This is a wonderful essay, and captures much of the Sherlockian world. Congratulations. I am a member of the BSI, and I would offer one correction. The BSI is not nearly "almost exclusively male" nowadays. It certainly was true until 1991, but it has been increasingly less so over the last twenty years, as almost a third of those invested in the BSI since 1990 have been women. I just received my copy of Mike Dirda's book today, and I look forward to reading it. However, as you related, the BSI affords one the opportunity to meet and become friends with interesting people whom you would never meet otherwise. For me, one of those has been Dirda. Congratulations on a great read.
On Sherlock Holmes And The Adventure Of The Impudent Scholars
This is a wonderful essay, and captures much of the Sherlockian world. Congratulations. I am a member of the BSI, and I would offer one correction. The BSI is not nearly "almost exclusively male" nowadays. It certainly was true until 1991, but it has been increasingly less so over the last twenty years, as almost a third of those invested in the BSI since 1990 have been women. I just received my copy of Mike Dirda's book today, and I look forward to reading it. However, as you related, the BSI affords one the opportunity to meet and become friends with interesting people whom you would never meet otherwise. For me, one of those has been Dirda. Congratulations on a great read.