Somewhere, There's a Place for You

Sherlockians like to say, in the words of the immortal Vincent Starrett sonnet, "It is always 1895." But that doesn't mean the calendar doesn't change. It does, and every year it's crammed with Holmes-related activities.

Seemingly dozens of aficionados of the Great Detective took part in a spirited discussion recently on Facebook about the growing cost of engaging in what many think of as their hobby (a term I never even heard applied to Holmes-mania until a few years ago). It's a sad reality of life that nobody has time and money to do everything.

But several participants pointed out that there are more ways to get involved in Sherlock Holmes now that ever before. That's certainly the way I see it. When I first began reading the Canon, probably about 55 years ago, I only knew one other Sherlockian - a boy only slightly older than me.

As Robert Katz pointed out, a look at www.sherlockiancalendar.com verifies the richness of possibilities out there. Just between now and the end of the month, it lists seven Sherlockian meetings and events from Nashville, TN, to Sydney, Australia, with contact information for each. Many are open to everyone and inexpensive.

Not being an early adapter, I only learned about the Sherlockian calendar in June from Evelyn Herzog. The calendar itself proclaims that it exists to serve:

• those who are traveling and might like to connect with other Sherlockians;
• those who are scheduling Sherlockian events to avoid conflict (although that is not always possible;
• those who are just curious.

I'm thinking of it as a vacation planner!