Spending the evening with distant friends

There is a distinct phenomenon in podcast world where listeners feel they've become friends with people they've never met, just by virtually sitting in on so many conversations between the podcast hosts. Last night, I had a bit of the opposite experience, catching up on a bit of I Hear Of Sherlock Everywhere where Scott and Burt interviewed two different friends who don't live that far away.

Spending the evening listening to a couple of friends is a very comfortable thing. Vincent Wright was getting into chronologies and Rob Nunn was promoting Holmes in the Heartland, as well as talking about his book, The Criminal Mastermind of Baker Street, and both were subjects I've happily discussed with those fellows before, and surely will again. The podcast episodes were a nice "in the meantime" pleasure of their company sort of experience.

After a hundred and forty-four episodes, I Hear Of Sherlock Everywhere has accumulated enough interviews with Sherlockians that you can pretty much put together a virtual symposium on whatever topic you'd like, just by picking and choosing appropriate episodes. I'm not suggesting this as an alternative to actually going to Sherlockian weekend symposiums, as the discussions that pop up between the talks at those things are always as rewarding as the planned program. But still, if you can stand hearing about The Baker Street Journal as often as Blue Apron or Stamps-Dot-Com on some other podcasts, you can make a fine morning, afternoon, or evening out of mixing and matching the pods.

Listening to active Sherlockians who are toiling away at their craft, however, is apt to inspire you to spend more time in like activities, however, so be prepared with some available time once that listening is done. Because there's never enough time for Sherlock Holmes, and like any addictive drug, the more you take, the more you're going to want.