The Inner Room: Editorial (ACD Journal vol. 6)
The Inner Room: Editorial [Vol. 6] is an article written by Christopher Roden published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 6, 1995).
This editorial attacks Michael Coren's biography of Conan Doyle as superficial, repetitive, and insufficiently informed by Conan Doyle's own writings or by recent Society scholarship. It argues that serious Conan Doyle research is still ongoing and that a truly worthwhile full biography remains to be written.
Editorial
Conan Doyle's life and works provide a wide variety of opportunities for study. You, the readers of ACD, have probably tired of my saying that, or something similar, in the seven years of the Society's existence. Yet it is true — and it bears repeating once again.
It bears repeating for two reasons: firstly, I continue to be amazed that our contributors regularly provide us with new insights into Conan Doyle's life, new analyses of his writing, and new biographical information. The contributions to this volume are no exception to what has gone before: there is much new material, and a good deal of new and original thinking. Secondly, and in part because of the new material that continues to emerge, one is prompted to ask why a new biography of ACD did not explore more deeply the fresh information and topics raised in articles in this Journal since 1989.
I am, of course, referring to Michael Coren's Conan Doyle, the much-publicised 'definitive' work to which we have been looking forward for the last two or three years. Principally, I think, many of us were anxious to see how Coren would deal with Conan Doyle's dedication to Spiritualism, especially since there were indications in articles previously published by Coren that he might see it as a reason for derision. And Coren is known for his outspoken and critical journalism — so much so that, despite his obvious talents, he wins few friends. Interestingly enough, this aspect of Coren was highlighted in a review of his latest book Setting it Right (Don Gillmor, The Globe and Mail, Toronto; 27 April 1996, E2). Whilst concerning itself with Coren's columns and his journalism in particular, the review states, 'In the preface Coren writes, "If newspaper and magazine columns were cassettes or CDs most would be tucked away in the Easy Listening section of the music store. I like to think that mine are often classical, sometimes heavy metal, occasionally folk and once or twice composed of just a little jazz." ... If these columns were CDs they would be filed squarely in the heavy metal section. Coren understands that if you bite the heads off enough bats and are sufficiently loud, the audience won't notice that you're playing the same three chords over and over.'
In the light of Conan Doyle, Coren's words provide confirmation of his own arrogance: that he should feel that his opinions have the variety of so wide a range of musical styles is, on the evidence of Conan Doyle, wishful thinking. Mr Gillmor certainly strikes the right note when he suggests that the same three chords are being played over and over, for, in the main, Conan Doyle is repetition: a reworking of other people's biographies of ACD. Coren has been lazy — very lazy and arrogant in his belief that people either wouldn't notice or wouldn't care. The truth is: we do care. We care enough to concern ourselves with finding out about Conan Doyle, we care enough to sit down and write (hopefully in an accurate way) about Conan Doyle; we care enough to read what Conan Doyle wrote, analysing what we read, trying to find new insights or sources of inspiration along the way. We certainly care more than Mr Coren, who obviously did not care enough to read much of ACD's work before embarking on his biography, and who could not take the trouble to research the new material which ACD has provided over the last seven years.
So, does what we do really matter? Well, yes, I believe it does. Otherwise, why have we been bothering to produce ACD for seven years? And the readers of ACD obviously think it matters, too, for why else would we continue to receive subscriptions? And our contributors certainly think it matters, for we continue to receive unsolicited high quality material. We should take our comfort from the fact that whilst Coren failed to note our work, he failed to note much of ACD's work too. Despite his stated intention of liberating Conan Doyle from his own creation, he concentrated at far too great a length on the plots of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Yet he appears not to have noted Holmes's own words: 'Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself'.
In Conan Doyle, Coren has written his tune in the key of mediocrity: there is no evidence of anything more than Easy Listening; nothing classical; no jazz-just the same old three chords time and again.
It is perhaps somewhat of a cliché to say that our work has only just begun. Nevertheless, it is true: there is a huge amount of untapped material to consider, and aspects of Conan Doyle's life on which virtually nothing has been written. One day there will be a new biography of Conan Doyle which has something relevant to say about his whole life. We can only wait in anticipation. Until then the work of this Society and the enthusiasm of the contributors to this Journal will continue to provide material from which future biographers may draw inspiration. I feel confident that. when the time comes, the right biographer will repay our belief in the work we do and the material we all provide.
In closing, I should like to add a special word of thanks to all who have contributed to this volume. It appears somewhat later than usual, chiefly because of the need to include full reviews of Conan Doyle. I hope you will feel that it was worth the delay.
Christopher Roden
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
