Edgar Allan Poe Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (1958) Winner
Vincent Starrett
ヴィンセント・スターレット
Vinsento Sātorettsu
Pen Names:
Vincent Starrett（Used professionally as a byline/pen name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1886-10-26 （Toronto, Ontario, Canada）
- Died
- 1974-01-05 （Chicago, Illinois, United States） age 87
- Nationality
- Canadian, American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Toronto (birth) → Chicago (moved 1889; long-term residence)
Career
- Occupations
- newspaperman, writer, bibliophile, book critic, columnist
- Active Years
- 1905-1967
- Affiliations
- The Hounds of the Baskerville (Chicago chapter), The Baker Street Irregulars (affiliated), Caxton Club (publisher/association)
- Memberships
- The Hounds of the Baskerville (Chicago), The Baker Street Irregulars (affiliated)
- Influenced By
- Arthur Machen, Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes literature)
- Influenced
- Sherlockian community, bibliophiles and bibliographers, some mystery and weird fiction writers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Marshall High School (Chicago) | — | — | — | 1890s–1900s（高校在学） | United States |
John Marshall High School (Chicago)
Period:
1890s–1900s（高校在学）
Country:
United States
Secondary education (high school). No clear record of university attendance.
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1933 non-fiction / SherlockianaA collection of essays and observations about Sherlock Holmes, fandom and interpretations of the stories; a well-known introductory work on Holmes by Starrett.
Sherlock Holmes scholarshipliterary analysisfan culture
The Quick and the Dead
1965 fantasy / horror short storiesA collection of Starrett's horror and fantasy short stories originally published in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales; reissued by Arkham House.
weird fictionfantasyobsession with books and bibliography
Murder on 'B' Deck
1929 detective fictionA Walter Ghost mystery featuring a murder aboard a ship; a classic detective novel in Starrett's mystery series.
sea-bound mysterydetective reasoningthe darker sides of relationships
The Case Book of Jimmie Lavender
1944 detective series short storiesA collection of short stories featuring Jimmie Lavender, Starrett's gentleman detective, originally appearing in pulp magazines.
gentleman detectiveurban crimeshumorous elements in deduction
Books Alive
1940 book reviews / essaysA collection drawn from his long-running 'Books Alive' column in the Chicago Tribune, reflecting his love of books and deep bibliographic knowledge.
love of booksbook reviewscultural commentary
Recipe for Murder (story) / The Great Hotel Murder (film adaptation)
1934 short/novella → film adaptationThe magazine story 'Recipe for Murder' was adapted as the film 'The Great Hotel Murder' (1935), distributed by 20th Century Fox.
mysteryadaptation across media
Adaptations
- [Film] The Great Hotel Murder (1935)
Bibliography
- Buried Caesars: Essays in Literary Appreciation (1923)
- Coffins for Two (1924)
- Penny Wise and Book Foolish (1929)
- Murder on 'B' Deck (1929)
- Dead Man Inside (1931)
- The End of Mr. Garment (1932)
- The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1933)
- Books Alive (1940)
- Bookman's Holiday (1942)
- Autolycus in Limbo (1943)
- The Case Book of Jimmie Lavender (1944)
- Murder in Peking (1946)
- Books and Bipeds (1947)
- Book Column (1958)
- Best Loved Books of the 20th Century (1955)
- Born in a Bookshop: Chapters from the Chicago Renascence (1965)
- The Quick and the Dead (1965)
- The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (collection appearance; 1985 edition)
Adaptations
- The Great Hotel Murder (film adaptation, 1935)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- journalistic clarity and concisionlogical, puzzle-oriented detective fiction styleblend of fantasy and weird fiction elements in short stories
- Recurring Motifs
- obsession with books and collectingfrequent Sherlock Holmes references / Sherlockianamysteries involving rare books and inscriptions
Legacy
Vincent Starrett, originally a newspaperman, became an influential writer and bibliophile known for his Sherlockiana and weird fiction; his long-running 'Books Alive' column contributed significantly to reading culture, and his papers are held by several American research libraries.
Academic Societies
- The Baker Street Irregulars (affiliated)
- The Hounds of the Baskerville (Chicago chapter)
- Caxton Club (associated)
Archives
- Northern Illinois University (Vincent Starrett Collection)
- University of Minnesota Libraries (Vincent Starrett Papers)
- Kent State University Library (manuscripts and papers collection)
- The Newberry (Vincent Starrett Papers)
- Lilly Library (Indiana University)
- Library of Congress (catalog records)
In Popular Culture
- 'Recipe for Murder' adapted as the film 'The Great Hotel Murder' (1935)
- Continued references and citations within the Sherlockian (Sherlock Holmes studies) community
Trivia
- Reportedly born above his grandfather's bookshop (born above a bookstore).
- The detective character name 'Jimmie Lavender' was used with permission from the real Chicago Cubs pitcher Jimmy Lavender.
- The short piece 'The Adventure of the Unique "Hamlet"' exists in a very limited press run and the exact number of copies has been the subject of bibliographic study.
- His 'Books Alive' column in the Chicago Tribune ran for 25 years.