To love chronology is to love a puzzle. A mystery that can't be solved. A jigsaw with pieces missing, or with some from another box. It is to accept that even when you think you've got it all figured out that an idea or finding will come along and challenge everything. I have said many times that what I love about Sherlockian chronology is that it's almost solvable. That little sliver of trouble is what keeps our fingers tapping on our overworked keyboards. The reason I mention all of this is because of something that I recently read by one of our very own ilk. In the March 2024 issue of TIME ..read more

There are two things in The Canon of Sherlock Holmes which have bothered me since I first read them. One is that white whale I talk about from time to time. It's something that I can find absolutely no evidence for. It's the one I'll always work on here and there, and someday I'll justify Watson's words about it. (Sorry, still ain't gonna say what it is.) The other is one of those I'm-going-to-write-a-paper-about-this-one-day things. It's a Holmes line from 'The Redheaded League' (REDH) - "It is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of London." Well, I'm going to write a blog post about i ..read more

When I started this blog over a decade ago, the purpose was to try and tie the canon, Holmes, Watson, and any other players and events into actual late-Victorian history. And even though I sometimes step away from that goal to report on something else that is happening in my life or in the Sherlockian world, it is still the thing I want to do. The question I face all these years on is how serious I want to be in doing so. Please allow me to explain. To me history is like the blood flowing through my veins - I need it to survive. It never lets me down in a way that causes me to want to turn my ..read more

There are certain people that come into your life that are unequalled. You find a kinship with them that seems to be automatic, and you look forward to the next time you’re both in the same space together. For me that has been an all too rare occurrence, but I did have those things with someone who just passed away. I’d like to express some thoughts. When I was younger my mom worked for a popular chain store location in the “big” town near where I’m from. Everyone knew her. She was a local celebrity. We couldn’t go anywhere in the area without her running into someone she knew. I was always k ..read more

Well, I have made a decision about my participation in the world of Sherlockian chornology: I'll stay, but... I have been mentally struggling for some time now about sticking with it. I started all of this on this very day, November 27, back in 2011. As with anything, it can get tiring and tedious from time to time, but if you enjoy something those feelings have a tendency to pass. What happens to me is that I get into a pastime and let it consume me until I am no longer interested. Luckily, Sherlockian chronology has been a constantly changing topic, and as a result it never got stale. But ..read more

As many of you know I have been a Sherlockian for almost three decades now. I found my favorite part of the hobby very early on, and I have never looked back. Sherlockian chronology is in my blood. In my DNA. I still get a little excited when a new timeline is found, and I love updating my database to accommodate the new version. But, I'm struggling with it all. Allow me to explain... I wrote an article very similar to this for the Sherlockian Chronologist Guild newsletter TIMELINE. In it I said that I wasn't leaving The Game, but was considering backing off some. I have found myself interest ..read more

Please travel back with me to that July trip to St. Louis when I (and many others) attended Holmes on the Heartland. This successful gathering of the faithful had a lot of memorable moments, and on the back of said success, photos and Facebook posts and interviews and such have been prevalent and numerous. Again, kudos to Rob Nunn and those who helped him with it because it really was a thing of beauty to behold. Personally I was thrilled with my purchases and the number of chronologists in attendance. I talked about such in my blog post last month, but I didn't tell you everything. We're goin ..read more

Lately my little corner of the Sherlockian chronology universe has been extra busy. I was honored to be mentioned in a couple of talks at the recent Holmes in the Heartland gathering in St. Louis. I got to be in the largest grouping of chronologists in one spot ever at said gathering, and also got to meet a long-time budding timeliner for the first time in person. Also at that fantastic amassing of the faithful, I found several photocopied items in the bottom of a box from a collection that had been donated for others to pick from and give new homes. Two of the pieces are very interesting, and ..read more

In a few days I will be in St. Louis attending a gathering of fellow Sherlockians. It will be my first one in a while, and I'm looking forward to it because I get to see some folks I haven't for some time. There's also bound to be some titles I'll want to purchase, and maybe even a few pieces of ephemera. The whole thing sounds like it's going to be worth the not-so-long-drive from Indy to St. Lou. There is one aspect of the whole trip that is more attractive than anything else. Let's talk about that. I gave my first paper outside of my (then) home society in 2010. If you need a refresher, ta ..read more

I go book shopping a lot. That won't come as a surprise to any of you that know me personally, but it's true. I truly enjoy the hunt, and the find even more. Not long ago I discovered a book store just south of my city here that I wasn't aware of. It's a big place, and I have no explanation for not knowing it existed. Once I found out, though, I made a beeline for their front door. I had some luck in adding another few dozen titles to my already groaning shelves, but one item in particular is worthy of a blog post. So, here we are. Let's get to it. I stopped buying every single thing I could ..read more