Episode 125: Revenge of the Sherlockian Nerd

"a field for those peculiar qualities which my friend possessed" [FIVE]

Curtis Armstrong, BSI ("An Actor, and a Rare One") is known by many names. Miles Dalby, Charles De Mar, Herbert Viola, Scooter, Metatron, and of course, Booger. But around these parts, he is known as a keen Sherlockian who has been part of our little corner of the universe since his grade school days.

His memoir Revenge of the Nerd: Or...the Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger tells a series of tales that will be of interest to those who only know him through his remarkable career in show business. But we wanted to get behind all of that an delve into the intersection with his many other interests, such as Sherlock Holmes and P.G. Wodehouse, among others.

From Detroit to Geneva and back again, from the stage to the big screen and small screen, we explore the intricacies of nerd culture — particularly when it comes to the Victorian misfit Sherlock Holmes. Early influences of Curtis still have an impact today, and he leaves us with lessons that should have every Sherlockian embracing their inner nerd.

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Information on sponsors, links, timing notes and transcript available below.

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Sponsors

This episode includes our two longtime sponsors, plus a new addition. Please support our sponsors by visiting their sites:

• Wessex Press, publishers of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers: Volume 3.
• The Baker Street Journal, a leading force in nerdy work for Sherlockian scholars since 1946.

Notes

1:36 Panty raid!

5:50 Wessex Press

7:06 The many faces of Curtis Armstrong

9:15 What is a nerd?

12:00 Nerd beginnings in Detroit

17:01 First meeting with Sherlock Holmes

23:06 Joining the Trifling Monographs

25:22 Curtis's favorite Sherlock Holmes story currently is...

28:51 Radio dramatizations—the "Orson Welles" period

33:51 Who's a nerd in the Canon?

36:05 Was Sherlock Holmes a nerd?

43:37 The Baker Street Journal

45:07 Booger was Curtis!

47:02 Instruction at Meadow Brook by Billy the Page

52:05 A Plum interest

56:34 The roll tossing tradition at Wodehouse meetings

1:00:13 Comparing an actor's life to that of Sherlock Holmes's profession

1:03:34 Pay attention, grammar nerds and pun nerds

1:09:49 The Editor's Gas-Lamp—guest reading from Curtis's book

1:19:19 Just one more thing...

Links

• Curtis Armstrong's book: Revenge of the Nerd: Or...the Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger
• Michael Dirda on Episode 38: On Conan Doyle
• Susan Rice, Curtis' Sherlockian mentor, on Episode 61: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and Episode 89: The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes
• The 2003 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual: The Strength and Activity of Youth
• Terry Kilburn from the IMDb
• The Wodehouse Society

Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at ihose.co/flipsherlock, as well as on the The Sherlock Holmes Community on Google+ (with over 4,200 members), as well as through our accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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