Apr 16, 2013
We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to
the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling the
world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts (we're careful to say neither
"fans" nor "devotees" at this juncture).
The first item of interest that grabbed our attention in early 2013
was the so-called "Free Sherlock" movement. Summed up, this is
basically an issue that is being brought to court via a case titled
Klinger vs. Conan Doyle Estate, in which Leslie
Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") is contesting the Conan Doyle
Estate's claim that any new content that contains Sherlock Holmes
must pay a royalty or license fee to the Estate. Burt and Scott
parse through some of the non-technical/legal aspects of the case
and discuss what's at stake.
Speaking of being at stake, the other item on the docket is the
debate as to what in fact constitutes a Sherlockian of good
standing? That is, can one have arrived at the doorstep of 221B
Baker Street via the BBC series (or Granada, or Universal, etc.) or
must one have been schooled only in the printed literature and
dress the part of a 1940s joiner? It's quite a debate - one that
was taken up vehemently by The Baker Street Babes earlier this
year, after the "Elite Devotee Redux" was published in recently
resurrected Saturday Review of Literature. We offer
our own humble observations on the matter.
For those who wish to subscribe to the publication and read all of
the very interesting articles therein, you may procure a copy by
sending $5 postpaid to Donald K. Pollock, 521 College Avenue,
Niagara Falls, NY 14305. An image of the cover and inside cover can
be seen below.
The Editor's Gas-Lamp: We purposefully
revisited the same Gas-Lamp (Vol. 3, No. 2, OS) that we shared on
Episode 15, because Edgar Smith's "Who is a Baker Street
Irregular?" seemed to strike the same chord some 65 years
later.
Links: