Please see the Quiz Page for the 13 October announcements of the Weekly and Monthly Quiz Masters and a new quiz schedule that will make it easier to find the time to work on the weekly puzzle.
Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker”: The Whitechapel Vampire
Victorian England’s most famous consulting detective is hot on the trail of London’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. But in Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire, Jack is a vampire and Holmes refusal to believe it could be his undoing as the two match wits in this delightfully original first novel.
Available from Amazon and MX Publishing. $17
Reviews:
Sherlock Holmes. Vampires. Watson. Jack the Ripper. Vincent van Gogh? All come together in this excellent pastiche- Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire. Throw in some Italian immigrants, murders in Paris and London and lovely music- enchanting music that will soothe and mesmerize the soul. I really enjoyed Whitechapel the TV series with Rupert Penry-Jones and Phil Smith- so I was set to dig into another Ripper tale, this time with Holmes for added body.
I found this to be a suspense story with just the right amount of clues and bloody gore. Will the vampire be able to be cured? Will he marry his love before she finds out about his dubious past? Will Holmes and Watson find the Ripper before he strikes again? Or leaves for the Big Apple? If you like vampires or are a fan of the ripper, don’t miss this one.
-Maurice
Having a title like “Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire,” it sounds hard to pass up the opportunity to read this book. The idea of having the world’s greatest detective face the forces of the un-dead is hardly a new one, as is Sherlock Holmes vs, Jack the Ripper. Author Dean P. Turnbloom does an expert job of weaving a story with a number of diverse plot points. The novel reads more like a thriller than an actual mystery and features Baron Barlucci, a centuries-old vampire who comes to London in order to cure his vampirism. However, the Baron’s thirst for blood drives him to committing the notorious murders attributed to Jack the Ripper, and soon the world’s greatest sleuth is on his trail.
-Sand
Welcome to Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker” to Charter Membership
The Society is delighted to welcome Dean Turnbloom, JHWS “Stoker” of Southern California to Charter Membership.
Mr. Turnbloom has been participating in the Non-Member Individual Category of the Treasure Hunt and the Weekly Quiz, and has been doing very well. We are honored by his decision to join the Society and would offer our members that you have a formidable quizzer amongst the membership.
Dean’s biography reads:
Dean Turnbloom lives and writes in southern California after growing up in southern Indiana. His political side can be seen in his former avocation as an editorial cartoonist and in his series of books that display the national prize winning cartoons of your favorite editorial cartoonist, Prizewinning Political Cartoons. This series informs the readers about the national contests for editorial cartoonists as well as displaying the work and bios of the cartoonists themselves.
In fiction, Dean’s tastes run to the macabre. His first short story was published in L&L Dreamspell’s Horror edition. He has a self-published short story available for those who would like to sample his work, The Banshee of the Rannoch Moor. His first novel, published by MX Publishing in the UK and available everywhere in both paperback and digital editions is SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE WHITECHAPEL VAMPIRE (a review is found on the Dr Watson’s Library page).
Please welcome Dean with the Society’s traditional greeting to new members:
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”
Welcome to Francine and Richard Kitts, JHWS “Holly” and “Tally-Ho” as Charter Members
The Society is pleased to welcome two long-time and distinguished Sherlockians to Charter Membership: Francine and Richard Kitts.
Francine is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, “Lady Francis Trelawney Hope” and the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, as well as numerous other clubs.
Richard is a Baker Street Irregular, “The Battered Tin Dispatch-Box” and is the Co-Founder of the Turf Builders of Baker Street, as well as a number of additional clubs.
Their memberships include:
Francine Kitts:
» The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (The Third Pillar from the Left)
» The Mini-Tonga Scion Society
» The Montague Street Lodgers of Brooklyn
» Watson’s Tin Dispatchers
» The Baskerville Bash Committee
» The Baker Street Irregulars (Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope)
» Mrs. Hudson’s Cliffdwellers of New Jersey (A Study in Scarlet)
» The Admirable Beach Society
Richard Kitts:
» The Baker Street Irregulars (The Battered Tin Dispatch-Box)
» The Montague Street Lodgers of Brooklyn
» Watson’s Tin Dispatchers
» The Turf Builders of Baker Street (co-Founder)
» Mrs. Hudson’s Cliffdwellers of New Jersey (Cox and Company)
» The Admirable Beach Society
Francine and Richard live on Staten Island, New York. Please join in a warm welcome to our new members.
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”
What Else Do We Read?
Buttons has been wondering about what other authors we Watsonians read. It may be interesting to have our members write mini-essays on this topic as comments below. We might be surprised by either the variety or the similarity of our reading pleasures. Plus, it is always fascinating to read about the literary interests of our fellow colleagues in literature. Perhaps Buttons may be allowed to start in order to lead the way:
Buttons began reading the Sacred Canon at age 8 and has re-read it completely once every year, either in the winter or the summer, ever since. This year is the 62nd re-reading of the Canon. But, he also re-reads all of the Thomas Hardy novels every fall; all of Dickens every winter; all of Christie’s Poirot every spring; and all of Kenneth Grahame’s novels every summer; plus other things around the edges, such as Solar Pons and Luis Borges in recent years. He has maintained this routine for over 38 years. As such, he seldom ever emerges from the 19th century and almost never is outside British literature, the only exception being his constant reading and re-reading of the ancient Japanese and Chinese poetry he studied at university and the collected poetry of Wallace Stevens each year.
The process of reading, for Buttons anyway, requires a large, comfortable, over-stuffed chair, a footstool, and a proper floor lamp over the left shoulder. A chair-side table is a requisite, in order to manage the coffee, and apple or two, the bowl of nuts, or the odd adult beverage. A black, round #2 pencil and a half-sheet of foolscap is there also in the event a note needs to be made, or a quiz question comes to mind. In fall and winter, a throw is added for the warmth that often precedes the inevitable nap.
Now, what about you? What are your reading interests and habits? Who would care to recommend an author or two who provided you with great pleasure and enjoyment over the years? What is your number one favorite book? Buttons can never read The Hound of the Baskervilles enough, but admits his favorite book remains The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Weekly Quiz #4: 7 October to 12 October 2013 and Monthly Quiz #1: Follow The Clues
Weekly Quiz #4
Monthly Quiz #1
This week’s quiz is also the first Monthly Quiz to find out who will be the First Monthly Quiz Master. All Weekly Quiz Masters who mastered their category (Member Individual, Member Team, Non-Member Individual, Non-Member Team) may compete in the Monthly Quiz in order to move on in the Quarterly and the Annual Quizzes.
This week’s theme is: Follow The Clues. Each question takes you to the next question. You should be able to associate the question and the answer from the top down or from the bottom up. Each answer has something to do with, or is associated in some way with, or is textually associated with the one-word question.
The beginning and ending orientations are to check that you have made the correct starting and ending assumptions and associations. If you have the correct story for the first orientation at the beginning, then you will be on the right track for the rest; and if you have the correct orientation reference at the end, you have likely made the right decisions when solving the clues.
The first submission with the most correct answers will be: 1) the Weekly Quiz Master and/or 2) the Monthly Quiz Master. Good Luck!
Beginning Orientation: Plate
Clue 1: Pugilist.
Clue 2: Boxer.
Clue 3: County
Clue 4: Coal
Clue 5: Cigar
Clue 6: Mutiny
Clue 7: Doctor
Clue 8: Hospital
Clue 9: Tutor
Clue 10: E.C.
Ending Orientation: Gnomon
Kumar Bhatia, JHWS “Bobbie” Shares Another Fascinating Insight
Our well-travelled member, Kumar Bhatia, of Dubai and India has sent along this interesting report on the Russian statues of Dr Watson and Mr Holmes. Thank you very much, Kumar–as always–for these glimpses of the world as it honors our heroes.
In April 2007, a monument to Sherlock Holmes was unveiled outside the British Embassy in Moscow. It is the only one of its kind in the world, in that it has Holmes and Watson together. It features a pensive Holmes, clad in his signature cloak and deerstalker, standing and looking slightly upwards with one hand behind his back and holding a pipe in the other, as if contemplating a case. Beside Holmes is Dr Watson, seated on a bench and looking up towards Holmes in admiration, as it were. The statues are life-size and consumed 800 kilos of bronze in casting.
The artist, Andrei Orlov, although inspired by Sidney Paget’s sketches, sculpted Holmes in the likeness of the great Russian actor Vasily Livanov, who played the role of the Master to perfection in many Russian Movies. Orlov modelled Dr Watson after Vitaly Solomin who played Watson to Livanov’s Holmes. Vasily Livanov was the only Russian actor to be awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II which was bestowed upon him in recognition of his great portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.
We are thankful to the Sherlock Holmes Society of India who first posted this article by Kumar Bhatia on its Society’s website.
Weekly Quiz #3 Results
The results are in! The Quiz Master for Week #3 is Denny Dobry, “Kirby”. He was followed by James O’Leary, “Pippin” in second place.
There were no submissions in the Member Team Category, or Non-Member categories.
Buttons learned that our Quizzees are not too sanguine about Word Scrambles. Next week’s quiz returns to Canonical references that are readable; in fact, it consists of single word clues. You’ll love this one!
Weekly Quiz #4 is also Monthly Quiz #1 for those who are competing in the Monthly Quiz Master challenge. The Monthly Quiz Master will be eligible for the Quarterly challenge as well as the Annual challenge. Monthly quizzes are:
Member Individual Category
Denny Dobry, “Kirby”
James O’Leary, “Pippin”
Elinor Hickey, “Misty”
Ron Lies, “Chips”
Member Team Category
Margie Deck, “Gwen”
Sheila Holtgrieve, “Daisy”
Non-Member Individual Category
Dean Turnbloom
Good luck to you all. Anyone may participate in Weekly Quiz #4 and we look forward to an expanded roster of members, teams and non-members who wish to match wits with the slow boy who mostly lunches. The questions will be posted by 12 noon (Pacific) on Monday 7 October 2013 and will end at 12 Noon (Pacific) on 12 October 2013.
Say It Isn’t So…
Buttons is just back from a journey of several days, taking clean collars and shirts to the good Doctor whilst he and Mr Holmes are on a case somewhere called Shoscombe… and upon return finds no submissions to the Weekly Quiz #3!!
Whatever shall we do? Can it be the Letter Scrambles are too difficult for the intrepid Quiz Masters of the practice? No, of course not. Will our colleagues in France rise to the challenge? Has Seattle skipped a beat on its perfect record? Alas, a day remains… Aah! I hear carriage wheels against the curb… a firm tread on the stair… Could it be…? Yes, perhaps it could… a quiz participant this way comes! It sounds like the game is a foot, or maybe two feet!
The Watsonian: Progress Report on the First Issue
The inaugural issue of The Watsonian is at the printer and we await the final proof. It will print by the end of next week and will be in the mail on schedule, on budget, and way above expectations by 15 October 2013. It is being printed and mailed from Elmwood Park, New Jersey, so those of you on the east coast will receive it first with the rest of the country a few days later, and international mail will take likely up to two weeks. But, it is very much worth the wait!
The journal is 152 pages, perfect bound, and it is beautiful! Our Publisher and Editor, Joanne Yates, has gone far beyond the call of duty and, over hundreds of hours, has produced a fine, fine journal. But, you–our members and authors–have exceeded our wildest expectations. Your papers, articles, and miscellanea are both the highest quality and astonishingly high in quantity. We had to reserve at least four excellent papers for the next issue.
So, the Society is most happy to report a success in the making . . . the first issue of The Watsonian . . . and let’s all hope for many more to follow for a very long time! So, please start your papers and articles and fictional pieces for the April 2014 issue.
Kumar Bhatia, JHWS “Bobbie” Sends This Holmes Song
Our member from Dubai, U.A.E, Kumar Bhatia, JHWS “Bobbie” has sent this interesting song and lyric of the original sheet music for “The Ghost of Sherlock Holmes.” Our great thanks to Kumar for a rare glimpse into a rare collectible.
THE GHOST OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
Don’t start and pray, don’t leave your seats, There’s no cause for alarm :
Though I’ve arrived from warmer spheres, I mean you all no harm.
I am a ghost, a real ghost too, that nightly, earth-wards roams;
In fact I am the sceptre of Detective Sherlock Holmes.
Chorus: Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock, Sherlock you can hear the people cry,
That’s the ghost of Sherlock Holmes as I go creeping by .
Sinners shake and tremble, wherever this bogie roams,
And people shout ‘He’s found us out ‘ It’s the ghost of Sherlock Holmes .
Chorus: Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes
The man who plots a murder, when he sees me lift my head,
Forgets to murder anyone and ‘suicides’ instead.
An anarchist with lighted bomb, to cause explosive scenes,
Sees me and drops his bomb and blows himself to smithereens .
Chorus: Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes
The burglar who’s a-burgling, when he finds I am at large,
Get scared and says ‘Policeman, will you please take me in charge?’
The Lady who’s shop-lifting tries to put her theivings back
And says, ‘Mr Sherlock Holmes, I’m a kleptomaniac.’
Chorus: Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes
My life was more than misery, compelled to strut the earth,
And be a spy at beck and call of those who gave me birth.
But now that I’m a specter, all their misdeeds shall recoil,
I’m going to haunt ‘ Strand Magazine’ , ‘Tit-Bits’ and Conan Doyle .
Chorus: Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes
The song was written by one Richard Morton. (I am unable to ascertain the date). The music was composed, and the song sung by H.C. Barry.
The copyright as per the “Cover-Sheet ” is (or was) held by Francis Day and Hunter of Oxford Street, London, and The US copyright, by T.B.Harms and Co. of New York.
We regret that we are unable to upload the front cover photo of the sheet music that Kumar sent.
Weekly Quiz #3: 30 September – 5 October 2013
Weekly Quiz 3: September 30 – October 5, 2013
The Theme: Canon word scrambles. Rework the letter combinations in each question to discover a Canonical quote directly from the text and identify the story. The last question (#10) asks you to solve the scramble and then interpret the answer Canonically (just for fun).
Answers to be submitted by 12 Noon (Pacific), Saturday, October 5, 2013 via email to buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com.
If you discover Buttons has left out a letter or added one too many, have pity and answer it anyway as they are fairly self-evident even with the odd error. This one required an extra pint or two.
Questions:
- no, grinchly ate bed-clothes
- Hoop!
- sider licked the pour harp lands
- car near mill have alf sing main charge
- of systole aro nos dissem
- to nod nor gift the nil unsure mule cst
- the tor tears ran, you sat for my wimp el ceo
- if troops hint that nacunite ere fog dog whey
- reed mantel in carara hid t
- haut habsac
The Good Doctor Offers a Toast by Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips”
We thank our Society’s author of interesting miscellanea, Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips,” who sends this toast he gave to Denver’s Doctor Watson’s Neglected Patients two years ago:
“The Song of Doctor Watson”
Words and music by Harvey Officer
Doctor John H. Watson was I,
Known as a straight and honest guy.
Was to be a Surgeon for years,
In the Northumberland Fusiliers
But wounded was I in the thigh
Or was it the Subclavian Artery?
‘Twas by a vile bullet Jezail,
Shot by the Ghazis murderous hail.
Needless that I should repeat,
How I arrived in Baker Street.
Of all the tales I have versed
A Study in Scarlet was the first.
Holmes, ‘tis true, made me the goat,
Criticized every word I wrote,
But he tried, after a while,
Even to imitate my style.
However, I did marry again,
Who was the dame I married then?
The name must be mysterious still,
Roberts declared ‘twas De Merville.
Morley, he did not agree,
Said it was Sherlock’s landlady.
But any proof I do not see,
So, it must remain a mystery.
Rightly, then, praise you my pen,
All you men and women.
Was I not willing to be?
Called by him “Elementary?”
For you see, I had to be,
Boswell to his curious vanity,
After all, but for my tomes,
What could you know of Sherlock Holmes?
Results: Weekly Quiz 2; September 23-28, 2013
The results are in and the answers are posted below. We had good participation this week, and there is always room for more!
Individual Member Category: James O’Leary “Pippin” with all 20 correct answers.
Team Member Category: Margie Deck “Gwen” and Sheila Holtgreive “Daisy” with 20 correct answers.
Individual Non-Member Category: Dean Turnbloom with 19 correct answers.
Other members doing very well included Denny Dobry “Kirby”, Ron Lies “Chips”, and Elinor Hickey “Misty” who all tied for second place in the Individual Member Category.
Tomorrow’s Weekly Quiz 3 will be posted by noon (Pacific) and will consist of 10 questions, but they are diabolique!
Congratulations to our successful Quiz Masters! Onward to the Monthly and Quarterly Quizzes!
Welcome to Vincent Brosnan, JHWS “Beeton,” BSI “That Gap on That Second Shelf”
The Society is delighted to welcome long-time Sherlockain and Watsonian, Vincent Brosnan, JHWS “Beeton” and BSI “That Gap on That Second Shelf,” to Charter Membership.Known to readers and collectors of books as “Sherlock in L.A.,” and also as “Vinnie” to his many firiends, Mr Brosnan has had a long and distinguished career as a Bookman and antiquarian, handling many of the storied Sherlockian book collections in sales for their owners. His sale catalog of the Col. Ted Schulz Collection is a collector’s item itself. He is also a publisher of pamphlets, monographs and Sherlockain Miscellanea.
Mr Brosnan lives in Oceanside, California. He was invested by the Baker Street Irregulars in 2011 with the unique investiture of “That Gap on That Second Shelf” a bookman’s comment to Watson (Holmes in disguise) upon his return to the living.
Please welcome Vincent Brosnan to the Society with our greeting to members:
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”
The Society Welcomes Howard A. Brody, MD, PhD, BSI “Anstruther,” JHWS “Caddy” as Founding Member
The Society is honoured to welcome Howard A. Brody, MD, PhD, BSI, JHWS as a Founding Member and Director-at-Large. Dr Brody is a distinguished life-long Sherlockian and resides in Galveston, Texas.
Howard Brody, M.D., has been the director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston since 2006. Prior to this position, he served as the director of the Center for Ethics and Humanities at Michigan State University. Brody says that he chose family medicine to focus his academic career on medical ethics. By being a family doctor, Brody says he believed it would enhance his knowledge of medical ethical issues by giving him broad exposure to the problems patients and their families face between birth and death. While on the faculty at Michigan State, Brody wrote a weekly health column in the local paper to reach out to people about primary care issues that recurred with his patients. In Galveston, he wrote a weekly medical ethics column in The Galveston County Daily News until 2008 and he still contributes columns for the paper periodically. In total, Brody has written over 100 articles on medical ethics and is the author of six books on the topic, the most recent being “The Future of Bioethics.” Brody earned his medical degree in 1976 from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and his doctorate in philosophy in 1977, also from Michigan State. He and his wife. Daralyn, have two children, Sheila and Mark. For many years, he was an active member of the Greek Interpreters of East Lansing. Dr. Brody, invested as “Anstruther” by the Baker Street Irregulars in 1981, enjoys reading the Sherlock Holmes saga and contributing articles to the Baker Street Journal.
Please welcome Dr Brody warmly with the Society’s greeting:
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”
OK, Here’s the Answer:
The Sonnet came from a pamphlet titled A Lauriston Garden Of Verses, six Sherlockian sonnets and a ballad by Helene Yuhasova and published by the Pamphlet House, Summit, New Jersey; 1946. Helene Yuhasova is a pen name for the great Sherlockian scholar, Vincent Starrett.Thanks to Ron Lies, “Chips” for this delightful remembrance of the legendary Mr Starrett.
An addendum from commenter Marci in April 2015: Helene Yuhasova is the pen name of my Auntie Helene, who is the author, not Vincent Starrett.
From Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips”: Another Interesting Item About Dr Watson
Ron sent this interesting sonnet from Holmes to Watson. Does anyone know who wrote it or where it appeared, or who was the illustrator? We extend our sincere thanks to “Chips” who is one of our very interesting and interested members, managing to send something a bit reserché nearly every week.
The Sonnet reads: Sherlock Holmes to John H. Watson
You said of me what Plato said of him:
Who took the hemlock at his soul’s behest
That I was paragon and paradigm–
Of all you’ve known, the wisest and the best.
Discernment such as that shows goodness, too,
And certifies a wisdom long concealed–
My wisdom lay, perhaps in choosing you
To stand beside me as my foil and shield.
For you are Britain’s apotheosis;
The summum bonum of the bulldog’s breed;
A benison epitomized in this:
That strength and valour flourish in your deed . . .
Come, Watson, come! The game’s afoot and free:
The world has need of men like you–and me.
Weekly Quiz 2: September 23-28, 2013
Throughout the Canon, it is mostly Holmes who speaks and carries on the questioning and answering of the dialogue. Surprisingly, it is not that often that people speak directly to Doctor Watson. This week Quiz theme is: Addressing the Good Doctor.
Answer each question with who is speaking and in which story or book of the Canon the quote or partial quote is found.
Questions
- “Very strange, Watson, eh?” (possibly the only “Canadianism” in the
Canon). - “I suppose, Watson, we must look upon you as a man of letters.”
- “Find what I owe, Watson.”
- “Hullo, Watson.”
- And human nature, Dr Watson – the black ingratitude of it all.”
- “Of course, Dr Watson, this is strictly between ourselves.”
- “We’re hunting in couples again, Doctor…”
- “No, no, I am never dull.”
- “He wouldn’t have it, sir.”
- “Ah, that is the question.”
- “It’s a new patient…”
- “I heard a cab drive up…”
- “I am glad to meet you, sir…
- ”Bless you, sir, we know you very well…”
- “Maybe the two things go together.”
- “I won’t be argued with!”
- “I heard some rumour of it.”
- “Madness, anyhow.”
- “Will you go?”
- “I am delighted to see you…”
TO PRINT THIS WEEK’S QUIZ, CLICK ON ICON BELOW:
Welcome to New Student Member, Jacqueline Wyard-Yates, JHWS “Abby”
The Society welcomes Jacqueline Wyard-Yates, JHWS “Abby” to Charter Membership. Jackie is a student at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She is also a member of the Napa Valley Napoleons of S.H. Her interest in Dr Watson and Mr Holmes dates back a number of years and is a familial trait. Her sister and grandparents are also JHWS members.
We look forward to Jackie’s participation in the Society and, perhaps, her submissions to the journal.
Please join in a warm welcome to Jackie as we extend our Society’s greeting:
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”