Friend & Biographer Series: JHWS ‘Leo’

Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark….Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own, to which in his modesty he has given small attention…

Hello Watsonians,

Today marks the first post in a new series of brief biographic interviews with some of the members of JHWS. Our members, like the good Dr. Watson, have some remarkable characteristics of their own, and we would like to give some small attention to them.  The series will run on a varying schedule as time and participation permit.

Please see below for the interview with our Texas friend, Stu Nelan.

Enjoy!

Margie/ JHWS ‘Mopsy’

1. Name/with bull pup moniker—

Stuart Nelan, ‘Leo’

2. Current (city, state, country) location—

Melissa, Texas, USA

3. How long have you been a devotee of Dr. Watson?

Over 50 years.  I discovered the Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson stories before high school and read some of them, and then was delighted to find the Doubleday book of the complete adventures after graduating college and moving to Dallas.

Shortly thereafter, there was an article in the local newspaper about the BSI, giving contact information for John Bennet Shaw.  I mailed him a letter asking about joining, and he kindly replied suggesting that I join the local group and gave me the name.

I took me 15 years to follow up on that, but I eventually did and the rest is history.

4. Do you have a favorite canonical story?

Without a doubt, The Blue Carbuncle is my favorite!  It is such a nice Christmas story, and as Christopher Morley put it “a Christmas story without slush”.

5. What is your favorite quote from the canon?

“The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of our profession”, from The Valley of Fear.   My career is in software development and support, and this quote reminds me of one of the big pitfalls in my work.

6. If you could speak directly to anyone in the canon, who would you choose and why?

Dr. Watson, of course!  Holmes might be the more knowledgeable of the two, but as a dinner companion, for instance, Watson would be the obvious choice with his repertoire of stories and ability to tell them to entertain his audience.

7. Are you fond of any particular canon adaptations—pastiche, radio, film?

Each one has its plusses and minuses, I guess, but overall I would have to go with the Basil Rathbone movies – they are the ones that I go to when I’m looking for a Sherlockian movie.

8. Do you have a local Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian group you meet with on a regular basis?

The Crew of the Barque Lone Star meets on the first Sunday of each month in Addison (a suburb of Dallas).  All are welcome to join us!

9. Do you have any recent Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian projects/events you would like to tell us about?

BSI Weekend is coming up, and I am looking forward to going and seeing old (and young) Sherlockian friends again!