Mark Saltveit | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) |
| Occupation | Stand-up comedian, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | The Palindromist |
Mark Saltveit (born 1961) is a Vermont-based stand-up comedian, palindromist and writer, known for being the first World Palindrome Champion. [1] [2]
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Saltveit's interest in wordplay goes back to his childhood, when he and his young brothers would discuss palindromes to stave off boredom during long family road trips. [3] In his 20s, he began composing lengthy palindromes of his own. His first ("Resoled in Saratoga, riveting in a wide wale suit, I use law, Ed. I, wan, ignite virago, tar a snide loser.") is remarkable for its length, but took only a matter of hours to compose. [4]
In 1996, Saltveit founded The Palindromist , a magazine devoted to palindromes and closely related forms of wordplay. [5] He is currently a researcher and lecturer on various forms of wordplay including the tradition of palindromes in Latin and other ancient languages. [6]
On March 16, 2012, Saltveit won the first-ever World Palindrome Championship. [7] The contest, held in Brooklyn before a live audience of 700, was organized by enigmatologist Will Shortz. Saltveit's winning entries beat out those of the six other contestants, including cartoonist Jon Agee and biostatistics professor John Connett. [4] [8] [5] Will Shortz called Saltveit the “king of palindromes.” [7]
Saltveit is the subject of a documentary short, A Man, a Plan, a Palindrome, which premiered at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 2015. [9] The filmmaker, Vince Clemente, planned to produce a feature-length version covering Saltveit's and his fellow contestants' preparations for the World Palindrome Championship in 2017. [10] [11] Saltveit lost that competition to Lori Wike. [12]