Investigating Sherlock Holmes

A CCPL Library After Hours Event!

Join CCPL and crime fiction expert Dr. Kris Mecholsky to trace Conan Doyle's steps & examine where the great writer lifted ideas & what writers, in turn, pilfered from him.

Sherlock Holmes, the epitome of the clever detective and one of the most adapted figures in film and television history, proves to have a lasting legacy. Many may be surprised to discover that, as original as the Great Detective is, he did not spring fully formed from the head of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The mystique surrounding such writers' genius often shrouds the complicated cultural and biographical forces that led them to produce great works.

Crime narrative scholar, Dr. Kris Mecholsky, will take us on a journey to uncover some of the many characters that Sherlock Holmes was modelled upon, including the French criminal-turned-detective Eugène François Vidocq and Edgar Allan Poe’s Dupin. Dr. Mecholsky will connect the dots to show the pervasive influence that Conan Doyle and his creation have had on literature, television and film, and forensics.

In this program, you’ll learn whom to credit for the contribution of footprint forensics to both Holmes and real-life detection; which real-life person performed Holmes’s “parlor trick” of guessing a person’s history based on small personal details; and how Jean Valjean and Holmes are connected. You'll also find out how patterns of Sherlock have surfaced in every narrative medium since his appearance, even in characters—Byomkesh Bakshi, Nero Wolfe, Spock, House—that you may not have known or guessed about.

By the time Dr. Mecholsky sums up where the clues on Holmes lead, your past knowledge of the famous fictional detective will seem quite elementary.

About the presenter: Dr. Kris Mecholsky is an English instructor, crime narrative scholar, and associate director of research advancement at Louisiana State University.

This event will be presented through Crowdcast. Registration is required. 

To Register: 

1. Click the "Register" button on this page, which will direct you to the Crowdcast page.
2. Click the 'Save my spot!' button.
3. Enter your email address or social media login.
4. Check your email for a confirmation and a link to join the event, along with the option to add the event to your calendar.

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