Click on the titles to view the writings and the videos

2024

• Red Circle Meeting March 16, 2024 with Curtis Armstrong   A deligtful survey of Canonical villains who didn't make the honor roll of London's most accomplished criminals, presented by the BSI's "actor and a rare one," Curtis Armstrong. Very funny.
• Mrs. Hudson and the Return of Sherlock Holmes A seven minute drama, written by Ray Betzner and performed in New York at the William Gillette Luncheon on January 12, 2024. Featuring Curtis Armstrong as Sherlock Holmes, Ashley Polasek as Mrs. Hudson, and Ken Ludwig as the dummy (or, the bust, if you prefer).

2023

• Red Circle Meeting June 24, 2023 with Peter Blau.  The Red Circle's guiding light, Peter Blau, reflects on six decades of Sherlockian activity, while insisting that "The Future Lies Ahead."
• Red Circle Meeting, March 11, 2023 with Glen Miranker.  Glen Miranker's collection of Sherlockian books, manuscripts and other items is peerless. In this talk to the Red Circle Glen explains why collecting books is such a passion for him, and describes how the points of interest go far beyond the words on the pages.

2022

• Red Circle Meeting, October 1, 2022 with Dan Stashower.  Features a fascinating talk by award-winning author and Red Circle member Dan Stashower about his new book American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper. Includes a "ness" quiz from the Red Circle's quizzer-in-chief, Dana Richards.
• Red Circle Meeting, March 26, 2022 with Jerry Margolin. Art in His Blood: Sherlockian Collecting  A collector of thousands of pieces of Sherlockian art, Jerry Margolin showed us a few of his gems and told the fascinating stories behind them. Dana Richards presented an "Art in the Canon" quiz.

2021

• Red Circle Meeting, December 4, 2021 with Nicholas Meyer.  The Great Escape  We were pleased to welcome author, director and Sherlockian Nicholas Meyer to our December 4 Zoom get-together. Nick billed his talk as "The Great Escape," and it was a truly delightful escape into his personal takes on everything from art and life. . .to the value of pastiches. . .to Sherlock Holmes, with a few words about his fascination for Egypt, which inspired his new Holmes adventure, The Return of the Pharaoh. 
  
• Fiddling with the Gramophone, November 2021, with Alan Rettig Two criminals discuss their fate in the fabled sitting room as the Great Detective retires to his bedroom to await their decision. He plays the Barcarolle from Hoffman on his violin. Or maybe on his newfangled gramophone. Could a primitive recording pass for a live performance? Or is the story of "The Mazarin Stone" flawed by a low fidelity ruse? Alan Rettig examines the question in this video. 
• Red Circle/Reichenbach Irregulars Meeting, July 10, 2021. Routes from the Reichenbach  This program featured three experts on both Sherlock Holmes and Switzerland's challenging terrain. Each gave us their views about how Holmes managed to foil Moriarty's henchmen and travel safely from the falls to Florence after dispensing with the professor. The research and creativity of our special guests Eva Iggland, Guy Marriott and Bryan Stone in mapping these routes was evident, and their exuberant turns at playing the Grand Game were appreciated by all. 
• Red Circle Meeting, June 19, 2021 with Peggy Perdue. Sherlock Holmes and Advertising  was the topic of the day. Joining us from Toronto was Peggy Perdue who took us on a guided tour of the many ways the Great Detective has become not just a literary icon, but a marketing goldmine for products from tobacco to alcohol to clothing to toys--just to name a few. Bev Wolov provided context to Peggy's talk with a "prequel" discussion of advertising milestones. A quiz from Dana Richards picked up on the advertising theme. 
• Red Circle Meeting, March 13, 2021 with Catherine Cooke. At our first virtual meeting of 2021, Catherine Cooke joined us from London on the subject of "Nervous and Terse: Mr. Bradshaw and his Railway Guide." An entertaining talk about the man and his publication--an ever-present reference at 221B. Reports from the Czech Sherlockian society are also featured, along with a Dana Richards quiz, "All Aboard."

2020

• Red Circle Meeting, December 12, 2020 with Mattias Boström We were pleased to have Mattias Boström join us from Stockholm for The Red Circle's third virtual meeting. Mattias is the author of the Agatha Award winning From Holmes to Sherlock: The Story of the Men and Women Who Created an Icon (Mysterious Press, 2017). His topic was "Sherlock Holmes in the 1920s," where he paid special attention to the films of Sherlockian actor Eille Norwood.
• Red Circle Meeting, September 5, 2020 with Nick Utechin  At our second virtual meeting, Nick Utechin joined us from London to talk about "British Beginnings," a look at the embryonic adventures of Sherlockian societies in England. 
• Red Circle Meeting, June 6, 2020 with Laurie R. King  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Red Circle held its first meeting via video, with more than 110 people watching live and a like number watching later via recording. Laurie King talked about many things, including her new book Riviera Gold.
• Notes on Enola Holmes  Peter E. Blau points out that "Enola" spelled backwards is "alone," but Millie Bobby Brown has made lots of new friends with her portrayal of Sherlock and Mycroft's kid sister in the very popular Netflix offering Enola Holmes. Peter offers some sidelights, notes and other musings about the film and related issues in this short writing. Well worth a look.

2019

• The Sherlock Entreaty  Alan Rettig was on hand in New York City to review a September staged reading of a new Sherlockian comedy, The Sherlock Entreaty.   
• Published When the Times Were Right   In this paper Carla Coupe elaborates on her conviction that shepherding books--Sherlockian and otherwise--through the publishing process (which she does at Wildside Press) isn’t too different from writing a Holmes pastiche (which she's also done). Carla started with Ronald A. Knox’s eleven criteria for creating a Holmes adventure and matched them to the steps typically taken to bring stories to the printed page. There are remarkable similarities. Given at the Red Circle, March 30, 2019.

2018

•  You have been on eBay, I perceive: the pathology of Sherlockian hoarding  Monica Schmidt delves into the   differences between Sherlockian collectors and Sherlockians hoarders. Given at the Red Circle in September, 2018.
•  Rex Stout: Sherlockian Extraordinaire   Dan Andriacco traces Rex Stout's affinity with--and homages to--Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle. A delightful presentation, given at the Red Circle in June, 2018.
•  Monkey Business   Alan Rettig resurrects a short presentation first given at the Red Circle on March 27, 1992. It treats of monkeys, mirth and mayhem in a "Creeping Man" sort of way. Good for a chuckle or two. Presented at the Red Circle in March, 2018.

2017

• Two Fandoms, Both Alike in Dignity  Nea Dodson makes the case for an all-welcoming Sherlockian "big tent" in this fine paper. Given at the Red Circle in December, 2017.
• My First International Conference on Sherlock Holmes  David Richards contributes a fine report on the "Reichenbach and Beyond" conference given by the Reichenback Irregulars in Switzerland. Posted November, 2017.
• Evolution in Baker Street   Bill Hyder explores Sherlockian scholarship from its roots to the present day. Given at the Red Circle in September, 2017.
• A Scandal in Manhattan  Alan Rettig investigates the infamous quiz show scandals of the 1950s, and how Sherlock Holmes was the unwitting victim of foul play on the Great White Way. Given at the Red Circle in June, 2017.
• A Scandal in Manhattan See above

2015 

• GridLOCK DC 2015   Nea Dodson  A fine report by Nea Dodson on the second annual DC Holmes convention called GridLOCK, held in August, 2015

2014

• My Sherlockian Family Tree  Alan Rettig   Alan discusses the intersections between his research on his mother's family and the world of Sherlock Holmes. (Given at the Red Circle in March 2014) (.pdf)

2013

• Celebrating Murray and Beyond  Marcus Geisser   An International Red Cross delegate and a noted Sherlockian finds common ground between today's humanitarian practitioners and Watson's faithful orderly, Murray. (posted in October 2013; originally given in March 2013)
• 221 B Con Atlanta   Lynne Stephens  A report on the first annual 221 B Con meeting in Atlanta in April 2013. (posted in June 2013)

• Two Stories from the Notes of Dr. J. Watson   Pamela Russell   Sherlock Holmes meets modern environmental science in these short sketches. (posted in June 2013)
• Giants in the Earth   Jon L. Lellenberg   Sketches of some notable Sherlockians who graced the Red Circle's early years. (posted in February 2013; originally given in November 2000)

2012

• It's Elementary   Emily S. Whitten, Esq.   A review of the CBS-TV series Elementary. (posted in October 2012)
• Portraits of Sherlock Holmes   Alan Rettig   Celebrity photographer Editta Sherman's portraits of actors who have played Sherlock Holmes, with notes by your webmaster. (posted in July 2012)
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows   Alan Rettig   A review of the film. (posted in March 2012)

2011

• Our Website's First Birthday   Alan Rettig   Your webmaster looks back on the first year of the Red Circle's online effort (posted in November 2011)
• The Narrative of John Smith: Conan Doyle's Lost Novel   Daniel Stashower   Conan Doyle's early novel was lost (literally), later rewritten but misplaced, still later found again, and finally edited by Dan Stashower. A trifle perhaps, but we know what Holmes said about trifles! (posted in September 2011)

2010

• A History of the Red Circle of Washington   Francine Morris Swift   An affectionate look at the Red Circle through the years. (posted in November 2010; originally given in November 2000)

• October, 2013 -- August, 2014, Sherlock Holmes Will Explore Mars. . .An Actor, an Explorer, and Conan Doyle
• April, 2011 -- February 2013, Debonair and Splendid. . .Venice Anyone?. . .A Neopolitan Society. . .You Are a Conductor. . .Hunting Vampires. . .Weaving Our Website. . .They All Answered to the Bodymaster. . .I Wish't I Was in Peoria. . .Down to Earth: The Literary Geologists. . .Art in the Blood
• January -- March, 2011, Foyled Again (screening the film Kitty Foyle). . .Appreciating Jeremy Brett. . .A Birthday Bibliography. . .More Friends in High Places (John Lellenberg's Baker Street Irregular). . .At Home with Malice Domestic
• November -- December 2010, Friends in High Places (Graham Moore's The Sherlockian). . .BBC's "Sherlock" TV Series.

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