#vincent Starrett

[watsonsdetective]

Just learned about the existence of this poem written by Vincent Starrett in 1942. I'm always so happy when I can learn more about the Sherlockian fandom and discover more of Sherlockiana.

[letallthetrashraindown]

The history book on the shelf / is always repeating itself

John Steinbeck / Carolina Ebeid / Vincent Starrett, “211B” / Toni Morrison, “Beloved” / Vincent Starrett, “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” / Matt Stover, “Revenge of the Sith”

[julienbakerstreet]

Vincent Starrett, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

[helloliriels]

Though the world

Explode

Yet these two survive,

And it's

Always

1 8 9 5

[sherlockianscholar]

through pure happenstance, i stumbled on this first edition (published 1940) of 221B: Studies in Sherlock Holmes at my local bookstore!! i am officially having the best birthday ever

[solarotters]

"It was as if a god had been destroyed by treachery. So children mourn, perhaps, when Santa Claus is murdered by their elders" (from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett about the public's reaction to Holmes' death)

This topic will always be interesting to me. This decision by Doyle is usually described as Doyle hating Holmes, though the truth was that the stories simply weren't what Doyle, as a writer, wanted to write. It's interesting how even when talking about Holmes' death as a character, he is described as a real human being; it's not "Doyle hated writing him", it's "Doyle hated him" (both aren't true, it's just if I were to simplify it). Starrett put it perfectly--at that moment, Holmes' death would've been like when kids found out that Santa Claus wasn't real, when people realize he's simply a character that the author can decide to discard at any moment. But Starrett also acknowledges that Holmes is more than that, he is beyond a fictional character. Doyle, without realizing, has lost control over this character that he has created. It doesn't belong just to him anymore. This writer is no longer the god of his creation, instead Holmes is the god and Doyle only brings upon the treachery.

Starrett also says that Holmes is "an illusion so real...that one might some day look about for him in Heaven, forgetting that he was only a character in a book."

[holmesxwatson]

“But Watson, although he may have faltered, never actually blundered. Holmes knew the qualities of his assistant. No case was ever lost by Watson's failure. And his reward all that he ever asked or cared for—was an approving word or nod from Holmes. Did not he get them both, outside the record? During those nights in Baker Street, perhaps? After the problem had been solved forever—after the reader had put down the book?”

— Vincent Starrett, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

[holmesoldfellow]

1940 Studies in Sherlock Holmes plaque

[the-lesbianest-batman]

sherlock.

pertaining to that, I did this for fun once.

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

Holmes and Watson / Tristan and Isolde

BBC Radio 4's Sherlock Holmes, The Devil's Foot (radio drama transcript) /// Granada's The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Red Circle /// Metafictional Monday: Tristan und Isolde, @teaformrholmes /// Brayton Polka, LIEBESTOD: On Love and Death in Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde", p. 248 /// The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Vincent Starrett /// BBC Radio 4's Sherlock Holmes, The Devil's Foot (radio drama transcript)

[sherlockcorner]

"But there can be no grave for Sherlock Holmes or Doctor Watson... Shall they not always live in Baker Street? Are they not there this moment, as one writes? Outside, the hansoms rattle through the rain, and Moriarty plans his latest devilry. Within, the sea-coal flames upon the hearth and Holmes and Watson take their well-won ease... So they still live for all that love them well; in a romantic chamber of the heart, in a nostalgic country of the mind, where it is always 1895."

-Vincent Starrett, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

[sarahthecoat]

there was SO MUCH discussion about 1895, oscar wilde, queer history, gothic literature, etc. in the run up to TAB, it was like a whole university course. i was still a lurker, but i learned so much.

for toxicsemicolon then, read garkgatiss now. their big recent metas are over on medium, iirc. @heimishtheidealhusband 's ghost stories are gay stories, is here on tumblr, and always worth a read or a re read. @weeesi read and posted a lot about queer history. i wish i could remember names/handles better! if tumblr hasn't made blog archives totally inaccessible (i don't know how to get at them in the app, but in a browser it's basically the blog url plus /archive), you can (or at least, you could, last time i tried) navigate back by year and month, and then open specific posts in a new tab while you continue to peruse the archive. if people use tags consistently, once you get to a well tagged post, use those tags to find more.

What's going on with 1985?? Why is that important?? Can u please explain? ):

Hi nonny!

I hope I can do this question justice.

1. Reichenbach

Doyle ‘killed’ off Holmes at the end of the The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1895), where Holmes and Moriarty fall to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls. Due to public reaction, he ended up bringing the character back to life, as we see in BBC Sherlock’s TRF & TEH.

We’ve been told that Shspesh will solve the Moriarty mystery (x), so this could all be related.

2. Infamous poem by Vincent Starrett (1886-1974)

221BHere dwell together still two men of noteWho never lived and so can never die:How very near they seem, yet how remoteThat age before the world went all awry.But still the game’s afoot for those with earsAttuned to catch the distant view-halloo:England is England yet, for all our fears–Only those things the heart believes are true.A yellow fog swirls past the window-paneAs night descends upon this fabled street:A lonely hansom splashes through the rain,The ghostly gas lamps fail at twenty feet.Here, though the world explode, these two survive,And it is always eighteen ninety-five.

All Poetry Dot Com 

(In my opinion, while setting 1895 would be a nice reference to this poem, I don’t think it’s significant enough to merit Gatiss saying 1895 vs 1885 being an important difference).

3. Oscar Wilde and why Johnlockers flail about 1895

ACD & Wilde met in 1889 regarding writing for Lippincott’s Magazine (which leads to them writing & publishing The Sign of Four -ACD- and The Picture of Dorian Gray -Wilde). Wilde left a pretty big impression on Doyle. Things that always stick out to me: 1) Sholto as a caricature of Wilde; 2) other characters in Sherlock takes names from Wilde’s friends; 3) character progression of Holmes could be influence by Wilde himself (x)

According to Baring-Gould’s chronology ACD’s The Adventure of the Three Students is set on April 5/6 1895 (x)(x). The story starts off with this:

It was in the year ‘95 that a combination of events, into which I need not enter, caused Mr. Sherlock Holmes and myself to spend some weeks in one of our great University towns.

April 6, 1895: Oscar Wilde arrest for gross indecency (homosexuality)

May 25, 1895: Wilde convicted and sentenced to 2yrs hard labour

Shortly after Wilde’s arrest, homosexual men & women began fleeing England for France (x)

Some other tumblrs have spoken a bit about this too

miadifferent

toxicsemicolon, x

tiger-in-the-flightdeck

4. Bonus! Shspesh/Setlock/Spoilers

According to current Setlock speculations, Shsesph starts out with Holmes & Watson coming back from some type of journey with their luggage. We also know that they filmed quite a bit out in the countryside out at Tyntesfield. (More info)

[julienbakerstreet]

Trick or treaaaaat

happy halloween!! 🎃 you get a sticker!

[t4tvampireisms]

“The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes”, Vincent Starrett + “True Detective” S1.Ep.8 “Form and Void” [Rust Cohle & Martin Hart]

@lesbianboyfriend @seekdestr0y @bsideheart @tboykrillin @lesbianjudasiscariot @pikslasrce @girlv1rgin @transchesters

@messmers @brucequeensteen

[bizarrebazaar13]

a tribute to Fallen London, based on the poem “221b” by Vincent Starrett.

Here beneath dwells still a city of note Which no longer lives and so can never die How very near it seems, yet how remote That age before we lost our sky But the city still sings for those with ears Attuned to catch the distant hullabaloo London is London yet, for all our fears Only those things the heart believes are true

Wolfstack’s fog swirls past the window-pane As lacre descends upon this unnamed street Spies trade secrets in the greatest game The ghostly gas-lamps fail at twenty feet Here, though the lights go out, city survives And it is always eighteen ninety-nine

[solarotters]

Just finished The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett and here's my review:

The first time I heard of this book was when I found and bought it at a local secondhand bookstore, so I had zero idea what the book talks about or how it was perceived by Sherlock Holmes fans. I don't want to say what is "essential" or non-essential for Sherlockians but this book is definitely 100% worth the time of a devoted fan (and maybe a bit hard to follow for a casual enjoyer, but personally my years of fixation for my autistic special interest has adequately prepared me for this one).

This book looks at Sherlock Holmes through every aspect of him: his inspiration, his introduction, methods, death and return, his author, adaptations, illustrations, etc.... Despite all that there is one theme that Vincent Starrett revisits throughout the book, and that is the existence of Sherlock Holmes. Often times in the subtext and few in the literal text, Starrett ponders about the meaning of "existing". Sherlock Holmes is a funny case of existence: many people thinks he was real, more treat him like he was real, and few treat him as a fictional character who has nothing to do with the real world. It's common knowledge that the whole England was experiencing grief after The Final Problem, even my mom, when I told her about this book, asked me if Sherlock Holmes was a real person. Starrett also entertains the reality of Holmes and Watson in his text, theorizing that Watson had a bad memory for details, and discussing bad adaptations as not having consulted Doyle and Watson. Starrett described Doyle as a creator who shares the likeness of his creation, and suggested that the real "death" of Sherlock Holmes came with the death of Doyle. The way this book blurred the line between reality and fiction - it almost gave me a new understanding of the relationship between the terms "Doylist" and "Watsonian".

All in all very glad I read this book. I was thoroughly entertained and informed and it's given me a deeper and better understanding of, not only what is within, but what is outside of Sherlock Holmes as a character. My favourite quote (which I read before reading this book) is:

"So they still live for all that love them well: in a romantic chamber of the heart: in a nostalgic country of the mind: where it is always 1895."