All language subtitles for The.Palindromists.2020.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG

♪

A palindrome is a word,
phrase, or sentence

that reads backward
and forward the same.

Just seems like such
a magic little puzzle.

People underestimate how hard

a hard a good
short palindrome is

in part because the easy ones
have all been done.

If you say to someone, "Do you
know what a palindrome is?"

if they say yes, they usually
can quote something like

"Madam, I'’m Adam,"
or, "Was it a rat I saw?"

My favorite palindrome
that I'’ve written is:

There'’s something exquisite

about a beautifully crafted
palindrome.

I think that'’s worthy of support
and worthy of celebration.

♪

Next year is the second
World Palindrome Championship.

We will invite top palindromists

from all across the country
and around the world,

and they will have
90 minutes or so

to craft original palindromes

and the audience
will vote on the winners.

♪

[indistinct conversations]

♪

All the way
from Portland, Oregon,

he'’s performed all over the U.S.

You may have seen him
on eHarmony or Match.com.

Mark Saltveit.

[applause]

You know what I'’m most
famous for in the world

is writing palindromes.

And this just confuses people,

especially when I use it
to try to impress women.

So I explain,
you know, palindromes,

words that are the same
backwards and forwards,

and she'’s like, "Huh?"

And I'’m like, "Yeah, exactly!"

It took me 12 years
as a standup comic

to figure out
how to explain palindromes

to a crowd of people
who are not reading,

they'’re just listening to you.

So I start pouring it on,

I start throwing down original
palindromes that I wrote,

like, "An igloo? Cool, Gina."

[laughing]

She just looks right back
and says,

"Oh no, Don Ho."

[cheering]

Like a lot of kids in the third,
fourth, fifth grade,

I learned about palindromes
in school

and got really excited,
and my brothers and I

tried to write
our own palindromes,

and we could never come up
with a good one.

The best we ever came up
with was,

"Radar kayak radar."

And then, one day we thought
we had hit the jackpot

and were like gonna be the most
famous nine-year-old kids

in history '’cause we wrote
a dirty palindrome,

which was, "Eat poop tea."

And we were like so proud
of ourselves,

and then one of us looked at it
and it doesn'’t actually work.

It'’s A, E, T, T, E, A.

So it'’d be, "Aet poop tea,"

or, "Eat poop tae."

And so, basically,
gave up on it.

Twenty years after
the "poop tea" incident,

I was insomniac one night.

I just thought,
"Oh, palindromes are fun.

Let me try my hand with that."

And I just, like,
grabbed a dictionary

and ended up writing
a really long palindrome.

It'’s vastly easier than it was
when I was a little kid

and it was called The Brag
of the Vain Lawyer, and it was:

I was like, "That didn'’t
even seem that hard."

So, I got obsessed, started
writing a bunch of palindromes.

And at the time, I was very
active in the zine scene,

you know, when people do
little handmade magazines,

before the internet, mind you.

Palindromes were
the obvious subject.

Almost everyone was doing there
about their personal obsessions.

It was kind of a no-brainer.

So I started writing this
magazine, The Palindromist.

Part of my goal
with creating the zine

was just to encourage people
to write their own palindromes,

'’cause part of my thing
is that a lot more people

could write palindromes than do.

Very early on, I met Jon Agee
just interviewing him

for the magazine
'’cause he's the obvious choice.

He'’s the only person who's ever
made money off palindromes.

♪

That was, I think
the Subaru Durabus.

You know, the drawing for that
would be something like this.

You know...

[mumbling]

♪

Do you ever make noises
when you draw?

If you draw, that'’s what I do.

I make noises, when I'’m trying
to make something

that looks tough, like, "Argh!"

My face goes into
a tough "Argh."

put a little bit of a tank.

Yes, there we go.

Lots of rivets, lots of rivets.

That helps.

[laughing]

There.

Yes.

The Eddie Bauer edition, okay.

♪

This is the book Go Hang
A Salami! I'’m a Lasagna Hog!

from 1991.

First book, yeah,
first book of palindromes.

But this, this was a good one.

This is a friend of mine,

Dan Fagelson came up
with this one.

Last egg gets Al.

It'’s a great palindrome
but this is an example

of a palindrome which really
needs a picture.

Last egg gets Al.

So you see a guy
who'’s standing here,

somebody'’s been trying
to throw eggs at him

and finally, they got him.

I'’m always thinking of like,
"What'’s the picture here?"

♪

My mom is an artist and my twin
sister, she'’s an artist.

So yeah, been drawing
and illustrating

since I was a kid.

♪

Went to art school
and lugged all my drawings

to publishers,
cartoons and stuff,

thinking that
they'’d just publish 'em,

and they'’d say, "Who are you?"

And I realized, "Oh, you have to
kind of get your stuff

in magazines before people
are ready to do that."

And then sort of by accident,
I ended up illustrating

and writing my own picture books
for kids.

In the middle of all that,

I was at dinner
with some friends

and a friend of mine
was talking about palindromes

and I handed him my little
sketchbook and I said,

"Here, draw--

show me some
of your palindromes."

Well, it was interesting,
he didn'’t just write

the palindromes,
he drew a picture,

because his palindromes
were so weird

that they needed a picture.

And I think that
was the hook for me.

It was like,
"Oh, I create palindromes,

but I'’ll draw pictures
for them!"

Whenever I'’d show them
to people,

they would find them amusing.

They'’d say, "That's funny, oh,

and the thing backwards
and forwards."

The palindromes by themselves

would create
these funny scenarios,

like star rats.

I would actually really enjoy
creating them.

[typewriter keys clicking]

Some say that the first words
ever spoken

were a palindrome when Adam
introduced himself to Eve

in the Garden of Eden by saying,

"Madam, I'’m Adam."

In truth, the oldest written
palindrome that we know

was God'’s words to Moses
from the burning bush.

"Ahyh ashr ahyh,"

which translates to English as,"I am who I am."

This is a word unit palindrome

where the words reverse,
not the letters.

Like the famous
Three Musketeers slogan,

"One for all and all for one."

When alphabets and writing
first emerged,

everyone felt the mystical power
of these strange symbols.

The cleverest scribes noticed
that some words and phrases

worked in either direction.

These must be the words of gods
and the curses of devils.

These mysterious
symmetrical invocations

soon decorated amulets
and papyrus magical spells,

often surrounded
by the Ouroboros,

the snake that swallows
its own tail.

The most famous palindromic
spell was the Sator Square.

Sator, arepo, tenet,

opera, rotas.

Palindromic in four directions.

No one knows where
the Sator Square originated,

but has been found everywhere
from the ruins of Pompeii

to Hungary, England,

Syria, Portugal,

Sweden, and Ethiopia.

But the most powerful of all
was "ablanathanalba."

It was a spell to call down
a mighty god

to do your evil bidding.

Over the centuries,
"ablanathanalba" transformed

into the most famous
magic word of all,

"abracadabra."

It'’s clear that palindromes
have always had

a grip on our collective
imaginations,

from the earliest days
of history.

♪

♪

Will Shortz
just loves competitions.

He'’s been doing palindrome
competitions since 1991

when he was editor
at Games Magazine,

though most of them
have been on print

or on his NPR radio program.

And we talked about doing
a live competition.

This is a chancefor the best palindrome writers

to come and show their skills,

and to discover
who'’s the best palindromist.

Will came up with three prompts,

and you had to write
a palindrome that fit

one of the three prompts.

The category that I won with
had to have

an X and a Z in the palindrome.

I started off looking through
my dictionary, as I do,

of things I'’ve accumulated
over the years,

and with Z, I had a great start,

which is the word--
or the phrase,

"trapeze part."

♪

So, I look in my dictionary and
I have another one, which is,

"fixes" reverses to "sex if."

So, "fixes trapeze part."

That makes sense, right?

Somebody had to repair something

due to a bedroom disaster.

"Fixes trapeze part,

sex if."

You need a subject here.

I find the name Kay,
which reverse to "yak."

So now we'’re, now we're close.

So you can tell this is
a classic in the making,

but the seconds
are ticking down.

Everyone else
is furiously scribbling.

And finally,
I know that "sex if yak,"

I need a verb here.

So, I go, "What are the verbs,
what are the verbs?"

And I came up with "lived"

and then "devil Kay."

She'’s already involved
in some incident

involving sex with a yak
that got injured,

so clearly, "devil"
is a pretty good word for her.

And that'’s what I finished with.

"Devil Kay fixes trapeze part,

sex if yak lived."

I don'’t even wanna try
to fully imagine

what this phrase is describing.

♪

[evil laughter]

♪

Yoohoo!

♪

[evil laughter]

[yak groaning]

♪

Yeah, I won,
it was an audience vote.

Sex yak.

[imitating crowd cheering]

Everybody'’s--obviously,
that was the one to go with.

Well, the last time
was just a hoot.

We had those fantastic signs.

"Wow!" for the palindromes
that were good,

and "Huh?" for the ones
that weren'’t.

Mark Saltveit is the king
of palindromes.

He is, you know,
the guy to beat.

[waves crashing]

So this is my workbook.

I'’ve had a few of these
at various times.

This is what palindroming
looks like.

Just reams of things
where I'’ve tried to,

you know, write bits and pieces.

So there'’s one that I like,

"Won'’t I use jam
if I'’m a Jesuit now?"

And I'’m always worried
when I'’m traveling on planes

that this looks like
some sort of

terrorist manifesto
or something like that.

People will look at it and say,
"What do these words mean?

It'’s all in code!"

The Australian Women'’s Weekly,
which my mother used to get,

had a back page for kids,

and one of them was a big page
of palindromes.

I can still remember,
I can picture the typeface

where it said,
"Was it a rat I saw?"

And I thought that was
absolutely brilliant.

That was the first time
I recall looking at them

and then after that,
I started looking for them.

Sort of collected examples
of them for a while

and then, um, after about
20 years of doing that,

it suddenly occurred to me
to try and write one.

Yeah, and then I sort of
just got into that

and sort of was writing them
for quite a few years

before I discovered anybody else
was doing it too.

♪

The first time I sat down
to write,

I took the seed word of my name,
Martin, and I wrote:

And I was very pleased with that

and I still find it
quite an interesting palindrome.

I just remember that set when
I got enough to say to myself,

"You know,
this is an infinite world.

I can go on and just keep
writing these things," you know?

♪

It is a bit solitary.

There'’s not many people
who do it.

You know, I would show
other people my palindromes

but I don'’t think I ever
met a single person

who had even attempted
to write a palindrome.

♪

It'’s quite new for me for this,
you know, activity that you did.

But when you told me
about palindromes,

it just like took me a while
until, "Okay,

there are people interestedin that kind of thing as well."

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

I think it'’s important
to do what you like.

So, I don'’t like being limited

by what other people
find enjoyable.

I'’ve felt that
about a lot of things.

If ever people think,
"Oh, that'’s silly,"

or something like that,
who cares?

They'’re not doing it, it's me.

We normally just like, you know,
just spend time outside,

went to the park,
walked the dog.

Apart from when I ask you
about like, you know,

"What did you do
about palindromes"?

and you told me about it,
apart from that,

I didn'’t see you just,
like, you know,

concentrating, writing one.

-It'’s my solitary activity.
-Yeah.

-She'’s very proud of it though.
-Yeah, kind of.

She always tells her friends
about it.

But I had a hard time
explaining it to them.

I just have to start with,
like, something easy,

like pop, mom,
kayak or something,

and they'’re just
rolling their eyes

and it'’s like,
"How did he do it?"

And just like--I think
what they try to tell me,

just like how weird
your boyfriend is.

[laughing]

You know, I have my interest
in palindromes.

Other people have other
interests in other things

and I encourage them
to enjoy those,

even if they'’re not things
that fascinate me.

To me, it'’s the differences
between us

that sometimes
make us interesting.

I'’m kind of--you know,
I know the ones who I email

and who are in that
sort of little group.

Lori Wike is a new one

that we'’ve sort of
recently contacted.

She'’s the lead bassoonist,
I think,

in the Utah State Orchestra.

♪

[birds chirping]

So this is one
of my palindromes.

It'’s one of my favorite
palindromes that I'’ve written.

I first became aware
of palindromes

when I was probably
eight or nine years old.

It'’s kind of ironicsince I ended up living in Utah,

but the first palindrome
I think I probably ever saw was,

"Hat Utah," with a very cute
little drawing

in the Martin Gardner book.

Happened to discover
Mark Saltveit'’s

Palindromist magazine online
and I said, oh, you know

this is for people who read
and write palindromes.

I was like, "I should try
to write palindromes.

I wonder if I can."

And I wrote a palindrome.

I believe it was...

I think that'’s it.

Is that a palindrome?

Yes, it is.

It kind of just took off
from there

and I just kept
writing palindromes.

♪

As a bassoon player,
we have to make our own reeds.

So I make mini,
mini bassoon reeds.

It'’s a very individualized art.

It'’s just very satisfying.

I enjoy lots of puzzles.

I love logic puzzles,
I love jigsaw puzzles,

but palindromes
are without question,

my favorite form of word play.

The palindromist
is playing with the language

and playing with this kind of
art of letter reversal

and then coming up with
something that is both new

and yet was always
already there.

It'’s this dual operation
of both finding

and creating at the same time.

I think it'’s mostly a hobby,

although it can make it a little
difficult to read at times

if you'’re constantly
looking at words backwards.

If it'’s an addiction,
it'’s a very positive addiction.

[blowing]

[reed whistling]

[typewriter keys clicking]

In World War II even,

palindromes played a part
in the war effort.

The British,
when they were trying to crack

the Nazi'’s secret codes,
recruited all of the best

crossword puzzle
as well as math people

and they set up an operation
at a mansion,

an estate outside of London
called Bletchley Park.

One night, John Henry Whitehead,

the head mathematician
on the team,

challenged everyone
to a palindrome contest.

The idea was to come up
with something more compelling

than the old chestnut,
"Step on no pets!"

Peter Hilton quickly invented
the classic,

"Sex at noon taxes."

But Whitehead
was still not satisfied.

He challenged Hilton
to write a longer one.

Later that night, Hilton simply
laid down on his bed,

closed his eyes, and without
the use of pen or paper,

he took on
Whitehead'’s challenge,

and by the morning,
he had assembled

what some consider the greatest
palindrome of all time.

The code breakers were under
extremely strict secrecy

at Bletchley Park,
so none of the code breakers

ever reported their palindromes.

However, soon after
the war ended,

there was
a rather peculiar event.

An itinerant engineer
named Leigh Mercer,

who lived just a few miles
from Bletchley Park,

just so happened to send in
exactly 100 palindromes

to a popular literary magazine.

When asked about them,
he admitted

that he hadn'’t written
most of them.

These 100 palindromes
were about as many

English language palindromes
as had been written

in all of history put together,

and his post-war bounty included

such unpublished classics as,

"Poor Dan is in a droop,"

and, "Won'’t lovers revolt now?"

Not to mention
Mercer'’s own classic,

"A man, a plan, a canal.

Panama."

♪

♪

My name is Danica McKellar
and I love palindromes.

Writing palindromes
is a challenge.

It'’s a fun challenge that
I highly recommend to everyone,

and what you need to do--
'’cause first you think,

"Oh, I wouldn'’t know
where to start."

Pick someone'’s name and then
do a palindrome from that name,

and you might think
it'’s impossible.

Like, Danica, how would you
write a palindrome from Danica?

I believe it'’s,
"Danica in a Niacin ad."

I had never even thought
about writing my own palindromes

until I was a new mother,
actually.

I was sitting
in my glider rocking chair

breastfeeding my newborn child,
thinking about his name,

Draco, D, R, A, C, O,

and just, I thought,

"Hey, if you spell it backwards,

Draco card.

Draco card,
that'’s a palindrome!"

So then on Twitter, I tweeted
out the challenge to everyone

where the answer
was "Draco card,"

and a bunch of people
came up with the answer

and it was so much fun
interacting with my fans

that way that the next night,
I gave another challenge.

I believe the second one
I did was, " I prefer Pi."

And for a while,
for years actually--

I think for about two years--

I did a new palindrome contest
every single night,

and so I stopped
for a little while.

I think I stopped
for a few months

and people kept asking me
about it.

I thought, "You know what,

I bet I could do it
once a week."

Do it once a week and I'’ve been
doing it ever since.

Every Thursday
on my Twitter account,

I put out a challenge, a clue

and the answer
is always a palindrome.

-Oh!
-Yeah, so I have--

-do you wanna play?
-I would like to try.

-I would like to try to do it.
-So, in 2014,

I was on Dancing With the Stars
at the time,

and The Tonight Show
had me on as a guest

to talk about
Dancing With the Stars,

to talk about my math books,

and also palindromes.

I was delighted to hear
that they were interested

in me talking about that
on the show, and they said,

"We want you to give
Jimmy Fallon a challenge,

like give him
one of your clues."

If martians landed
and we found their used--

If they landed?

Duh, they already have, um...

If we found their
used tissues on board

and we discover lots of, quote,
lots of "alien boogers."

But I had a feeling he wasn'’t
gonna get the palindrome,

I mean, it didn'’t seem
very realistic

because you don'’t have a lot
of time to sit there and think

when you'’re in the middle
of a show.

Lots of alien boogers,
reword that.

-Snot rockets?
-Close.

-Snot...
-Tons of UFO snot!

That'’s a palindrome.

So, it was a great moment,
I love that guy.

♪

I live in Washington D.C.

It'’s a great place
for photography.

It'’s a very interesting place.

It has its own unique character
in a lot of ways.

There was a Wolf Trap Road
in Northern Virginia

and I just happened to notice

it was Dr. Part Flow.

D, R, Part Flow backwards,

Wolf Trap Rd.

And I started researching

what people had done
with palindromes.

I subscribed
to The Palindromist newsletter.

I started trying
to put poems together

and I realized that
maybe I could do things

that hadn'’t quite been done yet.

I wrote a book where palindromes
were the heart of it.

I wanted to go for poems
that I could show to people,

but they wouldn'’t notice
that it was a palindrome

or they wouldn'’t suspect
it was some form of word play.

♪

If you wanna become
a palindromist,

just simply start
looking at words backwards.

The major difficulty
is getting started.

I think once people
get over that,

it really isn'’t that difficult.

You start in the middle
and you build out from there.

You have the word in the middle
and then you add another word,

but you have extra letters on
one side and not the other side.

So then you have to add those
letters in reverse over here

and you can make a word
from that,

but now you'’ve expanded it
this way

and you'’ve got a few more
letters on that end

that now have to go on this end.

So it'’s like an accordion.

There'’s technicalities to words

that make them good
for palindromes or not.

Any word that alternates a vowel
and a consonant

all the way through is often
easy to turn backwards.

And then sometimes you go,
"That wasn'’t a good word

to click on there but I think
there'’s an other word

that I can click on instead

and see how that one works
over there."

And then you'’re like,
"Wait, is this good though?"

Sometimes you scrap
the whole thing.

Hi, my name is Douglas Fink.

I am a palindromist.

I have been so

for quite a long time,
at least 20 years.

In fact, if I do the math,
at least 25,

at least 27 years.

Let'’s say 30 years.

Hi, my name is Douglas Fink.

I have been a palindromist
for about 30 years.

There was a TV show on
when I was a kid

called The Electric Company.

And they would have these
big fuzzy letters in the air

floating around and when
I'’m moving letters around,

I see it kind of like that.

I see those big fuzzy
white letters

and I move '’em around
in my head,

and somehow,

palindromes is kind of
related to it,

because it'’s just
a simple mirroring of it.

You'’re not mixing them up
in a complex way.

You'’re just reversing them.

So, "slip up" is "pupils,"

"drawer" is "reward."

These are things that

I guess from an early time,

I kind of knew.

"Gateman" is "nametag."

These are some of
the early longer words

that you become familiar with,
reversals of each other

that are good
in the palindrome world.

This is the letter
I got when I won

Games Magazine'’s Palindromes
With Personality contest

back in 1992.

Mine was:

I'’ve not been in contact
with Lisa Bonet,

who, by the way,
is a vegetarian.

There'’s probably
a very good chance

that she does eat basil.

The amusing ones tend to be the
ones that grab people the most,

because they make them laugh
and they'’re like,

"Wow, I just laughed
at this thing

and it'’s also this really crazy,

constrained form of writing
at the same time,

but it'’s also
hilariously funny."

Because you'’re forced to
come up with

crazy word combinations often,
that becomes comedic.

I think the funny ones are
probably the most impressive,

because it'’s hard to be funny

and it'’s really hard to write
a palindrome,

but to write a funny palindrome,
that'’s pretty amazing.

I guess my claim to fame
in the palindrome world

is the song I wrote called Bob.

It was on my Poodle Hat album
which came out in 2003.

I was hoping the album
would come out in 2002,

because 2002
was a palindrome year

and I thought
that would be kind of cool

to have it come out then.

And I was just really fascinated
with palindromes

and I thought,
wouldn'’t it be cool

to make a song comprised
entirely out of palindromes?

So it was just sort of like
a little exercise that I did

and I was very happy
with the result, and I think

a lot of people
in the palindrome community

seemed to appreciate it.

♪ God, a red nugget

♪ A fat egg under a dog

♪ Go hang a salami,
I'’m a lasagna hog ♪

Jon Agee,
more than anybody else,

was the inspiration
for my song Bob.

I think I was probably
flipping through

one of his books
in a bookstore and I thought,

"Well, this would make
a good song."

I wish I could take credit
for the palindromes in the song.

I don'’t think I wrote
a single one of those.

Those were all
very famous palindromes.

"Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo."

I thought that was a nice image
to conjure up.

"O Geronimo, no minor ego."

I mean, there are
a lot of fun ones.

Once I started coming up
with rhyme schemes

and putting it together,
it was sounding to me

sort of like a Bob Dylan song,

because the palindromes
all sort of made sense.

They seemed sort of like
they could be profound

in a certain context,
and I tried to sing them

in sort of a Bob Dylan
kind of nasal twang,

and I thought, "Yeah,
this is like a Bob Dylan song."

And then I thought, "Oh, even
the name Bob is a palindrome,

so yeah, this is meant to be."

I'’m a big fan
of Weird Al Yankovic

and I went to one of his shows
at the Oakdale Theater.

And one of the songs
that he did there was Bob.

♪ No lemons, no melon

♪ Too bad I hid a boot

♪ Lisa Bonet ate no basil

So it was really quite exciting
hearing my palindrome

and saying,
"Wait a minute, that'’s mine!"

I got to hear
my palindrome there

in this giant sea of people,

and it was kind of amazing.

Palindromists
or pa-lin-dromists,

or palindromistas.

I would say palindromist,

but I would not
look at you askance

if you said pa-lin-dromist.

Pa-lin-dromist flows,
it sounds very elegant.

Oh, it'’s definitely
palindromist.

Pa-lin-dromist doesn'’t even
sound like a real word.

All the dictionaries
says pa-lin-dromist.

I think that sounds
preposterous.

It sounds British, hoity-toity.

I prefer palindromist,
that sounds American.

Pa-lin-dromist sounds
like more snooty or something.

"I'’m a pa-lin-dromist."

No you'’re not.

You like palindromes, right?

Okay, just checking.

♪

[laughing]

♪

As I inflict on the neighbors
on regular intervals.

I'’m kind of known in
the palindroming community

for writing
very immature palindromes.

I write a lot of rude ones,
for instance.

I think comedy writers
do something similar

to what palindrome writers do.

They work on two levels
at the same time.

So when you--in a palindrome,

you'’re working on one level
which is a mechanical one.

You'’re reversing words
into other words,

but you'’re also trying to write
a meaningful sentence

and you'’ve gotta obey those
two masters at the same time.

A comedy writer
will write something

that has a certain meaning

but then there'’s
an underlying meaning as well

that people are aware of.

The very fact that
when you reverse words,

you get something
that you weren'’t intending

provides this wonderful
random element

that throws up weird phrases
and things like that.

I think absurdity
has always fascinated me

and I think palindromes

are definitely in that realm.

There'’s something nonsensical
about them,

but there'’s something beautiful
about doing a drawing

that can bring sense to them
and that'’s the best part.

♪

I have to say,
I didn'’t think I'd be doing

another palindrome book

after I finished Palindromania!
13 years ago.

I thought that was it,
and then I started concocting

some palindromes with wonton
in them.

And I suddenly had like this
conversation with this guy

who'’s made wonton soup
and nobody wants to have it,

and he realizes that
he'’s stuck in this thing

where every time he offers
wonton, it'’s, "Not now."

And I sent the idea
for the dialogue

to my editor at Penguin,

and Lori is one
of those rare people

who also loves palindromes,

and she was all for it.

♪

So this is an idea for
the beginning of the book.

It would start with him looking
at a Chinese cookbook

and he zeroes in on wonton soup
and he sees,

like the picture of the soup,
and he turns to his wife

who'’s on the computer in
the kitchen and says, "Hey, Ava.

You know, how about I make some
wonton soup," right?

And then she'’s looking at her
computer and she says,

"Wonton? Not now."

And then you turn the page
and it'’s like,

"Hey, that'’s a palindrome."

"A what?"
"A palindrome.

Forwards and backwards
it says the same thing."

"Oh."

So that'’s what I'm currently
at work on.

Struggling with,
but turned out to be more,

more of a challenge
than I originally thought.

Made mostly because I want it
to be very entertaining

for everybody, you know,

and so that'’s the challenge.

-Hello, Amanda, come on in.
-Hi, thanks.

So this is my student,
Amanda Moreton.

Amanda, so at the beginning
of Beethoven'’s 4th symphony,

the last movement,
we have a passage

in the two bassoons,
which is quite tricky.

It goes like this.

[rapid notes playing]

Um, so why don'’t you
play this backwards?

-Okay.
-Slowly, slowly.

-Okay.
-Slowly once.

Starting there.

[notes playing]

Good, how about a little faster?

[fast-paced notes playing]

And then play forwards.

-Wanna try it together?
-Sure.

One, two, one.

[rapid notes playing]

-Excellent.
-Yeah.

So even before
I was writing palindromes,

I was having my students do this

because if you'’re practicing
something that'’s very difficult,

you can'’t keep playing it
over and over exactly the same.

It'’s like beating your head
against a brick wall

is what I like to say.

You have to add variations,

and sometimes if something
is extremely difficult,

playing it backwards
is kind of the one thing

that will really get it
into your head.

I was like, "I just can'’t get
this, I practiced it so much,"

and Lori'’s like,
"Play it backwards."

And I was like, "What?"

Changed my life, just--

-Palindrome power.
-Palindrome power.

Okay, so let'’s try this
Bach crab canon.

One, two, one, two.

Sorry.

-I'’ll give two full bars.
-Okay.

One, two, one.

[classical music]

♪

This Bach'’s crab canon
from The Musical Offering,

and it'’s a musical palindrome,
the two voices together.

And he wrote it as a puzzle.

He only wrote one part of it,
and then at the end of it,

he wrote a backwards clef sign

with the indication
to the performers

that it was meant to be
a canon in two voices.

That was the clue
and then the performers

had to come up with the solution

in order to be able
to play this canon,

and just that backwards
clef sign at the very end

of the music was what pointed
the direction of the solution.

It'’s really very,
very fascinating

how this was written.

But there are lots
of musical palindromes

and this is one
of the most famous ones.

♪

The first World Palindrome
Championship,

that was a great experience.

It was actually--

meeting all of the palindromists
for the first time.

Mark, Martin, Nick from Boston,

and Doug Fink was there,

and we were all
very different people.

That was fun.

I was happy for Mark, Mark won,

because I think Mark
has been such a supporter

and a spokesperson for the art
of writing a palindrome.

I was a little sad for Martin.

Martin, all the way
from Australia.

Martin has a way of writing
a palindrome,

longish and relatively coherent.

But they went over the heads
of people because they'’re--

once they start getting
too long, you know,

and so he didn'’t win
and I felt bad for that,

'’cause he's unique, you know.

Now he'’s had one chance at this

and he kind of knows
what the audience is,

he'’s gonna get his act together
and he'’s gonna do well.

Lori has chops.

She definitely has chops.

And she also has
I think a more accessible

sense of humor maybe
than some of the others.

There'’s a little pressure

since I'’m the published
palindrome writer,

but, but I think I'’ll be okay.

It does become kind of
a sickness though, you know?

At a certain point, like,
I couldn'’t read a sign on a bus

without reading it
backwards first.

You know, you can miss your stop

if you forget
to read it forwards also.

Here'’s The Dalles
on the sign again.

How can anybody read
"The Dalles"

and not see, "Sell ad, eh?"

Uh, but I wanna introduce
a gentleman here in a moment

who'’s gonna help us celebrate
kind of the wild cousin

of tongue twisters, palindromes.

His name is Mark Saltveit,
he'’s from Portland.

[applause]

Thank you very much.

Now, Kirby, as we know,
works for a newspaper

and they'’re dependent
on selling ads.

So, this palindrome tells me,
Kirby, that you should maybe try

to sell your ads down the road
a little bit.

This is what it says:

[laughing]

[applause]

Thank you!

I think Mark, his knowledge
of palindromes is unmatched.

As far as I think of Mark,
he'’s the palindromic ambassador.

[typewriter keys clicking]

One of the reasons we even have
a palindrome scene today

is '’cause of a man
named Howards Bergerson.

After work, he would go home
and write late into the night

on a Smith Corona
Manual typewriter,

positioned in the center
of his living room

which was the only spot where

the shingle mill worker'’s
roof didn'’t leak.

Howard spent years gathering
the known palindromes

and corresponding with
the greatest palindromists

of the day,
J.A. Lindon and Leigh Mercer,

among many others,
and compiled a book

which many refer to
as the Palindrome Bible.

It was titled
Palindromes and Anagrams,

but at the time
he was finishing his book

there was a strike.

And with a family to feed,
he was in a tight spot.

So he wound up accepting
an offer to sell

all of the rights to his book
for a flat $1,000.

To this day, 45 years later,
it'’s still in print

and it still stands as the
definitive book on palindromes.

♪

Gonna visit Merla,

Howard Bergerson'’s
daughter here.

She'’s cleaning out
his old boxes of papers.

He passed on a few years ago.

I think there might be
some gold in there.

[doorbell ringing]

Hey, Merla, how ya doing?

-Good to see you!
-Good to see you, hey!

♪

This is one of
my favorite photos.

-Oh, that'’s a great photo.
-My Aunt Dottie took that.

-Here'’s an army picture of Dad.
-Oh, that'’s great.

-That'’s serious.
-He did not go into action.

He was in the typing pool.

The word play that my dad did
was pretty esoteric.

I mean, there'’s just not
a huge body of people

who are out there doing that.

This is a letter
from James A. Lindon

-from England.
-From J .A. Lindon!

You know he'’s one of
the three great palindromists

-of the 20th century.
-And he signs--he always

-signed his letters JAL.
-JAL.

So, I mean here'’s word squares.

-Right, right.
-This is interesting.

-Oven, menu.
-Yeah.

They'’re not palindromic though,

but they are word squares
that work different ways.

"I know you could go into great
detail concerning word-squares,

but so far as I could see
do not mention word-cubes."

Oh my God, a word cube
in three dimensions?

This is interesting
about palindromes.

"I agree that the ideal
is a sentence, yes,

but I feel that language,
however used,

should come alive
by referring whatever is said

to a wider context,
either to the real world

or to the world
of the imagination.

And if it doesn'’t,

then even your perfectly
constructed sentence is dead

and cold and might as well
be left in the abstract."

I agree 100%.

So here he'’s saying
that palindromes like,

"A man, a plan,
a canal--Panama!"

or, "Able was I ere I saw Elba,"

or, "Red now, Asia is a wonder,"

pass because they refer
to the real world.

"More fun are the absurd ones
that conjure up

a surrealistic world
of the imagination."

This is one of my favorites,
I know this is your dad'’s.

I love that one so much.

So this must be the list
he put together for his book.

Do you remember him
working on the book?

Oh yeah.

His book, Palindromes and
Anagrams, is still in print

but I think Edna Waterfall
was his palindromic opus.

♪

It was in the Guinness Book
of World Records

as the longest palindromic poem,

and then, you know,
other people said,

"Wait a minute,
palindromic poem?

I can write a bunch of
palindromic words in order,"

and then, you know,
it was just nonsense.

-Yeah.
-But Edna Waterfall,

it had story to it,
it had characters,

and it made sense if you were
a thoughtful reader

and a careful reader.

But in terms of like,
fame and notoriety,

I don'’t think that Dad
got a whole lot.

You know, and if you'’re looking
for fame...

palindromes is probably...

[laughing]

♪

I love Salt Lake,
I love living in Utah

and I keep discovering
the most amazing hikes

and trails and just things

that just blow my mind
constantly.

♪

Spiral Jetty is one
of my favorite places

to take people
when they come to visit Utah,

and part of that is because
it'’s constantly changing.

Every time I go,

it'’s a completely different
experience.

The first time
I went to Spiral Jetty,

the water was a turquoise color
and I'’ve always wanted

to see it when the water is red
as it was originally

when Smithson built
the Spiral Jetty.

This is the color of the waterthat attracted Robert Smithson,

so that was part of the reason
he chose that particular area

in which to build Spiral Jetty.

♪

Oh, the water is red.

Oh, that'’s so cool,
look at that!

[waves crashing]

♪

It'’s pink, it's totally pink!

It'’s amazing.

On another visit
to the Spiral Jetty,

I brought my little notebook
with me and I said,

"I'’m gonna write a palindrome
when I'’m at Spiral Jetty,"

and that'’s what I came up with.

It'’s just such a...

vast landscape.

I mean, "vast" is the only word
that kinda comes to mind for me.

And then this idea of the void,
you know, it'’s just nothingness.

It'’s, it's salt.

It'’s a good palindrome
for this place.

If you'’re not at this place,
it'’s not such a good palindrome.

♪

[traffic whirring]

This is, um--

well, it used to be a wonton,
now it'’s Otto.

I just couldn'’t have this story
about a guy

who'’s trying to sell wontons,
you know?

I mean, it became annoying.

This whole, this whole desperate
odyssey of this guy

trying to get somebody
to have his wonton soup.

Whereas Otto, it'’s cool.

I mean, he'’s this kid
who interacts with people.

This would be Otto.

He has his binoculars.

You turn the page.

His parents are sleeping
next to him,

and he looks out to the ocean
and he sees this sailboat

with an emu in it, sailing it,

and then eventually,
this is where it kind of

takes off when he sees
this rat walking by.

And the rat stops,
looks both ways,

then walks down the beach.

And Otto turns to his dad,
"Huh?"

And then one of the oldest
palindromes of all,

"Was it a rat I saw?"

And the father says, "No, son."

Kid thinks for a second, "Hm."

So he follows the rat

and that'’s really where
the journey starts.

But in that journey,
everything that'’s spoken

will be in a palindrome

'’cause I'm trying
to make it accessible.

So at the end of the book
you'’ll realize,

"Oh, that was fun,
that was a fun read.

And it was all in palindromes,
oh my God!"

Yeah, so, that'’s--yeah,
that'’s what I'm hoping.

Another thing about palindromes
that'’s funny

is that people think
that you'’re really--

they'’ll think you're a genius.

And then there are other people
who just think you'’re weird.

You know, it'’s like, "Oh, okay."

I would say it'’s probably
a fairly small community.

That'’s my sense of it.

[laughing]

I'’ve never met
any of them.

I'’ve had some online
interactions, that'’s all.

Mark'’s a good online friend,

so now it'’s like...

well over 15 years apart,

we'’ve emailed
just about palindromes,

we'’ve never met in person.

It'’s a particular
community of people

I enjoy an awful lot,

which doesn'’t mean
I'’m not gonna kick their ass

at the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship.

This is Think Out Loud
on OPB and KLCC.

I'’m Dave Miller.

We turn now to
a reigning world champion

who'’s getting ready
to defend his title.

Mark Saltveit is
a palindromist.

He writes
those symmetrical phrases

that read the same
forward as backward.

In 2012, he won the first ever
World Palindrome Championship,

which was of course organized
by the Puzzle Master himself,

Will Shortz.

This weekend, he'’s heading
back into the fray

to defend his title.

Before he does,

he joins me in the studio.

How are you feeling
right now,

going into the championship?

I mean,
is there a target on your head?

There is, of course--
I'’m the champ!

Everybody'’s gunnin' for me.

But, you know,
I'’ve done my work.

I also work out,

and that kind of freaked out

the other palindromists
last time,

so I'’m continuing that.

What is your physical regimen
to prepare for

-this mental game?
-Right now, I'’m running a lot.

I ran 10 miles yesterday,

and last time, I was doing
a lot more weights.

But you'’re trying
to just psych them out.

Yeah, of course.

I-I-I'’ve already offered
to buy alcohol for everybody,

like, "What are you drinkin'’?
Drinks on me!"

♪

I think of myself
as a pretty relaxed person,

but I guess I'’m actually
pretty competitive.

It'’s when I finally
find something

that I'’m totally
engaged with

and I lock into it,

I will dig in for years
or even decades.

You don'’t put in the work
to get to this level

without wanting
to be the best,

and that'’s great.

That'’s what makes
a good palindromist.

I think the most
memorable palindromes

are the ones, that, um, uh...
make sense, you know?

For a palindrome
to be a good palindrome,

it should reflect life,
it should make sense.

If it can have
a bit of humor,

all the better.

[dog whimpers]

I don'’t know
what you want in here.

You'’re just
dumping everything out.

But it'’s off-camera.

The most important skill
in being a palindrome person,

aside from knowing
a lot of words--

and maybe you don'’t even need
to know that many--

is patience.

Because most of what you try
isn'’t going to work.

You flip it around,
it doesn'’t work;

you flip it around,

you try to throw stuff
in the middle,

it doesn'’t work.

There'’s a lot of failure
involved in the process.

And then, you get something
that'’s decent,

if you'’re lucky,

and then you look
and you say,

"But can I make it good
instead of just decent?

Can I make it great?"

So, I do think about strategy
that I'’m going to do

for this competition,

and one of them is,

that you see a lot in sports,

is psyching people out.

Is this a strategy
that I want to use?

I'’m not nervous at all,

because I have
nothing to lose.

I'’m actually very excited
to get together

with a whole group of people

who are all into
this palindrome thing.

Because I really don'’t tend
to meet people like that.

These people are gonna be
my friends.

These are people who
I can talk about this stuff

that everybody else says,

"My God,
what are you talking about?

You'’re so boring.

Why are you into
this weird, obscure thing?"

And here are people
who just naturally

know the lifestyle,

know what it feels like,

know the drama,
the--the nervousness,

the...the boredom, the--
well, let'’s call it

the artist'’s process.

These people all get it.

I hope it'’ll be interesting.

♪

I'’ve tried to think
of everything I possibly can.

I mean,
who knows what Will Shortz

is gonna throw at us?

It'’s tricky,
because I don'’t really know

exactly how to prepare for this.

I'’ve taken so many auditions
as a musician.

I know how to prepare for those,

and this feels like
an audition, but, like,

"Ooh, what do I do,
exactly?"

I'’ve never had
to write palindromes

under pressure before, so...

I don'’t know
what'’s gonna happen

Friday night.

So I'’m excited
to meet my people,

who have a similar obsession
with writing things backwards.

[she chuckles]

This is the nerdiest thing
I'’ve ever done.

[laughing]

Yeah, I love to travel,
always have.

I like these sorts of things
where I get to meet

the other palindromists,

'’cause I'm a bit more isolated
than the rest of them.

I don'’t know anyone in Australia
who writes palindromes.

But it'’s kind of opened
a different world to me,

you know, that other people
were actually interested

in something that I was doing

and said I was good at it, too.

I'’m competing in
a world championship, you know?

How many people
get to say that?

♪

I wrote a lot of poems
over the winter

in preparation of this,

and I haven'’t shown them
to anyone.

I think my chances are
better than the average,

but, you know,
there'’s voting,

so anything can happen.

Realistically,
everyone probably thinks

their chances are better
than they actually are.

On the train,

I went through
all of my extra letters,

and I wrote out
some of my favorites

from each set
of extra letters,

like my favorite extra As,

but I'’m guessing he won't do
a specific letter again.

I brought No-End Neon,

which is a chapbook I made
on my printer,

my 12-year-old printer,

and it'’s all the poems I wrote
in preparation of this.

There are things in here
that no one'’s seen

that I really want to use.

Depending on what prompts
we'’re given,

I'’m hoping to work
some of the things

I'’ve discovered
in the last few months

into them.

This was a lot more fun to do
than, like, practicing anyway.

I'’m not very good at studying.

I'’ve got, uh, my notebook.

I'’ll buy some tape,

because my extra Js
fell out on the train today.

Tomorrow is when it all begins,
tomorrow night.

Friday night, I think
we are given one hour

to write our palindromes,

based on whatever constraint
or constraints were given,

and then I know that
at the end of Friday night,

we'’ll be given
the constraints for Saturday,

and we'’ll have a full day
to work on the palindromes

for Saturday'’s.

I mean, these are
the best of the best,

so I'’m honored
to be among them, and...

yeah, it'’s mostly
a male community,

for the most part.

I hope I won'’t be letting down
half of the world'’s population

if I lose, but, you know.

No pressure.

Oh, 1 to 10,
it'’s like 10, 11.

Turn it to 11, Spinal Tap!
I don'’t know.

I'’m havin' a great time.

Everybody else'’s style is
kinda different from mine.

Everybody--each one of us
has his own style, really.

So, hopefully,
that'’ll work out.

Ultimately,
there'’s a creative process

in palindroming,

and I'’ll be, you know,
world champion

if I'’m the best
at that creative process,

and I think whoever is
world champion, if it isn'’t me,

is going to be world champion
because they are the best

at that creative process.

I think Mark has
an excellent chance to repeat.

I think Jon Agee is good
because he writes

very simple,
direct palindromes,

which wins
these sorts of competitions.

I'’m interested in this guy
Anthony Etherin too.

His poems, I thought,
were brilliant.

If he'’s able to produce
that sort of material

in a 75-minute span,

than he could well
walk away with it.

♪

We'’ve just got in,

and we'’re going to
scale some tall buildings,

um, visit some galleries.

Probably gonna get very drunk,
at some point.

Afterwards,
we'’re going to Stamford

for the World
Palindrome Championship,

the most important event
of the year.

♪

My mind is racing, for sure.

This will be
the first time I'’ve met

any of these palindromists
in person,

so I'’m looking forward to it.

♪

-Good luck to everybody.
-Thank you.

This is gonna be interesting.

The last time,
it was just one night;

now it'’s a bigger event.

I'’m feeling pretty good,
I think!

[indistinct chatter]

♪

[laughter, chatter]

♪

Well, welcome, everybody.

[applause]

We'’ll start with the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship,

and I'’m gonna introduce
the contestants.

Then they will go

to a private room for an hour

to create original palindromes.

When the hour is up,

someone will check
to make sure

that none of the entries
appear online,

so that they are
new entries,

new palindromes,

and these results will count

toward a third
of the entire championship.

So, are you guys ready?

-Yeah!
-Here you go.

These are your
choice of constraints.

First, start or end
with a French or Spanish word.

[laughter]

Number two.

Your palindrome must contain
a Q not followed by a U.

-Phew!
-[murmuring]

Three, your palindrome
must start and end

with words that rhyme
with each other.

[indistinct chatter]

Or four,

your palindrome must contain
the names

of two or more magazines.

So there you go.

[Will chuckles]

Okay.

Good luck, you guys.

[applause]

How exciting.

This is great.

I love it!

♪

I'’m ready to go.

Okay!

♪

Then comes the writing part.

♪

Gosh, it was intense,
it just--you know,

I'’m used to sitting in my chair
and doing them,

where speed is not an issue.

♪

Will is being so tough
with the constraints

that they were
really hard to use

in that very short
amount of time.

Fourteen minutes.

I have many
fun middles to play with

that may help.

Doug Fink talks a lot out loud

and nobody else does.

He actually made some crack
about psyching me out

by sitting across from me,

so you have to suspect
it'’s gamesmanship.

♪

I'’m just glad that I,
you know, didn'’t forget

how to write palindromes!

Under pressure.

♪

-I have to bring these to you?
-If you don'’t mind.

-Nah.
-Thanks.

Okay, both of those work.

That works.

♪

-This one works.
-Okay.

I like that.

♪

They'’re about through
their hour of solitude,

so I guess it'’s the moment

either of truth
or frustration

that things are
coming together

or things are not
going to plan, but, um...

really quite nervous for them
all, to be honest.

♪

[buzzer sounds]

The situation affected me
more than I thought it would.

It was quite tense
for a while,

and there was
a sort of panic of,

"Am I working
quickly enough?"

Today'’s our wedding anniversary!

We'’ve hardly had a chance
to accept that

because there'’s been
so much going on.

[indistinct chatter]

So there have been two entries
I think so far

that are very similar to others.

Of course, they were
discovered independently.

There are two entries
that have similarity on the net

to something.

-Mm-hm.
-So, uh,

we'’ve never really had
any kind of scandal

in the palindrome world before.

This--this might be
the closest to it.

We shall see.

Well, someone here
probably knows that palindrome

really well.

That'’s Jon Agee's invention.

"Go hang a salami,
I'’m a lasagna hog."

[laughter]

I don'’t know how close they are.

It'’s not mine,
mine'’s good.

But, uh,
we'’ll see what happens.

...once did a puzzle
in which...

Okay, we'’re almost ready.

There was only one palindrome

that was thrown out
of the competition

by being too similar to one
that had been created before.

So, we are starting
with Doug Fink.

Doug?

[laughter, applause]

Uh, the television advertisement
for a late-night talk show

during the Vietnamese New Year.

[applause, bell rings]

The first is from
a James Bond film.

[applause, bell rings]

[applause, bell rings]

Using the Q constraint;
it'’s also a haiku.

[laughter]

For those who don'’t know,

an umiaq is an Inuit rowboat.

[laughter]

Okay?

[applause, bell rings]

Hello, everyone.

Um, I did it about Yoko Ono.

It is...

[applause, bell rings]

The first one I did is using
the Q-without-a-U constraint.

[laughter, applause, bell rings]

That'’s about Christmas dinner,

in case you...

So, first of all,

big hand for
our palindromists.

[applause]

That is amazing,

to do that in an hour.

[indistinct chatter]

♪

I was nervous because
of the time restraints

and so forth.

They disqualified one of his
because it had been

published before in Word Ways.

It was mine.

They found it on the internet,
it was mine.

I had no idea--
I had forgotten that I had--

I-I know now that I
published it.

Yeah, the system worked,

but I screwed it up, so...

So I'’ll have to come back
tomorrow, we'’ll see,

I don'’t know.

-That'’s why it's a contest!
-Yep.

I'’m proud of him.

And I'’m proud
of his whole body of work

that he'’s done over time.

I am!

If women could just know
what a great hobby this was,

they would talk
all their husbands

into being a palindromist,

because, first of all,

it costs absolutely no money.

You get a pen,
you get a piece of paper,

you got a hobby.

He'’s always there
when I need him to do

some, you know,
big macho thing

like open a jar
of pickles or whatever?

There he is.

I loved the 007 one.

I thought that was
a very good palindrome.

It'’s a thing
with palindromes that,

because of the nature of them,

the end is given away
by the start, so that the--

so if you can have
something clever at the end,

you know, it works, yeah.

The "Q was 700" sort of thing,

it wasn'’t immediately obvious
that that was coming,

so I thought it was
very clever.

There'’s so many good ones.

I mean, there'’s a lot
of really good work here.

There'’s a lot of really
natural language.

So, competition'’s really tough
this year.

I-I got like all "huhs."

I did not do well
on the sign votes,

so I don'’t think
I did too well tonight.

We'’ll see.

You guys finish those.

And you can do
the totaling?

-I'’ll do the numbers.
-That'’s brilliant,

that'’s brilliant.

I thought they were great,

and I thought everybody
did a great job.

-Guess what?
-What?

They'’re gettin' ready
to announce the awards.

-Are they?
-I think we gotta go.

We'’re gonna find out
what the crowd likes

and doesn'’t like.
That'’s almost more important.

It'’s the same people who are
gonna be here tomorrow, so...

it'’d be important
to take notes

on what worked
and what didn'’t.

Okay, Olga is going
to announce the results.

Okay. Hi, everybody.

Martin Clear
came in number three, with:

[applause]

[bell rings]

Position number two
was Jon Agee, for:

[applause, bell rings]

And in first place
was Martin Clear, with:

First place.

[applause, bell rings]

♪

Okay, before you go,

there are five constraints

that the palindromists
can choose for tomorrow,

and they have until
8:00 tomorrow night.

Number one.

[animated chatter]

And for the person
who wrote a haiku tonight,

it has to be a new one.

[laughter]

Number two.

[collective "Ooh!"]

[laughter, chatter]

[laughter]

Or five:

[laughter, chatter]

So, good luck,
it'’s been a great night,

and we'’ll see you all
tomorrow morning.

♪

The palindromists
are like entertainment.

And these are
hardcore word people here,

and I think people enjoy it.

Probably gonna write
a little tonight

and see if I can sleep,
and if not,

I'’ll keep writing!

Or if I can sleep,
I'’ll get some sleep

and keep working on them
tomorrow.

Interesting constraints
for the new five.

It was interesting
that we anticipated

several of them.

I'’ve never written
a movie-plot palindrome.

I'’ll--maybe I'll look
through some movies,

movie titles,
and try to work on in.

Tomorrow is the big day,
as far as points.

That'’s two thirds of it,
they say, so...

We'’ll see what happens, yeah.

It'’s good to be
clubhouse leader

after round one,

but that doesn'’t mean
you'’re the champion.

♪

♪

I stayed up till about 1:00
last night

and I think
I made some progress.

Spend the rest
of the afternoon

just trying to refine
what I'’ve got

and see if I can improve
on them, and make some--

maybe find a new one,
but, uh,

they'’re pretty challenging--

pretty challenging prompts!

I think I had
the fewest points

of all the competitors
last night, yeah.

Now I'’m just trying
to do the best I can

and have fun.

I hope people like
the ones I do tonight,

and I'’ll be able to--
I'’ll be listening.

[chuckles]

Looking for the signs!

♪

I came back to my room
and just started working,

because I knew
I couldn'’t sleep

unless I had written
at least, you know,

a few semi-decent palindromes.

I'’m so exhausted!
I just wanna sleep.

I mean, it'’s exciting,
you know.

It does push you,

but it'’s a very strange
experience,

because I'’m just used
to writing palindromes

in a very relaxed
kind of fashion,

and I don'’t know that
I'’m super-pleased yet with...

you know, I mean,
I'’m still writing.

We'’ll see what I come up with
and actually submit tonight.

♪

I think I'’m in
fairly good standing

as of the first round
in terms of points,

but, I mean, you know,
who knows?

It'’s so hard to--to know
what other people

are going to like
in a palindrome.

I felt--I felt pretty good
about the three palindromes

I wrote last night.

I mean, I felt, okay,
that'’s a respectable--

respectable showing.

I-I didn'’t forget how to write
palindromes on the spot,

so, yay!

So, uh, I think
my strongest one so far,

and I think it'’s probably
the easiest prompt,

is simply to write a palindrome
that deals with Trump

or the Trump administration
in some fashion.

The word "Trump"
is nearly impossible

to use in a palindrome
without abbreviations.

But "Don," of course,
is extremely easy.

♪

Woke up and I thought,
"I'’d better get to this soon,"

'’cause, I don't know,
it'’s not gonna be easy.

Creating palindrome
is such a random thing.

Sometimes, it just
sort of picks up

and you find something,

"oh, let me twist it around
here."

But very rarely do you get
anything that'’s great,

you know?

It'’s like every, you know,
year it'’s like,

maybe four or five really good--

really good ones
that I remember.

It'’s not the perfect way
for me to come up with

my palindromes,

but I think that'’s true
for probably everybody here.

Except for maybe Martin,
who just is a natural.

And maybe Anthony, too.

And Mike.
And Lori.

And Win.

[laughing]

And Doug, yeah!

I think, yeah, I think
this is where the outlier,

I'’m really out.

The oddest thing is
that I do feel

somewhat intimidated, yeah.

I can'’t wait for this
to be over.

I mean, it'’s been--
last night was fun,

'’cause it was short,
you know, it was finite.

I thought today would be
a little easier, but...

it'’s like just so many things
you could do,

and then there'’s this pressure
of coming up with something.

But we have...

What time we have
to turn these in?

Oh, I have
five and a half hours.

Maybe I'’ll get one good one.

That'’s all I'm hoping for.

♪

I didn'’t do too well last night,

I'’m pretty low
in the standings.

So...I'’m gonna throw
some Hail Marys

and hope for
a miraculous comeback.

I think I got the most
"huhs,"

so I didn'’t get
the least points,

but I got the most
people saying, "Huh?"

And I'’m adapting
towards the audience more.

I'’m trying to be funny,
I'’m trying to be shorter,

uh, and I'’m trying
to surprise them.

I think everyone will do
at least

one or two Trump palindromes,

and probably some people
will do all three,

because those will be
really popular.

And I'’m no different,
I'’m going for that,

and we'’ll see, you know,
who comes out on top with those.

And who knows?

I still have a shot, I think.

♪

I have a very promising center.

"Stacy'’s saga: gassy cats."

Which is already funny,
I think.

But you wanna finish it off.

I feel good about it
because Google didn'’t have

any palindromic hits,

but it immediately came up
with "cat farts"

and "cat flatulence,"
a whole bunch of websites!

Got my haiku right here.

It'’s kinda cute,

and it makes sense, I think,

people will understand
what it'’s about.

It'’s about olives.

[chuckling]

Well, I tried something
with the movies,

Rosemary'’s Baby.

Devil and, you know,
a devil tot.

Possibly "tot" in the middle.

A devil! A tot!

Alive!

We'’ll work on that one.
We'’ll see.

I looked at Top Gun,
which you can, you know--

"snug," "pot,"
you can somehow fit that in.

But, you know "snug pot,"
that didn'’t mean anything to me

so I abandoned that.

But, uh, I ended up going
with a different movie.

With palindromes,

there'’s two conflicting factors
that come into play.

One, you want to include
everything that you can

that matches the theme,
but, two,

you want to remove
everything that doesn'’t.

And sometimes, people get
so obsessed with that first one,

putting everything in,

that there'’s
a whole bunch of words

that don'’t relate to it,

and it'’s messy.

You know, you sort of think,
"Yeah, okay, I can see

you put that in in order
to make that reverse to that,"

and that'’s what
you want to avoid.

But if you can do it
really well,

if you can get a movie,
cover a plot,

and get sort of like
a punchline at the end,

that might win.

♪

It'’ll be interesting tonight,

because Will is gonna read
the palindromes with, you know,

and so, you won'’t see
anybody'’s names.

So it'’ll be interesting
to see if you can--

it people can
identify palindromes

based on the different people
in the room,

you know, who are there.

I think I'’ll be
trying to guess

who writes which ones,

and probably I'’ll be
successful in some

but probably not all.

This is when you realize
that people do this stuff

and know this stuff inside-out
and are experts,

and you can'’t
accidentally fall into,

"Well, maybe I'’ll win
this year."

Ah! Here it is.

"Putin rubles made.

Tarts rife rule rare lure.

First-rate damsel,
burn it up."

That is Trump,
that is a haiku.

♪

Anthony is really passionate
and really talented.

He does constraints
that no one else does.

He'’s written some palindromes
that follow

the numerical digits of pi

in a different way
that how I'’ve written them,

so it'’s a different
kind of style

of writing pi palindromes,

and so, that was
really interesting to me.

And just talking to someone
who gets super excited

about adding on crazy, crazy
constraints to palindromes,

that was really fun to--
to talk with him.

The last championship,

Mark won with
an amusing short one.

And that'’s not
the kind of thing I write.

Today, I thought
I'’d write a longer one,

since we have this extra time.

So I wrote a short poem,

it'’s an eight-line
rhyming palindrome.

And then, after that,
I just wrote a shorter one,

a haiku.

I'’ve probably written
about 200 palindromic haiku,

most of them
in the last year.

I feel a kinship with him
'’cause he's so poetry-oriented.

He and Clara do really nice work
as publishers.

I love his stuff.

I'’m having fun,
I'’m meeting interesting people.

I'’ve submitted
these palindromes now, so...

the work is over.

And, yeah,
looking forward to tonight.

Today counts a lot,
so I still have a shot.

Everyone'’s gonna have
a surprise, I think.

And that'’s the benefit
of having time.

And we'’ve never seen
how this plays out before.

We'’re gonna find out tonight.

-I'’ll take one.
-Okay.

Is this for
the palindrome thing?

Yes, it is,
you get to vote.

They'’re all too good.

Can'’t wait to see
what they come up with.

[indistinct chatter]

Okay. After we hear
all the palindromes,

we would like you to write
1, 2, and 3

next to your three favorites,

number 1 being
your very favorite,

2, your second favorite,

and 3, your third favorite.

At the end of the evening,

we will announce a new
World Palindrome Champion.

Okay. And here are the entries.

That was the movie of Jaws,
okay.

[chatter, bell rings]

A sea of blue.

[laughter]

There was more blue
than I expected.

I don'’t know how they
even interpreted "Huh?"

because I always think of "Huh?"
as meaning,

"I don'’t understand
your palindrome."

So to see "Huh?", I'’m like,
"You didn'’t understand that?

I mean,
it was pretty straightforward."

Star Wars.

-What'’s that?
-Isn'’t "Annikin" misspelled?

-I don'’t know.
-It is.

Okay.

I misspelled "Annikin."

I looked at it and I said...

You throw a K-I-N
and you get "Anikin."

Well, you don'’t throw that.

It'’s really...

Next is one on the Titanic,

and it actually includes it
in the start.

"Rose lures Leo: '’Draw me.'"

It got, like, an "ooh"and an "ahh" from the audience,

so that was a nice moment,

that made it all worthwhile.

[laughter, applause]

Is that 140 characters?

[laughter]

It'’s interesting to judge,

'’cause a lot of the ones
that scored highly

were all the Trump ones,

and I suspect people are
displaying their politics

rather than their analysis
of palindromy.

We may see
that they won'’t figure

when people come to write down
their best three.

That'’s one long palindrome.

[indistinct chatter]

Note that it is"constrain" rhymes with "plane,"

"trap with lap,"

"renown" and "drown,"

and "saw" and "draw."

[Will and audience laugh]

This is about Trump,
and, it'’s--and, uh...

[laughter]

Don'’t even have to look
for the name.

[laughter]

[laughter]

You got to hear Will Shortz
both say "pussy-grab"

and say, "'’S up?"

And I think that'’s something

that I at least
wanted to see.

Bear in mind
that the winner might appear

in other publications.

[laughter, cheers]

Shawshank Redemption.

[whooshing, bell rings]

Movie.

Rosemary'’s Baby.

Oh, Rosemary'’s Baby.

It was short and sharp
and people understood it,

just got a straight sea
of "wows."

This is the last one.

It'’s about the championship.

Whew!

Okay! Let'’s have a big hand
for our eight contestants.

[applause]

Now, we'’ll have the results
at the end of the evening.

♪

Now we just do the waiting!

[chuckles]

Mood reviled.

Three numbers 1s.

Uh...okay.

Three number 2s.

Okie-dokie.

-One number 3.
-Okay.

Based on what we'’ve seen,

it'’s a crapshoot.

I mean, I personally think
Martin--

what I think is Martin'’s--

is like Babe Ruth,

it'’s like a--
it'’s a grand slam.

-But...you know.
-We could be wrong.

-Maybe he'’s not the author.
-Yeah.

That'’s true! I don't know.

Might not be Martin,
but I think it is.

It went great.

It was fun,

I'’m very happy
with the reactions

I got from the crowd.

They really liked
the Titanic one,

so I'’m super happy
about that.

I think with the sign voting,

there was another Trump one

that almost got
unanimous "wows,"

so that might be in the lead.

But it will also be interesting,

there were so many Trump ones,

to see if they cancel out.

-Wary abyss.
-So, wary abyss.

-Three number 1s.
-Five.

-One number 2.
-Seven.

One number 3.

There was one that was
really expressive about Trump,

which I thought was good,
you know.

I think--
I think he wrote it.

Mark, did you write the one
about Trump and the ass and...

I did no Trump.

I can'’t believe--

I can'’t believe
he didn'’t do any Trump!

Did you have a good time
doing this?

Yeah, yeah!

-Oh.
-The competition was so tough.

-Oh my God.
-But this is what you want,

right?

I was miserable all day.

Miserable.

I don'’t know.

I was saying to Audrey,
"I'’ll never do this again."

-Mark...
-No, don'’t say that!

I was hor--
I had no fun.

I think you'’re right in it.

I think you could
pull this off.

Then you'’re gonna retire like,
"I'’m done! I'm out!"

No, never, never, never.

You'’ll be like Apollo Creed
in the first Rocky.

"No! No rematch, no rematch!"

[laughing]

Well, this was a great night.

I'’m so thankful
for these judges.

There were a few that were
the sea of red,

which was good,

and a few that were
a sea of blue

that was bad.

My ask.com one
got a sea of blue.

Oh you did--I liked that,

-that was really cute.
-I thought so too!

I thought it would be catchy,
but, you know,

-I can'’t figure this crow out.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Clearly.

It was just fun
trying to think of them.

It was much harder, I think,
than I had anticipated

it was gonna be.

When you put a severe restraint
on what you have to write about,

it makes it harder, so,

and that'’s where
the challenge it.

That'’s why it's a contest.

Otherwise,
it'’s not a contest, it's just--

it'’s something else.

It'’s something else fun,
but it'’s not a contest.

We'’ll see what happens.

I think I got a fair chance
of winning this thing

and walking out of here
with $1,001 dollars,

for the palindrome.

It'’s very close,
it'’s very exciting.

We'’re gonna find out
in a few minutes.

They'’re tabulating now,

and as soon as they have
the votes,

we'’re gonna go in
and present the results.

-What?
-You can'’t get any closer.

You can'’t get much closer.

You'’re gonna have
to proof his math later.

So I'’d better get it right.

How is this happening?

Amazing!

-Thank you so much.
-Amazing!

This is the grand totals
of the last two nights,

and it was
very, very, very close.

-Real close.
-It'’ll be exciting.

Crazy close.

♪

So here we go for tonight.

By your vote,

the third most popular
palindrome tonight was...

all right, I'’m not gonna read
the whole thing.

[laughter]

It was "Rail at Obama"
from Martin Clear.

[applause, cheers]

♪

By your vote,

the second most popular
palindrome tonight

was "Tides reverse."

[applause]

And the number one palindrome
by your vote tonight

is from Lori Wike.

[cheers, applause]

Lori, come up and take a bow.

♪

♪

Okay, now the points have been
totaled for last night,

which counted
one third of the score,

and tonight, which was
two thirds of the score.

It was extremely close
between 1 and 2.

Second place was .3 points
behind the winner.

-Wow!
-That'’s how close it was.

In fifth place

was Jon Agee,
with 113.3. points.

[applause]

Fourth place,

with 136.3 points,

is Mike Maguire.

Yeah! Come up, come up!

Thank you. Thanks.

In third place
with 138 points

is Doug Fink.

[applause]

Okay, there was only .3 points

separating first
and second place.

In second place
is Lori Wike

with 193.7.

-Wow!
-Wow!

[applause]

And our champion palindromist,

with 194 points,

winner of the 2nd
World Palindrome Championship,

from Australia,
Martin Clear.

[cheers, applause]

♪

Martin wins a check
for $1,001.

[cheers, applause]

Thank you!

Here is a trophy

that will not be easy
to take in his luggage

back home.

[audience gasps, applauds]

I can'’t believe
the palindromes that you created

under pressure like that.

It was great fun.

[applause]

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Ta-da!

It'’s a pretty piece of work,

considering it'’s only
made of cardboard, isn'’t it?

It'’s just a buzz,

it sort of just feels like
I'’m waiting for someone

to come and tap me
on the shoulder and say,

"Oh, we calculated it wrong;
you didn'’t get it."

You know,
something like that.

He was deserving.

-He was deserving.
-He'’s terrific.

He'’s good.

Wow. .3 points.

-[Martin laughs]
-That'’s crazy.

I was shocked
at how close it was.

And my palindrome won
the final round

and I came in second by...

.3 tenths of a point

to the amazing Martin Clear,

which I could not
be happier about.

He did amazing
in this whole competition.

I told my friends,
my family.

I'’ve already been
texting away.

Kind of amazing,
it'’s a little surreal.

I jumped to fourth place.

It was almost third place.

So I had a good night,
I can'’t complain.

I am happy,

but I'’m ready
to compete again

for the next one.

So you guys are all
coming to Sydney

in five years'’ time, yeah?

Yeah, that'’s right.

That'’s the plan.

I'’ll probably try again.

I got five years
to get better, maybe.

I have to practice more.

I would like to see someday

the crossword puzzle
be the side event

to the palindrome tournament.

I wanna see, like,
hundreds of people show up

for the palindrome tournament.

As much as it was
a struggle today for me,

and as much as I really
didn'’t enjoy it...

It was--it was good.

I mean, as it all turned out,
it was great.

In fact, I'’m...

second thoughts about...

I could--I could imagine
coming back

and doing this again.

I could see that happening.

There'’s a real validation
in being the world champion

of absolutely anything,

that sort of thing.

If you get to be world champion
of something that there are

only three people doing,

there'’s a sense of fun in that.

My favorite part was definitely
meeting the other palindromists,

for sure--
and meeting Will Shortz,

because I kinda went
a little bit fangirl

when I met him.

We'’re this really small
community.

But I think
what'’s wonderful about it

is that even though
we don'’t have a lot in common,

we connect, in a way.

It'’s that camaraderie, I guess,

being with a bunch of people
who share that same interest.

Just things like when we were
sitting in the bar there before,

just bouncing ideas
off of each other, you know?

Looking at Jon'’s new book,

he'’s got a new palindrome book
coming out.

Just talking about the ideas
that people have

and stuff like that.

So it'’s great to come here.

Cheers!

[glasses clinking]

It'’s been good.

[chuckling]

Good writing should be
something you play with,

and it should be fun to read

because there'’s a sense of joy
in the writing.

And I think palindromes are
a way to remind people of that.

I love writing palindromes,
it'’s awesome.

We'’re really living in
the golden age of palindromes.

-Here'’s to the palindrome.
-Yeah!

Anyone can sit down,

look at a few words,

reverse '’em,
and see what happens.

And, you know, you may come up
with something brilliant,

you know?

Keeping an open mind,

seeing things in a new way.

Palindromes are good
for your soul.

I think if anything
can save our civilization,

palindromes can.

♪

♪