From a boffo corporate brown-bag in Burnsville, MN, to back-to-back packed houses at the Morris Area Library, to a command performance for the venerable Reading Room Society at the Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud, and an award-winning Teen Read Week program at a middle school in South Dakota, Jeff Falkingham's new "Elementary, My Dear Watson!" multimedia program has drawn rave reviews from audiences of all ages. Here are summaries of the units that make up the program: 

An Arthur Conan Doyle Primer  
The presentation begins with an overview of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contributions to British and American literature, with a focus on the four novels and 56 short stories that constitute the Scottish writer's Sherlockian Canon. This opening 10-minute skit features Falkingham as Dr. Watson and a member of the host facility as Sherlock Holmes (costume is provided). It wraps up with a brief look at trivia involving the Great Detective's hat, cape, pipe and famous quotes. 

Sherlock Holmes---in Minnesota? 
Explaining how and why he brought an English detective to Minnesota, the author looks at what was going on in the state (and in particular in the host village and county) in the 1800s. The focus is on immigrants, and the attractions---including land and jobs---that drew them here. The author also discusses the Dakota Conflict of 1862 and its effects on Minnesota and its people.
This optional segment is designed to help historical societies comply with their mission of promoting local and area history. It can be substituted for or added to any of the units described on this page, and encourages establishment of partnerships among schools, libraries and historical societies. 

The Many Faces of Mr. Holmes 
From Sidney Paget's illustrations for the Strand  magazine of London in 1891 to Robert Downey, Jr. on the silver screen in 2011, you'll see how Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed in print, on stage, in the movies and on TV over the past 120 years. Stage actor William Gillette, Hollywood's Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing, and the British Broadcasting Corporation's Jeremy Brett are among the many performers you'll meet in this 7-minute visual treat. (Presented via PowerPoint; images available on posterboard for venues without AV.) 

The Science of Sherlock Holmes 
An intriguing look at the history of forensic science. Blood stains, fingerprints, toxicology and ballistics are among the topics covered in this 7-minute slide show. Selected crimes from the Sherlock Holmes casebook are used to illustrate how criminal investigation methods have changed from 1895 to today. Learn how Holmes augments his knowledge of science with acute observation, deductive reasoning and inference to solve crimes that had baffled others. An optional hands-on forensic activity for youth can be part of this segment. 

10 Keys to Writing a Good Story  
Especially for young writers, the author briefly explains the story elements of protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters, narrator, setting, plot, narrative, dialog, action, and devices such as foreshadowing---especially as it is used in the back story of many of Arthur Conan Doyle's tales, as well as both of Jeff's books.
Members of the audience may be invited to participate in an impromptu acting workshop (costumes & props provided) to illustrate key points. A closing segment discusses the challenges and rewards of writing historical fiction. Brief writing exercises for students are an option with this segment.