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Membership Renewals

I know, I know, it’s the dreaded “have you renewed?” post isn’t it?

Even if I can’t manage to keep this brief, I’ll try to keep this simple:

If you have renewed your membership to the John H Watson Society, ignore this post. We are on track with our work, so you should expect to see fresh new JHWS publications in your mailbox near the end of October.

If you became a member after January 2014 (like me!), fear not: you do not need to renew yet and you’ll hear from us at a future date when it is time for you to renew. So ignore this post, kick back, and relax.

If you joined before January 2014 and you have not renewed: please consider renewing your membership with us.

We’ve got a lovely new pastiche by our fellow member Blythe called “The Limehouse Lucifer” that you would not want to miss out on. We’ve also got the very first volume to be composed by our Editor-in-Chief Pippin, who you know well from his recent monograph on Dr Watson’s early writings.

Just to give you a tease: Our upcoming volume of the Watsonian will have some fantastic new features, such as “Billiards With Thurston” and “Roxie’s Canonical Ramblings”, as well as familiar ongoing works such as “The Great Hiatus – Part III”, a new “Watsonian Wit”, and a unique pawky puzzle from the Pawky Puzzler herself. The special section dedicated to Holmes and Watson on Stage and Screen is in itself more than worth the price of admission!

So please consider renewing your membership over this weekend. We Watsonians wish to continue to create new material for you to enjoy.

If you do not renew by this coming Monday, October 5, 2015, then we shall respectfully retire your name from the membership roster in the printing of this upcoming volume and you will not receive the latest publications coming out later this month.

If you decide at a later date to renew your membership, we will be delighted to have you rejoin us. However, please keep in mind that there could be a delay in sending the Watsonian and the Fiction Series to you if the pre-arranged addresses from current members need to receive their books first. Also, your name will return to the published roster in the next Watsonian to go to print after the time you’ve renewed your membership.

If you are not certain if you need to renew or not, or if you have any further questions, please contact me at carla@johnhwatsonsociety.com and I will get you in direct contact with our membership consultant, Robin, to help meet your needs.

If you wish to renew your membership now, please visit our JHWS Store.

Thank you for your time.

Best wishes,

Carla Buttons

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Weekly Forum #39

As it is that time of year, I’m currently in the middle of helping our Editor-in-Chief, Pippin, and his editorial team prepare The Watsonian for print.

So let’s discuss JHWS publications (The Watsonian, The Monograph Series, and The Fiction Series) this week. What have you enjoyed so far? What would you like to read more about in the future? And in what areas do you think we could improve our publications?

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On September 26th…

September 26, 1900: A warning letter from Beryl Stapleton to Sir Henry Baskerville arrived. (HOUN)

Sir Henry’s boot was missing. (HOUN)

John Clayton, the cab driver who drove Jack Stapleton, called at 221B St. (HOUN)

September 26, 1902: The Morning Post announced the de Merville-Gruner marriage would not take place. (ILLU)

September 26, 1879: At 2 AM, Reginald Musgrave found Brunton reading the family ritual. (MUSG)

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Weekly Forum #38

Today’s discussion topic is from our fellow JHWS member “Gwen.” Thank you!

Is there one thing that has evolved in the greater Sherlockian world that you wish you could just make totally disappear?

(Gwen’s answer is “probably… that deerstalker.” For me, I’d say I wish the misconception that Dr Watson is some nature of boobus brittanicus would totally disappear…)

 

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Sherlock Holmes and the Sword of Osman

symondsTimThe latest novel from Tim Symonds, titled Sherlock Holmes and the Sword of Osman, is now out and available to purchase. Our friend “Dot” is working on a thorough review for you to look forward to, but I will go ahead and say that if you’ve experienced Symonds’ writings, enjoy a well-written Watson and a brilliant Holmes (of course you do), or have an interest in the Ottoman Empire during the turbulent early 20th century, then this carefully researched historical novel can deliver. I ended up learning so much in the process of reading a good story!

It’s 1906. Far from England, the Ottoman Empire ruled by the despotic Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid 11 is on the verge of imploding. Rival Great Powers, especially Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany, sit watching like crows on a fence, ready to rush in to carve up the vast territories, menacing England’s vital overland routes to her Indian possessions. At his medical practice in London’s Marylebone Watson receives a mystifying telegram. It’s from Holmes. ‘Dear Watson, if you can throw physic to the dogs for an hour or two I would appreciate meeting at the stone cross at Charing Cross railway station tomorrow noon. I have an assignation with a bird lover at the Stork & Ostrich House in the Regents Park which has excited my curiosity. Yrs. S.H.’

Watson finds the invitation puzzling. Why should such a mundane meeting at a Bird House excite the curiosity of Europe’s most famous investigating detective or anyone else? For old times’ sake Watson joins his old comrade-in-arms. Within days Holmes and Watson find themselves aboard HMS Dreadnought en route to Stamboul, a city of fabled opulence, high espionage and low intrigue. Their mission: at all costs stop a plot which could bring about the immediate collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

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Weekly Forum #37

Today’s discussion topic is from our fellow JHWS member “Dash.” Thank you!

Holmes is known for his ability to look at someone and make insightful deductions… which are proven to be correct.  Have you had any Sherlockian moments yourself?