Sherlock Holmes was born this day in 1854---at least that's what we think. Like many things in the Sherlockian 'canon' (the 56 stories and 4 novels written by Arthur Conan Doyle) this date was never clearly stated. Instead, readers 'deduced' it through 'clues' within the text---Alex and Hannah, are you paying attention?! As English majors, you should really like this! The clues are that Holmes often quoted Shakespeare, but there was only only play that he quoted twice: Twelfth Night. Could it have been his favorite because 'twelfth night' is January 6, his birthday? Also, we know that one of Holmes' cases began on January 7, and on that morning Holmes was exhibiting all the classic symptoms of a hangover! Could he have been out the night before, celebrating his birthday?
OK, so maybe that seems far-fetched, but that's the kind of fun we have when we play 'the game,' which is what we call it when we make leaps of logic from bits and pieces of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
My game today was to try and find more information on the Palermo catacombs. So far, I haven't had a lot of luck. There are many references to it on the internet, but already I've found a lot of conflicting information. Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's true!!!! But I have found another helpful source: Dr. Peter Schmuck of the Art History Department. He has visited the catacombs and has postcards. I'm looking forward to talking to him because the things I want to know (Are these rooms very small or large? Do they smell? Are they cold?) are things that someone who has been there can tell me, but I wouldn't necessarily learn from articles and photographs.
There's a tip for research---always remember what a rich sources professors can be! Even professors consult professors, so don't hesitate to ask questions.
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