.
G221B : Tell us how you were nominated ?
D.A : Steve Doyle, the publisher, asked me to do it—maybe because I have edited Sherlockian anthologies and was once the business editor of a daily newspaper.
G221B : What is, according to you, the place of the BSJ in the sherlockian world ?
D.A : The BSJ is published by the Baker Street Irregulars, but it’s not just for the Baker Street Irregulars. It’s the lingua franca of the Sherlockian world, the publication that unites Sherlockians and Holmesians all over the world because it is read all over the world.
G221B : Tell us about your personal history with the BSJ. Since when are you a reader? Which subject do you prefer to read?
D.A : The oldest issue that I have from when I first subscribed is dated December 1971. I enjoy reading all kinds of essays, including literary analysis, historical background, new theories about issues that have long puzzled Sherlockians, and articles about great Sherlockians of the past.
G221B : And as a contributor? When did you have your first contribution published? What was it about? How were you feeling when you sent it and when it was accepted?
D.A : My first essay in the BSJ was “Gothic Holmes: Dark Shadows in the Canon”, published in the Spring 2017 issue. In it, I look at numerous Holmes stories that incorporate elements of Gothic fiction. That’s what I mean by literary analysis. I don’t specifically remember my reaction when at having it accepted but I’m sure I was extremely happy.
G221B : How did the first issue you edited go? Is it a lot of pressure? D.A : There was a learning curve related to formatting, but Steve Doyle said he thought it went well. Yes, there was pressure, but also great satisfaction when the task was completed.
G221B : How the role as the editor differed from what you expected ?
D.A : Formatting the copy into the proper fonts, margins, endnote style, etc. is more time-consuming than I expected. I’ve also had more direct contact with writers than I foresaw, helping them to improve their work, and that has been very enjoyable.
G221B : Do you intend to put your own touch to the magazine ? How ?
D.A : It’s inevitable that an editor puts her or his mark on a publication. What I accept for publication and how I edit it will be different from the nine editors of record who preceded me. However, that may not necessarily be obvious to the readers. What they can expect, as I wrote in my first Editor’s Gas-Lamp, is a BSJ with a lot of variety as to authors and as to type and length of essays.
G221B : Do you imagine keeping the role of editor as long as Steve Rothman did, or do you advocate for a quicker turn over?
D.A : Since I am 70 years old, it’s highly unlikely that I will do it for 23 years. But you never know! I hope to do it for more than just a few years.
La gazette du 221 B 