complete with costumes.  They earned a well-deserved ovation.  I also heard that there were a number of parties and even a speakeasy open in the evening, but being old and sick kept me away from the fun!

 

A highlight of the day was the costume contest.  Despite being the daughter of a distinguished seamstress and a student of historical attire, I had never previously been called upon to judge such a competition.  It was quite a challenge.  The young people---and a few mature ones as well---showed amazing creativity and ingenuity.  There were Sherlocks and Johns by the score, as well as a half dozen Irene Adlers (complete with whips!), and the entire supporting cast of both historical and recent interpretations of the canon.  The young lady who won portrayed 221 B itself---her dress and accoutrements represented Holmes’s chamber, which we all agreed is as much a character as a setting in both the canon and SHERLOCK.  Second place went to a woman dressed as the historical Irene, complete with a gown and ornate bustle appropriate for an opera diva.  Third place was awarded to a female John Watson, who had handcrafted a sweater, pants, and jacket that were exact replicas to Martin Freeman’s familiar costume.  Portraying Mrs. Hudson, my pal Marilynne McKay reminded the audience to pick up after itself!  With nearly a hundred entries, your correspondent was grateful to be on a team with a costume designer and a fashion blogger---this was a quite a responsibility!

 

A more sedate Sherlockian might have felt a bit flummoxed by this event.  More than a few waiters and hotel staff looked baffled by all the cosplay.  And what was that life-sized TARDIS doing in the middle of the lobby?  But it would take a cold and stodgy heart to not warn to the fun the folks were having.  Everyone was making pictures and laughing manically as new friendships were being formed.  I was impressed not only by the canonical knowledge that many attendees possessed, but by the curiosity that virtually all attendees expressed.  Many talked of their excitement in discovering the fandom and reading the canon.  I was also very favorably struck by how many of the attendees like to write and have ambitions for producing  fanfiction, pastiches, and scholarship.  Nobody was rude or unwelcoming.  I made many new pals from around the country, not to mention meeting fellow MX authors Amy Thomas and Kieran McMullen---that's the three of us looking jolly in the picture!

 

Some Sherlockians make the error of dismissing younger fans, especially those who have developed their interest in Holmes through the current crop of TV shows and movies.  It is unfortunate that any devotee of the master would condemn a younger fan, however that fan was first lured up those seventeen steps.  Sherlock Holmes does not belong to a stuffy elite or to self-appointed guardians of canonical purity.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave his creation to the world and cared little what the world did with him; therefore it is not for any generation to set limits on how the next generation interprets, rewrites, or even worships Sherlock.  There will always be re-inventions and devotions that irk, unsettle, or irritate the elders.  But that is exactly how Sherlock survives and remains relevant to the current age.  As Sherlockians we can always agree to disagree about what constitutes the ‘real Holmes’ and engage in lively debates with fellow zealots.  But we should never patronize or ‘put down’ others, especially those who are just beginning the exciting process of discovering the vastness of the Sherlockian world. 

 

I was very honored to have been part of the first 221B Con.  I was able to spread my personal Sherlockian message, which was to encourage others to seek out scions for fellowship and to always go to the canon for inspiration.  I would gladly return to 221B Con---and next time I’m going in full regalia.  I’m blessed to work on a daily basis with the generation that has produced such interesting and lively interpretations of Holmes.  I am frequently amused, sometimes shocked, and always delighted by these young people---especially these young women, who were the majority of the attendees---and I feel that the future of Sherlock Holmes is in good hands.

Sherlock Sticks With Scholars!

Last Saturday was Scholars’ Day at Wofford College, a time when high school seniors who are considering Wofford converge on the school to be interviewed.  Particularly impressive candidates may receive scholarships as a result of their hour-long conversations with a panel composed of a faculty member, a current student, and a Wofford graduate.  As young people seek to impress the panelists, the panelists are also charged with courting the students, since many of these folks are considering our rival colleges (Davidson, Furman, etc.) as well.  With education costs rising, enrollment battles have become particularly fierce the last few years, so everyone needs to bring an ‘A-game’ to this contest.

 

I have always been impressed by the number of alumni who are willing to return to Wofford on a miserable February Saturday to help in this essential task.  I’m not sure that my loyalty to my old university would ever be that strong!  But each year I see people who graduated in years ranging from the 1950s to the most recently matriculated class happily come home for this chore.

 

I was gathering up my things to go to the meeting when I heard a knock on my office door.  There were two former students of mine who had taken the time to look me up and say hello.  Both are medical folks: she is already a practicing OB/GYN and he is in his final year of medical school.  We quickly caught up on our lives, and as he prepared to depart, Mr. Hufford---who had been in my Sherlock Holmes Humanities class as a freshman---promised to send me an article from a medical journal, which argued that all potential doctors should immerse themselves in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

 

And that promise got me to thinking about what it is we really remember about our college experiences.  I doubt that most of us---even those of us who might be accused of having too much education!---can recite any particular lesson.  I would be hard pressed to recall the names of my textbooks, or even the monographs I read in graduate seminars.  Classes that I sat through in order to meet requirements have vanished from my memory.  I am far more likely to recall that a particular professor was funny, or boring, or especially difficult to please than I am to be able to discuss the content of his/her course.  Even my beloved major professor is clearer to me for how he taught---his amusing phrases, his way with a story, the twirling of his spectacles in one hand---than for the exactness of the dates and facts I learned in his class.

 

Clearly, Mr. Hufford had learned a great deal at Wofford---he was in Phi Beta Kappa and glided into medical school.  I’m sure he remembers many, many things.  But I was so touched to find that Sherlock Holmes was still a part of his life, enough so that he would still want to share an article with me, his now ancient and decrepit former instructor!  Sherlock had clearly ‘stuck’ with him.  And I know that Holmes has staying powers with other students as well.  I’ve often received notes from students in the years after graduation.  One student told me that his copy of the canon was the ONLY book he didn’t sell back at graduation! 

 

College is a treasure-house of memories.  Students don’t always remember content (I have no illusions that my Western Civilization students will recall the details of the Hundred Years War or the French Revolution a decade from now!) but hopefully their exposure to the liberal arts will inspire lifelong curiosity and respect for learning.  Even if the exact nature (and grade) of a research paper is dismissed, the ability to do research, think critically about a thesis, and write clearly remains.  Young people may forget classes, but they will recall their friends, their good times and their struggles, and emerge from Wofford with the maturity and self-reliance to take on the world.  I like to think that Wofford students leave us with the best ideas, examples, and challenges we can give them.

 

Clearly, Mr. Hufford left with Sherlock Holmes in his medical school survival arsenal!  I can’t take credit for that.  All the credit belongs to the genius of Arthur Conan Doyle, who crafted a series of stories that embody the liberal arts.  The canon makes one think about science, history, psychology, art, music, politics, government, technology, sociology, criminology, and gender relations.  A thoughtful reader will confront issues of colonialism, sexism, and racism.  Most importantly, the Sherlock Holmes stories are invitations to critical thinking, which is the beating heart of higher education.

 

I’m delighted that many of my students take Sherlock with them, because he can always lead them back to being Wofford scholars.

My Blue Carbuncle Moment

During the holiday season, many people pause to re-read a seasonal classic.  Whether it's the traditional Nativity tale, or maybe "A Christmas Carol" or "The Gift of the Magi," favorite stories help us focus on the meaning of this special time of year.

 

For Sherlockians, no Christmas would be complete without another turn through "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle."  It involves a hat, a goose, a purloined gem, and an unexpected outcome.  It's one of my top five stories, because---as one of my scion members put it last week---it is a quintessential Holmes story.  Everything works, from the playful deductions about the hat's owner to the 'chase' of clues through Yuletide London, with an innocent man's freedom on the line.  Its conclusion tells us much about the character of Sherlock Holmes; simply put, it is perhaps his finest moment of humanity.

 

Last week, I had a holiday dilemma.  Without going into details, let's just say that I had a student who was 'naughty.'  I caught the young person red-handed, and could easily have brought down the wrath of the academy.  But this student pulled a James Ryder, complete with weeping and wringing of hands.  I couldn't bring myself to extract the big penalty and instead let the young person off with a lower grade and a stern warning.

 

Afterward, I started wondering if I had done the right thing.  Maybe I should have been tougher.  Had I merely been 'played' by a cunning culprit?  I began to second-guess my decision.

 

Then, because it was the day of our scion meeting, I re-read BLUE...and I decided that Holmes was right.  This "is the season of forgiveness."  And I honestly believed that the student would learn a better lesson by being set free with a stern scolding, rather than being handed over to the unmerciful  authorities.

 

Of course, some of my pals are amused that I tend to look at Sherlock Holmes as a guide to life.  But honestly, I think I could do a lot worse!

 

Here's hoping all my Sherlockian friends have a very Merry (and crime-free!) Christmas.

Sherlock Makes Me A Better Historian

Yesterday, I presented “The Game” to my Sherlock Holmes Humanities class.  Some of the students were really intrigued by it.  I could see the wheels turning in their heads, and when I explained how Sherlockians had deduced Holmes’s January 6 birthday I got more than a few chuckles.  Of course, one or two faces looked a bit dull and tired, but it doesn’t take a master detective to know that with sorority bid day on Monday and fraternity bid day on Friday, some young people are not as attuned to class as they should be! 

 

In the afternoon, I was working on the project that has, unfortunately, derailed the third novel in the Shadows series for the moment.  (But I’m getting back to it, I promise!)  I’ve begun a project of looking at South Carolina’s women during the Civil War.  I’ve been reading lots of letters and diaries as part of my research, and after class I had one of those ‘wow’ moments where being a Sherlockian and a ‘Game’ player helped me be a better historian.

 

In the antebellum American South, slavery was the ‘peculiar institution.’  What Southerners meant by this phrase is that it was ‘their’ institution and they considered it essential to their way of life.  Despite the fact that a vast majority of white southerners did not own slaves, they generally supported the status quo and believed in the system. 

 

 

One thing that is particularly striking is the way that southerners of the nineteenth century wrote

about their slaves.  It is not at all unusual to read a letter where the writer refers to his ‘black family’ and makes humane inquiries about their health or offers a friendly ‘howdy.’  But in the very next sentence, the same writer may refer to a slave in a manner that makes it clear he considers the slave a piece of property, no different to a carriage or a barn or even an animal.

 

While reading a set of Civil War letters from a Charleston man to his mother and sisters, I stumbled upon an essential question: was Hagar, who was frequently mentioned in the missives,  a slave woman or a horse?  Even to type these words makes my heart ache---how could anyone have ever treated another human being like a possession?  Yet it is a historical fact that people behaved in this way, and if I wanted to use these letters for the purpose of learning more about this family, I needed to figure out if Hagar was human.

 

 It was then that my experience in playing the game melded with my training as a historian.  There were no footnotes or annotations to help me.  I ploughed into the letters---the ‘canon,’ in this case---and looked for clues.  In one place, the author mentioned that he wanted to sell Hagar, and the comment came in the same line that dealt with the sale of some property.  In another spot, he wrote that Hagar would bring more money if ‘her ankles were rested.’  That sounded, to me, like a comment about an animal more than a human, especially if it was a horse---and this man prized his horses and gave them names.  But in another letter he proposed that Hagar would fetch $2000---definitely more than any ordinary horse was worth at the time, but in line with slave prices.  Detaching myself emotionally from these passages was tough, but I remembered Watson’s lines about how Holmes got results by not getting emotionally involved with a case.

 

More clues followed, including offhand references to Hagar with the family’s children and whether the family would need to hire a slave if Hagar was sold.  I had deduced and was fairly certain that Hagar was a woman when, finally, a definitive line popped up about Hagar’s duties.  It was now clear---she was a person, even though her master wrote about her in a very callous manner

 

 Every day in my work, I find that the Sherlock Holmes stories are good exercises that help ‘train the brain.’  Even if I can’t actually resolve every puzzle that Holmes does, just having his example can help me.  And working to solve little mysteries within the ‘Scared Writings’ gives me a mental boost, as well as confidence to tackle the mysteries in my American history research

 

So thanks, Dr. Watson, for not making things too easy for us, for forcing us into ‘The Game’.

 

And thank you, Hagar, for your silent dignity in the face of a brutal and inhumane institution.  I hope that one day I will help people remember you.

My Sherlock Holmes Class

This fall I am once again offering my humanities class on Sherlock Holmes.  At Wofford, HUM 101 replaces the Composition 101 class that everyone is familiar with from their own college days.  We hope to get students to read, write, think, and talk, by offering classes with a wide variety of unusual and timely subjects.  Other HUM 101 classes include topics like Steampunk Adventures, Fantasy Literature, Pirates, Utopias, and Aging.  I've always enjoyed teaching my class because it allows me to share my enthusiasm for Sherlock with my students and--hopefully--give them a 'secret language' they can use to join with other Sherlockians around the world when they graduate.  One of the best reasons to study Sherlock is the connection with others, the knowledge that no matter where you go in the world, you'll find friends who relate to your passion.

 

Here's my class out for dinner.  Aren't they just adorable?  In the first week of school all the HUM 101 classes get treated to a night on the town and dinner at a local restaurant.  We had to draw for the places---too bad my group didn't get the steakhouse or the fancy Thai food---but we had a great time at Jason's Deli.  Sherlock Holmes could stick a sandwich into his pocket if he was in a hurry, so maybe this was an appropriate spot for us.

 

So far my students have been very lively.  We started with "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," which was a suggestion of many of my Sherlockian friends.  Now we've 'backed up' to A Study in Scarlet, doing the introduction to Holmes and Watson after 'hooking' the readers with one of the most exciting cases in the canon.  So far so good, and I'm looking forward to see how they will respond to a modern interpretation of that story with "A Study in Pink" from SHERLOCK.

 

Many people have asked that I share my syllabus for the class and I'm happy to do so on this blog.  Please keep in mid that I view every syllabus as a 'work in progress' and make changes all the time.  I also recently switched the class from a 50 minute, three times a week slot to an 80 minute, twice a week slot.  Some days we go as planned and some days we get diverted.  On the day we discussed "Speckled Band," I asked my biologist professor boyfriend to bring 'Big Killer' to class and talk about whether any snake could have performed as the infamous swamp adder did.  We even tested Big Killer with a saucer of milk---for the record, he didn't like it at all!  But as you can see from the pictures, this was an activity my young people really enjoyed.

 

I hope they will enjoy the stories and the research I'm asking them to do.  At the end of the case, we're going to tackle two big 'real life' mysteries from the Victorian era: Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden.  I hope by the end of class the students will be able to answer that central question--"What would Sherlock do?" if he had confronted these mysteries.  Could he have brought the Ripper to justice and could he have proved the guilt or innocence of Miss Borden?

 

I hope you enjoy looking over their assignments.  If anyone has suggestions for activities and discussion topics, I would enjoy hearing them.  I'm always looking for ways to improve the class and make it a richer experience for the students.

 

HUM101, Section D

Sherlock Holmes Humanities

Fall 2012

T/TH 2:30-3:50

Dr. Tracy J. Revels

 

Class Objectives

 

HUM 101 is designed to help students become better readers, writers, and critical thinkers.  By using the Sherlock Holmes stories as a springboard, students will learn more about the historical world of Victorian England.  Students will also be challenged to critique and analyze the stories as works of literature, and to consider the questions of gender, social class, ethics, and morality that the stories raise.  The central theme of the class will be the power of observation, how it works in the stories and in real life.  Students will be asked to apply their powers of observation and reasoning to various classroom challenges, while also honing their skills as writers.  Hopefully, students in this course will become better thinkers, writers, communicators, and partners in learning.

 

Texts

Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes

Steven Doyle and David Crowder, Sherlock Holmes for Dummies

 

Attendance

Regular attendance is necessary for success in this class.  Absences will be excused only for documented personal sickness, family emergencies, or participation in school-sponsored events.  A student MUST PROVIDE FORMAL DOCUMENTATION OF HIS/HER ABSENCE FOR IT TO BE EXCUSED.  No exceptions.  If you miss class because you ‘just don’t feel good,’ it is an unexcused cut.  Students are allowed two unexcused cuts, but at the third on the final grade for the class will be dropped by a full letter---again, no excuses.  A student who cuts on a day of a team project will receive an automatic F/0 for his part of the project.

 

Class Behavior

Students are expected to have all readings completed when they come to class, and to be energetic and enthusiastic in discussing the material.  Students will abide by the Wofford Honor Code.  Students will also refrain from texting, tweeting, Facebooking, and any other computer/cell phone based activity while in class.  Computers and tablets are NOT allowed in class except to be used as part of the team reports.

 

Essays

Each student is required to write six major essays for this class.  The first, which is based on the Novel Experience book, is not graded but is required.  Four essays are to be completed over the course of the semester.  The student may opt to re-write one of these essays after it has been returned, and the grade will be replaced by the average of the first grade and the re-write grade.  The final exam may not be re-written.

 

Essays and how they count

 

Overall, the average of the essays is 60% of the student’s grade.

Novel Experience essay = 0%  (However, if the instructor feels that this essay is exceptionally bad or shows no honest effort on the student’s part, she made deduct 10 points from the student’s first graded essay.)

Essay 1 – 20%

Essay 2 – 20%

Essay 3 – 20%

Essay 4 – 20%

Final essay – 20%

 

Quizzes

Quiz average will make up 35% of the student’s grade

Students are to expect a quiz on every story and assigned reading and from any lecture.  These quizzes will vary in format.  A missed quiz may NOT be made up for any reason.  At the end of the semester, the student may drop the two lowest quiz grades. 

 

On the last day of regular class, the student may choose to present a creative work that will be graded by his/her classmates and stand as a replacement grade for two quizzes, so that student may drop the four lowest quizzes.

 

Team Projects

The average of the grades in the team projects make up 5% of the student’s grade

Students will participate in two team projects.  In the first they will be divided into 4 groups of 4 and in the second into 2 groups of 8.  The project will be judged on overall merit and critiques done by the other members of the class.  Each student will receive the same grade as all members of the group.

 

Grade Formula

Paper average = 60%

Quiz average = 35%

Team Project Average = 5%

 

Grading Scale

A (100-93)

A- (92-90)

B+ (89-87)

B   (86-83)

B- (82-80)

C+ (79-77)

C   (76-73)

C-  (72-70)

D   (69-65)

F   (65-0)

 

Contact Information

Office: 109 Old Main, Corner of the West Wing History Suite

Phone Extension: 4592

CPO: 26

Email at [email protected]

 

Office Hours

Monday and Wednesday 2-4

Tuesday and Thursday 10:30-12, 1:30-2:30

Friday by appointment 

 

 

 

Class Schedule and Assignments  (The professor reserves the right to make announced changes to these assignments!  We will probably add more stories and film clips as we go along.)

Week One

 

Sept. 4 – Introduction to class and discussion of the novel experience reading.

 

Sept. 6 – “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” and Sherlock for Dummies, pp. 9-16.  Remember that a quiz will be given on every reading assignment.

 

Week Two

 

Sept. 11 – Who is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?  Who is Sherlock Holmes?  Reading assignment, Sherlock for Dummies, pages 29-46 and all of Chapter 3.

 

September 13 – First half of A Study in Scarlet (in The Complete Sherlock Holmes)

 

Week Three

 

Sept. 18 – Watch “A Study in Pink”

 

Sept. 20 – Library Day, Reading assignment Sherlock for Dummies, Chap. 4

 

Week Four

Sept. 25 – 1^st paper due.  Reading assignment, “A Scandal in Bohemia”

 

Sept. 27 – Reading Assignment, “The Red-Headed League” and Sherlock For Dummies, Chap. 8

 

Week Five

 

Oct. 2 – Reading assignment, “Silver Blaze”.  Group report on Victorian clothing and leisure

 

Oct. 4 – Reading assignment, “Copper Beeches” and “A Case of Identity” and Sherlock For Dummies, Chap. 6

 

Week Six

 

Oct. 9 – Reading assignment, “The Dying Detective”.  Team Report on Victorian medicine.

 

Oct. 11 – 2^nd paper due.  Reading assignment Sherlock For Dummies, Chap. 7.  View some animated/children’s versions of Holmes.

 

Week Seven

 

Oct. 16 – Reading assignment, “Charles Augustus Milverton.” Team report on Servants and masters.

 

Oct. 18 – Group Conferences with Professor

 

Week Eight

 

Oct. 23 – Reading assignment, The Sign of the Four, Part 1

 

Oct. 25 – Reading assignment, The Sign of the Four, Part 2

 

Week Nine

 

Oct. 30 – Reading assignment, “The Devil’s Foot.”  Report on Spooky Things!

 

Nov. 1 – Reading assignment, “The Six Napoleons” and Sherlock For Dummies, Chap. 13

 

Week Ten

 

Nov. 6 – Reading assignment, “The Dancing Men.”  View The Dancing Men (starring Jeremy Brett)

 

Nov. 8 – 3^rd paper due.  Advising Day

 

Week Eleven

 

Nov. 13 – Reading assignment, “The Final Problem” and Sherlock for Dummies, Chap. 16

 

Nov. 15 – Reading assignment, “The Empty House”

 

Week Twelve

 

Nov. 20 – View movie of your choice.  Game of Shadows will be shown in class.

 

Nov. 22 – Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

Week Thirteen

 

Nov. 27 – Reading assignment, The Hound of the Baskervilles and Sherlock for Dummies, Chapter 9

 

Nov. 29 –Team Casebook—Lizzie Borden.  4^th paper due.

 

Week Fourteen

 

Dec. 4 – Team Casebook---Jack the Ripper.

 

Dec. 6 – Optional rewrite paper due.  Creative work due and class wrap-up.  Final exam paper topic given out.

 

Week Fifteen

 

Final paper due no later than 5pm of Thursday, Nov. 13

 

Paper Assignments

 

Novel Experience paper prompt: How does the principle of authenticity function as a central theme in Old School, a novel about the early shaping of a writer of fiction?

 

Class Paper 1:

Tell the story of a mystery in your life.  Feel free to write in the first person.  It can be a significant mystery (someone stole my car!) or a small one (why do my socks go astray in the dryer?).  It can be funny or serious in tone.  I am looking for your ability to construct a good narrative.  (3-4 pages)

 

Class Paper 2:

We have read three stories in which women play important roles: “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Copper Beeches” and “A Case of Identity.”  Using these three stories, what conclusions do you draw about Sherlock Holmes’s attitude toward women?  (4-6 pages)

 

Class Paper 3:

Consider all the characters we have met in the stories so far.  Which one (other than Holmes and Watson) do you find the most interesting?  Why? How might he/she be developed into the ‘star’ of a series of stories? (3-5 pages)

 

Class Paper 4:

Review a Sherlock Holmes movie.  Keep in mind that your ‘audience’ for this review is your class, which is filled with young people who are just getting to know Sherlock Holmes.  Practice the skills of synopsis, analysis, and evaluation. (2-4 pages)

 

Class Paper 5: To be announced in the last week of class.

 

 

Team Projects

 

1. Victorian clothing and leisure.  What did people look like?  How did they wear their clothes and their hair?  What did they do for fun?  What sports and activities were becoming popular?  (Keep in mind that social class and gender would be very important here!)
2. Victorian medicine.  How were doctors trained?  What were some of the most common diseases in society and how were they treated?  What advances in medicine were made in this time period?
3. Servants and masters.  What were the ranks of servants and what were their duties?  What did they get paid and what kind of benefits did they have? What kind of people would have servants?  How did servants, masters, and mistresses relate to each other---what tensions existed between them?
4. Victorian spooky things!  What kind of supernatural elements could one find in Victorian society?  Were scary stories popular?  What did spiritualists believe?

For the projects each team will need to do the following things:

1. Give a good, clear report on the topic.
2. Illustrate the topic with images
3. Devise an in-class writing exercise based on the topic.
4. Provide the instructor with a bibliography of sources and a single page write-up on how responsibilities were divided among the group

 

The audience will:

1. Ask questions
2. Participate in the writing exercise
3. Evaluate the presentation and assign grades

 

Team Casebooks

 

Team Lizzie:  Did Lizzie Borden murder her father and stepmother?  Was she really a criminal or could Sherlock Holmes clear her name?

 

Team Jack: Who killed five prostitutes in Whitechapel in 1888?  How would Holmes have sought the murderer?

 

For the team casebook each team will need to do the following:

1. Present the basic ‘facts’ in the case.
2. Present some theories
3. Provide ‘evidence’ for the audience of ‘Sherlocks’ to inspect
4. Provide the instructor with a bibliography of sources and a single page write-up on how responsibilities were divided among the group

 

The audience will

1. Ask questions
2. Inspect the ‘evidence’
3. Come to a conclusion

Evaluate the presentation and assign grades

 

Sherlock On The Radio!

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to be a featured guest on the Joy Cardin show on Wisconsin Public Radio.  You might imagine that I was pretty amazed to get a call from Wisconsin, considering that I live in South Carolina.  They wanted to discuss the 'renaissance' of Sherlock Holmes, and his enduring popularity.  Needless to say I was glad to oblidge, even if it did mean getting up at 6 in the morning!

 

In the interview Ms. Cardin and I discuss some of the clues behind Sherlock's long career, and callers reveal their favorite Sherlockian books and movies.

 

Here's the link to the archived interview!  Thanks so much to Ms. Cardin and Wisconsin Public Radio for a really fun opportunity.

 

Link to Sherlock Holmes discussion

 

 

And here's a link to The Joy Cardin Show on the web.

 

The Joy Cardin Show

 

What Makes Sherlock Immortal?

A week from today, I'll be giving a lecture at Bainbridge College in Georgia.  The title of the talk will be "Sherlock's Secret: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Immortality of Sherlock Holmes."  I was invited to do this because the college has a program that takes students to Edinburgh, which is Doyle's birthplace.  I'm thrilled to be asked to give the presentation; it's always fun to talk about two of my favorite fellows.

 

But as I'm pulling this together, it occurred to me that now would be a good time to put the question to other Sherlockians: why do YOU think Holmes has survived so long and is enjoying such a renaissance?  Obviously, this is a question without a definitive answer, but when asked, here are the three reasons I give:

 

1. They're great adventure stories.  I don't lock Holmes into the mystery genre; he's not just a brainiac sitting in an armchair, making deductions and gloating about being right.  (That's Mycroft's gig!)  And many of the tales aren't mysteries in the strictest sense.  But they are "ripping good yarns" where all kinds of crazy, exotic, and bloodcurdling things happen.  Even a century removed from their creation, they can still get the reader's heart pounding, because Doyle is a masterful storyteller.

 

2. The Holmes and Watson relationship is one of the greatest 'buddy stories' of all time.  I think it resonates with readers because we all know someone very different to ourselves who we still like and admire.  Maybe the relationship isn't always an easy one, but in the end we know our lives would be lesser without these people in them.  I honestly think this is why, even at the extremes, the relationship of the detective and the doctor 'clicks' with us.  It doesn't matter that we're not really finding stolen pearls or battling the Napoleon of crime. In a secret, unconcious place, while reading along we get to be Holmes and Watson because of our own mysterious, complicated, and fulfilling personal relationships.  Something in their fiction connects to our reality. 

 

3. It's just such a great concept.  While the idea of a detective who uses logical reasoning and advances in science to solve crimes might not be exactly new to our world, think how groundbreaking it was in the late 1800s.  And the idea behind all of Sherlock Holmes' cases, the idea that what matters is the mind---not strength, not looks, not social status---is an affirmation of modernity.  Sherlock Holmes may live in Victorian London, but he's very much a reflection of our time and place.  That's why (I believe) modern translations such as SHERLOCK can work very well. Holmes is an idea as well as a character.  Ideas live forever.

 

These are the big reasons why I believe people are still making Sherlockian TV shows, movies, comic books, etc.  It's why Holmes can be a mouse or a futuristic robot or even a wizard, along with being the familiar silhouette in Baker Street.  It's a salute to the genius of Doyle, who never really seemed to grasp what a great thing he did.  Many authors have created characters that are still read today, but few have created characters that inspire such devotion, spark so many heated debates, and are reimagined for every generation.

 

I'd love to hear some views from fellow Sherlockians.  Why do you think Holmes is immortal?  If I use your quote in the talk, I will be sure to give you credit!  I'd like to show the young people at Bainbridge College some of the diversity of thought in the Sherlockian world as to why "Here dwell together still two men of note/Who never lived and so can never die."

 

Across The Sherlockian Generational Divide

I've always been confused about which 'generation' I belong to.  I think, technically, that I'm a Baby Boomer, as I've often seen that term defined as the cohort born between 1946-1964.  (I'm a 1963 baby)  But at the same time, I feel that I have little to nothing in common with the generation that first discovered rock-n-roll, experienced the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and is now trying to recreate retirement and aging the way they've recreated everything else in their existence.  I was more Bee Gees than the Beatles, more Miami Vice than Mod Squad.  But at the same time, I don't really relate to Generation X or the Millenials; I still have to read all the instructions to program my technology and I have yet to learn to appreciate the wonders of texting.

 

So I find myself wondering where I fall within the Sherlockian generations.  Jeremy Brett was a revelation to me all those years ago.  He was exactly the way I imagined Holmes to be: brilliant, prickly, often unpleasant, always sharp and utterly unlike any other kind of  hero.  Unfortunately, when I've shown my college classes the Brett series, I've often met with yawns and 'huh, whatever' from the young folks.  They just don't share my love of Brett---but in fairness, I've never had a great fondness for Rathbone or any of the earlier film Sherlocks.

 

And now we have a Sherlockian renaissance, with the movies and SHERLOCK drawing in an entire new generation of fans.  When I first saw SHERLOCK, I had a geek-out, screaming, OMG moment that would rival anything a teenage could experience.  And despite every 'no, no, no' moment I had during the movies, I did find them entertaining.  So does that make me of the 'new' generation, despite my graying hairs and wrinkles?

 

 

I think the answer is both no and yes.  'No' in the sense of I didn't come to the canon via other media---I read "Speckled Band" long before I saw any plays, movies, or TV shows.  My very first introduction was in a seventh-grade reading book, when I was about eleven years old.  (1974 or so) I was in love with a mental image of Holmes long before I ever saw him on the silver screen, the small screen, or the computer screen.  But the answer is 'yes' in that I savor all these interpretations---even the ones I don't agree with!---because they give me diverse ways to think about the idea that is Sherlock Holmes.  For me he's more than a great character---he's a representation of the power of the mind, a reassurance that the greatest thing a human being possesses is his/her brain!  Looks, strength, wealth---none of that matters to a person who values the intellect and trains to use it.  We don't make the world a better place by being good-looking or having a six-pack of abdominal muscles.  We make the world better by using our brains.

 

I say all this as a way to try and reinforce a great paper that I heard at Scintillation of Scions V.  It was given by Kristina Manente of the Baker Street Babes.  Here's an excerpt:

 

We love Sherlock Holmes. We are the same. The Sherlock generation just has more toys to play with. And yes, it is intimidating, and yes it’s all changing quite quickly. But it’s a good change. So this is an open invitation for every person who may ever hear or read this. Interact with the young fans. Invite them to your meetings. Talk Sherlock Holmes with them. Don’t underestimate them. Just because we blog doesn’t mean we’re not genuine and earnest, or intelligent. The hesitation goes both ways though. You young’uns, newbies, and those who only came in with BBC Sherlock, don’t be afraid. Read the canon. Explore the world. Be willing to be taught. I have never met a more gracious group of people in my life. Try it. You won’t regret it.

 

Kristina Manente is making a very good point that I hope everyone on each side of the generational divide will hear.  New Sherlockians have a lot to learn from the 'established' Sherlockians.  And vice
versa: we 'traditionalists' shouldn't be condescending to the newbies.  Being afraid of or impolite to each other isn't productive.  I honestly don't think it matters how one meets Holmes---because ultimately, that introduction is going to lead to the canon, and the canon is going to survive long after all media interpretations or pastiches have become mere footnotes.  I'm always telling my history students that you can kill a person, but you can't kill an idea.  Holmes, ultimately, is an idea.  That's what we're all celebrating, no matter whether we're reading alone, debating with our scion, or 'squeeing' over animated gifs on Tumblr.

 

I love the older generation, with its deep canonical scholarship and fascination with history.  And I love the newer generation, with its wittiness and fascination with cheekbones.  I don't want to be forced to choose a generation.  I just want to be a Sherlockian.

 

For the rest of Ms. Manente's excellent paper, click here:

The Validation of the Internet Fandom: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Fandom and the Age of Tumblr

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle---The Original Dos Equis Man!

It's turning into a working summer for me.  Along with the presentation at SOS V, I'm on the calendar to give talks for the Florida Humanities Council and the Polk County Historical Museum (on Civil War topics) and for Bainbridge College in Georgia on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  So, as you can imagine, I try to grab spare moments to prep and collect information.

 

Whenever we take long road trips, my boyfriend and I take turns reading aloud to each other.  (How Victorian is that?)  With the Doyle lecture in mind, I asked him to read from Daniel Stashower's very well-written biography Teller of Tales.  After an hour of following the young Conan Doyle through his adventures in medical school, in the arctic, and on the cruise to Africa, John looks over at me and says, "You know, he's really amazing."  (I knew this, of course, but John is not a Sherlockian...yet!)  

 

"Yes," I agreed, "people don't realize what a great life he had, how active he was in so many things.  He was a real Renaissance man of the Victorian age."

 

John grinned at me.  "He's like the Dos Equis guy---the most interesting man in the world!"

 

I think I have my theme for my talk!  (And if you're not familiar with those beer ads, you can check them out on Youtube.  They always crack me up.)  Arthur Conan Doyle will always be special to us as the 'literary agent,' but he saw Holmes as only a small fraction of an active and seriously amazing life.  We could all learn a lot from him--from his mistakes as well as his successes---and internalize his ideal of a life well lived.

 

After all, the more interested we are in the world and in various pursuits, the more interesting we become to others.