Russell & Holmes Day in Bethesda

Russell & Holmes Day

Thursday, April 25, Bethesda, MD

The day before Malice Domestic starts, we’ll be at the Bethesda North Marriott in Rockville, MD. (Malice Domestic is the annual conference celebrating the Traditional Mystery, so if you haven’t been to it, you will find friends—and discover new writers—there.) 

Plans for the Day

9:30-10:00—Coffee & continental breakfast

10:00-10:30— LRK chats about Russell’s community, from social media to art 

10:30-11:30—Newbie Richardson: Twenties clothing demonstration by conservator Newbold Richardson on the clothing and accessories worn by all strata of society in the 1920s—including Mary Russell. (Haven’t you always wondered what those “elves” of Russell’s made?)

11:30-1:00—No-host lunch: stretch your legs, grab a sandwich, & chat with Laurie

1:00-2:00—Ayla Carlson: The knife in Russell’s boot: Demonstration/talk on Russell’s knife-throwing skills, with Ayla Carlson—who may bring her wedding garter that holds throwing knives

2:00-3:00—Beekeeper Bingo 

3:00-3:30—Afternoon snack break

3:30-4:30—Peter Blau & Laurie :What’s with these Sherlockians, anyway? Laurie in conversation with Peter Blau,publisher of the Sherlockian newsletter Scuttlebutt for more than 50 years, and the first Baker Street Irregular Laurie ever met.

4:30-5:00—Signing, chat, & selfies w/LRK

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Exclusive giveaways & swag including: The Russell and Holmes Times, Bethesda: A Newspaper Celebrating “The Beekeeper’s Apprentice” Anniversary Meetups, written and produced by Laurie just for this event. Also, special reprints, art work, and Beekeeper swag you won’t find anywhere else.

Plus, plenty of chat with Laurie and your fellow Friends of Russell

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Hotel: If you’re attending Malice (we hope you do!) the conference rate applies for Weds night. PLEASE don’t book a conference-rate room if you’re not registered, since the hotel may check and recalculate your cost at check-in.

Places available: 100

Cost:  $190.  Please note: any profits will go to the Malice Domestic reading charity KEEN, Greater DC’s literacy programs for young people with disabilities. Full refund up to 2 weeks before, after that we will refund if we can fill your place from the waiting list.

Speakers

Peter Blau was the first Sherlockian Laurie King met, when he invited her to dinner in Houston when she was on an early book tour and he was in town for a Geologists’ conference. He is the editor of the Sherlockian newsletter Scuttlebutt, and has been an invested Sherlockian (“Black Peter”) since 1959. 

Carrie “Ayla” Carlson is a local parkour coach and language instructor with a penchant for the weird and adventurous. She's fond of collecting unexpected hobbies like parkour, climbing, traditional archery, historical fencing, and - you guessed it - knife and axe throwing. Where else can you find a Sherlockian who wore knives in her wedding garter?

Newbold “Newbie” Richardson has worked for 25 years with private and institutional clients to appraise, conserve, and exhibit historic clothing and textiles, including tapestries, quilts, samplers, wedding and baptismal garments, and clothing dating from the 18th to 20th centuries.  Newbie’s training in costume design and couture sewing allows her to outfit museum displays and living history interpreters with authentic period reproduction clothing.