Sherlock Holmes

It’s no mystery that Sherlock Holmes plays a large role in my life and in my teaching. I’ve been a ‘Sherlockian’ since fifth grade, and I have a huge collection of pastiches, parodies, games, artwork, and artifacts related to the Great Detective. As you can see from this photograph, an entire bookshelf is devoted to the collection. I’m always happy to loan out books to students.

I’m a member of The Survivors of the Gloria Scott, a Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars, based in Greenville. We’re an eclectic mix of people, but what we have in common is that we all enjoy studying and discussing the Sacred Writings, as the original 56 short stories and 4 novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are called.  My ‘nom’—a special name in the group—is ‘the daintiest thing under a bonnet.’

I share my love of Sherlock Holmes with my students. This year, I’m offering a LIBA class called ‘The Game’s Afoot.’ We use the stories as a way of looking at events and people from the Victorian age, and for asking questions about issues of justice, morality, and friendship.  Here’s a shot of a guest appearance by Dr. Moeller, the Chair of the Biology Department—and my husband—who introduced my students to a real version of the ‘speckled band.’

In 2009, the Beacon Society, a Scion Society that works to introduce young people to Sherlock Holmes, honored me with the 2009 Beacon Society Award for my classes at Wofford. And in 2021, I was invested in the Baker Street Irregulars as “A black sequin-covered dinner dress.” For me, becoming a BSI was a lifelong dream coming true.

Most recently, I received a call to work with the actors of the Spartanburg Little Theatre, who will be performing the play HOLMES & WATSON. They were looking for insight into their characters, and I was delighted to be able to share information with them which will help them with their production. I’m really looking forward to seeing the play. The world can never get enough of Sherlock Holmes!