A Brief Hiatus

Both this week’s Quiz and Weekly Forum will take a brief hiatus, so you can enjoy your holiday time with family and friends. We will return on Friday, December 5 with the Quiz, and Tuesday, December 9 with the Weekly Forum.

Weekly Quiz 47

RESULTS:  Paul Hartnett “Scout” was first in with all correct solutions.  Ariana Maher “Carla” was also “all correct” and second in.  Congratulations on a tough quiz.  Answers below.

Here is a little quiz that asks you to get inside Doctor Watson’s head and hear his inner thoughts.  The clues are paraphrased, but the actual thoughts of Watson can be deduced from the paraphrasing. Please identify the written text, the book or story and the page number in Doubleday, 1930, The Complete Sherlock Holmes.

Solutions to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com by noon Wednesday, November 26.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American colleagues in the Colonies.

weekly_quiz_47_questions_and_answers.docx

Download File


“Chips'” Photo Quiz

To All:

I ran across this picture and thought others would enjoy looking at it. So, can any other Watsonian identify the three actors, their roles and what story?

Have Fun!

“Chips”

P.S. Thanks for all of your good wishes for my recovery. They mean more to me then
you will ever know.

ANSWERS:  The actors are left to right standing Richard Morgan and Peter Cushing. The sitting actor is the wonderful Peter Sellers. This for an episode of the Peter Cushing television series, “The Dancing Men” episode.

Picture

Imagine Yourself Here!

To All:

Here is another Phil Cornell drawing. This a train carriage where I pictured myself countless times. Phil’s  attention to detail is just one aspect of why I so enjoy his work.

Take good care of yourselves,

Ron “Chips”

Call For Papers

The Society is accepting papers, articles, fiction, humor, and miscellanea for the April 2015 issue ofThe Watsonian. Unlike most journals, we do not have a backlog of submissions and we will have space in the forthcoming journal for material submitted by February 15, 2015.

Submission guidelines are found in the current issue. We would remind authors that we prefer all articles to use endnotes rather than footnotes at the bottom of the pages.  Footnotes are pre-formatted by Word and we have to remove them prior to creating the final printing files. Plus, endnotes are much easier for the author, the editors, and the designer. Please do not use super-script numerals in the text; rather, please use regular numerals in brackets in this style at the point of an endnote in the text:  This signifies an endnote [1], [2], [3], etc.

Members will receive the first of our new publication, The Fiction Series, with their copy of the April 2015 issue of the journal. It is a longish short story titled The Duke’s Study by Luca Sartori “Victor,” a Member and a student at the University of Urbino in Italy.

The Society especially encourages first-time writers. One does not need to be a “scholar” or an “expert.” These are terms that have little relevance in a Society like ours where everyone’s thoughts and efforts are welcome, whether in print or online.

Writers need not be concerned about the editing experience; we are kind and helpful, and we attempt not to make it difficult or tedious. We exist as a Society to have fun and our journal has the same purpose.  Please give some thought to writing about that topic in the Canon you have always thought about and send us your submission.

Send all submissions to Buttons:  buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Weekly Quiz 46: A Stumper

Weekly Quiz 46
Question

RESULTS:  First in with the correct answer is Patricia Villicrusis “Helena” with a correct answer for the Honours.  Second in was Team SOB, Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” also with a correct solution.  Denny Dobry “Kirby” was third in with another corrrect solution.

The solution was found in VALL, Jean Babtiste Greuze, the French painter, one of whose paintings was owned by Moriarty according to Holmes.  He was buried with immortelles (daisies) on his coffin.  The alternative answer, also correct, was Napoleon who also was buried with immortelles on his coffin and who was referenced when Holmes called Moriarty “The Napoleon of Crime.”

Congratulations on a particularly obscure quiz question.

This week, we give you a stumper:

On this person’s coffin were laid immortelles. Culturally, references to this individual appear in the works of numerous mystery writers and, specifically, in the Canon, where Holmes makes this person’s connection to Moriarty.

Please submit solutions by noon, Wednesday, November 19, 2014 to
buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Weekly Forum: Watson as Partner in the Firm

Could we attempt the creation of a catalogue of the books and stories and concise summary of each of Doctor Watson’s positive influences, actions, and additions to the various cases?

Such a listing and capsule summary would assist in viewing in one list the good doctor’s overall contributions to the firm over the years.  Perhaps one Member might pick a book; another a second book; others individual cases, or collections such as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

With adequate participation by our esteemed Members, and with complete coverage, we would quite possibly have a thorough and unique review that could be completed as a blog-string paper for the journal

Dan Andriacco “Dutch” has Kind Words for The Watsonian

Our valued Member and noted Sherlockian author, Dr Dan Andriacco “Dutch,” has reviewed the October issue of The Watsonian and offers some very kind words for our authors. Dan quotes the issue as 160 pages, rather than the 180 pages as readers will discover.  Btt, as Dan says, all pages are chock-full of great content on Watson and even a few on Holmes.

Dan has several new books–all very well-written and fascinating–in his Sebastian McCabe and Jeff Cody series.  Take a look at his always fun website:

http://www.bakerstreetbeat.blogspot.com/

Weekly Quiz 45: Random Questions

RESULTS: Denny Dobry “Kirby,” and Sheils Holtgrieve “Daisy” and Margie Deck “Gwen” were 9/10 this week. Latin in the Canon is pesky, although all came up with plausible, if slightly wide of the mark, alternatives. Answers below.

This week’s quiz returns to those pesky random questions. Please submit solutions by noon, November 14, 2014 to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

rtf.pngDownload file:
weekly_quiz_45_questions

Weekly Forum: November 4, 2014

In NORW Dr Watson writes in the beginning of the story, ” . . . and I at his request sold my practice and returned to share the old quarters in Baker Street.”

Note, that Dr Watson uses the word “request.”  He might have said, invited, asked, suggested, intimated, or any other such word.  But, he wrote “request.”

Why would Holmes “request” Watson to return, and why would Holmes arrange to have Watson’s practice purchased and provide the money for the purchase himself?

What is going on here that we have not seen all these years?   This is very fertile ground for ploughing.

Another Wonderful Illustration

Ron Lies “Chips” sends us this wonderful illustration by Phil Cornell from Australia.  This was signed for Ron by Phil.

Ron is having surgery November 4 and would be happy to have your best wishes. His email is:   relies1@msn.com .  Send him a get well soon wish!

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