Interviewed by Jim Hawkins of the Nashville Scholars, Nashville, TN
September 1, 2000

Mia, we are delighted to count you as one of the members of WelcomeHolmes, and by way of extension, the Nashville Scholars of the Three Pipe Problem. We first "met" you online when your friend Nancy Beiman introduced you to us by sending us to an article the two of you had written. What was that article about, and how did you and Nancy ever meet and become friends?

Thanks, Jim, I feel very honoured.
I got to know Nancy (Redheaded League) recently after I joined the Hounds in early spring 1999. I wanted to make a period dress and was looking for information about Victorian fashion. After having posted an inquiry to the list I quickly got a reply from Nancy who knows a lot about period style. Suddenly we were engaged in a practically daily "conversation" and have been so since.

The first article we wrote together is called Russian Roulette, and was also printed in "The best of the Hounds 1999". The original idea was Nancy's and she tried it out on me. I contributed by putting the material in a "mathematical" form, you know, statement followed by proof, and together we found the many references to support the theory. We spend many a night (the time difference between Los Angeles and Copenhagen is 9 hours) ping-ponging our ideas and suggestions across the Atlantic. It was very exciting, but first of all we had a lot of fun.

Lately we collaborated on a series of limericks. It was a spontaneous idea, initiated by one silly verse, but once the snowball had started rolling, it soon grew much bigger. To me it's an enormous joy, challenging as well as rewarding, to let our different opinions cross swords.

Recently, you astounded us with news of some heavenly bodies that have canonical names and seem to have behaved in peculiar ways. Could you please give a brief description of that phenomenon, and point our readers to the article you published online?

It was Peter Blau who inspired me to that article. I met him in January 2000 when he visited Copenhagen on the occasion of the Danish Baker Street Irregular's (DBSI) 50 years jubilee. Peter, who is a scientist as well as a journalist, told me about the SH connection on the Moon. When I later discovered that there was actually also some asteroides named after Moriarty, Sherlock and Watson, I simply had to look more into that matter. I would not say that they behave in a peculiar way, though, they obey the well-known physical laws, but when I calculated and compared their orbital motion during the last 150 years I got some astonishing results. As a scientist I must emphasize that it is a coincidence - as a Game-playing Sherlockian I can only say: What a coincidence!

And please, stop calling me a "rocket scientist". I am far from that. <vbg>

As a member of and webmaster for the Danish Baker Street Irregulars, you're right in the middle of Holmes activity in your country. How did all this come about? Please begin as far back as you wish, perhaps to the time you first began to read and admire the Sherlock Holmes stories.

I think I started watching the Granada series and reading the books at about the same time. Then I visited London in 1987, found out that a Sherlockian society existed and that there actually also was a Danish club. However, to become a member you needed to be 18 years old, so I had to wait a year. When I reached the age of Sherlockian "maturity" and was let into the circle, it was a bunch of very different, funny and knowledgeable people I was introduced to. It was intriguing.

Can you tell us a little of the history of the Danish Baker Street Irregular? Was there a web site before you joined, or were you the first to put the club online?

As mentioned above, the DBSI celebrated its 50 years jubilee in January 2000. We are not so many members, about 50, and usually half of them show up to the Annual Meeting - our only gathering. For the rest of the time we communicate though our newsletter Sherlockiana.

This very summer I took the initiative to start a scion of the DBSI and a group of enthusiastic members joined me. This (not first but today the only) child was named The Copenhagen Speckled Gang and the purpose is simply to meet more often than our mother society, to discuss, to watch a film, perhaps plan some other activities and in general have fun. And I am sure we will have some interesting meetings to look forward to.

The DBSI did not have a web-site until I convinced the President that it would be a good idea. We came on-line last year. I try to keep the web-site updated, but I actually don't know how much our own members use it. Many of them are not yet on the Internet.

Tell us just a bit about your computer and internet skills. You seem to really enjoy and have lots of fun on your web site. How did you get started doing web design? And how many Sherlockian sites are there in Denmark?

To answer your last question first, I think there is only the two I have made - the one for the DBSI and my own. At least if it is purely Sherlock Holmes. There are others like the great Mysterious Home-page which has a Sherlockian sub-site.

I made my first web-pages in 1994 through learning-by-doing. And at that time it was really funny, since not so many people knew how to do it. Today everyone can create a page in five minutes using a program. I've probably made hundred of pages for friends, clubs and myself, but it's only a hobby. Nevertheless I was two times employed to do public outreach via the Web. I used different programs then, but personally I still prefer to write my pages as simple html code in a flat text editor. It's easier, more compact and much quicker if it's only a few pages. I try to make them look nice using only a few graphics but well-chosen colours and a minimum of fancy stuff. This (I hope) make the pages load faster and enable them also to be viewed with older browsers.

Please tell us about your canonical name, Stackhurst; why you chose the name, the story it comes from, and why you identify with the character.

Stackhurst was the name I ended up with after having eliminated all the other possibilities :-)
But now I've grown familiar to it. Stackhurst was in teaching, so am I in a way. Holmes speaks favourably about him as an all-round scholar and a friend to discuss with. I would have liked to be able to discuss a lot of subjects with Holmes. And I think he was easier to get on with after he retired than in his younger days. Watson must have been patience incarnated.

What are some of your Sherlockian favorites? Favorite story, favorite Holmes actor, favorite characters in the canon?

Farvourite story: Oh, so difficult, but among the top 10 I would put SCAN, COPP, REDH, HOUN, CHAR, FINA, EMPT, SIILV, DEVI ... and of course I also have a crush on LION, even though this story is not in high esteem by most Sherlockians.

Favourite characters: Again, almost impossible, but apart from Holmes and Watson, I'd say (good and bad guys at random): Irene Adler, Moriarty, Mycroft, Dr. Mortimer, Mrs. Hudson, Violet Hunter, Langdale Pike ... and I could continue.

Favourite SH-Watson actors: without question, number one is Granada's Jeremy Brett-David Burke/Edward Hardwicke (excluding, with regret, the later episodes). Number two is BBC's Ronald Howard-Marion Crawford. The Granada series win because Burke and Hardwicke made the best Watson ever and I really do think Holmes was as bohemian/rude/energetic/unpredictable/selfish/charming/maniac - call it whatever you want - as Brett shows us.

The old BBC series I like because here we actually see a young Holmes and Crawford plays a convincing ex-military doctor. Two major and important points for both series are that they show Holmes and Watson as really friends and there is a lot of humour between the two.

You've been a member of the Hounds of the Internet, and more recently, our WelcomeHolmes discussion group. Are there differences between the groups that are obvious? And, do you belong to a similar discussion group in Denmark that is nationwide, even worldwide, like these groups?

Yes of course, the discussion is more formal on the Hounds. It's a great list for learning and discussion. Messages are in general clear and trimmed and on topic. This is how it should be there. The WelcomeHolmes is the less formal list where I wouldn't be afraid of asking a stupid question. The members address each other more personally and the tone is always very friendly and helpful. Sometimes, perhaps there is a bit too much off topic postings. I don't join any Danish e-groups at all.

A related question...What differences in approach or style are you aware of between your DBSI and what you have noticed about our American Holmes groups? Do you belong to any other Sherlock Holmes societies?

No, I only have one Sherlockian membership. Different style and approach? Well, the DBSI is, however old, just a small club, with one single meeting a year. It is still very 'classical'. I wish our members were a bit more ready to try something new. I hear about so many funny functions and activities from American groups. But perhaps we with the new-born scion society can inspire the "old ones".

What have I left out about Mia Stampe that would help us really get to know you? What would you tell us about yourself that is of great importance to you?

I think my most sincere wish is that we all, who join in this common interest for Sherlock Holmes, keep our mind open, helpful, broad and tolerant. We all have different opinions, likes and dislikes. I cannot see any need to wipe the floor with certain actors or authors, just because you don't like their work or agree in what they say. A few times I've seen some harsh cut-downs of people because of this. As friends and discussion partners intellectually we should be above that. As long as all the different kind of Sherlockian related works and performances bring joy to a lot of readers and spectators and in the end contribute to give people the interest for the original stories - well, then I'm glad.

Thank you for taking the time to provide these replies, and for enriching our online Sherlockian experience with your messages to WelcomeHolmes, your online computer games, and your fascinating personality. We, the Nashville Scholars, salute you! -

and I, my friends, raise my glass to you in the hope that we shall meet each other in "the real world" in the not-so-far future.

copyright© by Nashville Scholars and Mia Stampe, 2000