Winner of the June Palindrome contest: Lori Wike

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Winner of June 2015 Palindrome Contest: (a dozen book choices)

Lori Wike: Principal bassoonist of the Utah Symphony; Faculty member at University of Utah and Westminster College

Palindrome: Sir, a pain, a madness! Elba gin in a pro’s tipsy end? I know angst, sir! I taste, I demonstrate lemon omelet arts. Nome diet satirists gnaw on kidneys, pits or panini. Gab less: end a mania, Paris!

Book choice:  Conjectures and Refutations (K. Popper 1962, New York: Basic Books)

The requirement: A palindrome using “demonstrate” (and Elba, of course).

Bio: Lori Wike is principal bassoonist of the Utah Symphony and is on the faculty of the University of Utah and Westminster College. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Arts degree in Comparative Literature from UC-Irvine.

Statement: “I’m very happy to be a fourth-time winner in this palindrome contest. This palindrome ended up being a particularly fun one to write. Here is a picture of me visiting Akaka Falls, a necessary stop on any palindromist tour itinerary! I’ve been fascinated by palindromes ever since first learning about them as a child in a Martin Gardner book. I started writing palindromes several years ago when my interest in the form was rekindled by reading about the constraint-based techniques of several Oulipo writers. While I love all sorts of wordplay and puzzles, and I occasionally write some word-unit palindromes as well, I find writing the traditional letter-unit palindromes to be the most satisfying challenge. My latest palindrome goal is to attempt to write a palindromic mystery story.”

Runner-up: John Falcone (Asturias, Spain)

Die tarts! No medics. I’d abandon Elba. Nut unable? Nod. Nab a disc. I demonstrate id.

Mayo’s June attempts (selected):

• Able Noah, Plato or God. Deified lo-diet arts, no media. I demonstrate idol: deified dogroot! Alpha on Elba.
• Disable code, but use tarts. No Medco data doc demonstrates U-tube doc. Elba’s id.
• Elba fat, a diet? Arts, no media. I demonstrate i-data fable
• Lo! Disable now Sam. God’s assay: “Monet arts, no med deified!” Demonstrate, no? My ass! As dogma’s won Elba’s idol.

Lori is amazing, but you can win with very simple palindromes. (I call on Lori only if no one has won for months on end.) I’ll be adding more book selections for July and August.