{"id":727,"date":"2013-03-10T00:06:16","date_gmt":"2013-03-10T09:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/?p=727"},"modified":"2013-03-10T10:34:13","modified_gmt":"2013-03-10T19:34:13","slug":"symmys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/symmys\/","title":{"rendered":"The SymmyS Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve written before<\/a> about how a “little dao,” some tangible skill you master, can lead to the Big Dao. It doesn’t have to be something mystical like martial arts or Japanese tea ceremonies; Chuang Tzu talks about a lowly butcher, an archer, and a wheel maker taking this path.<\/p>\n

Well, one of my little daos is the writing of palindromes, sentences that read the same backwards and forwards. This weekend, my long-running magazine The Palindromist is holding the first ever Oscars of reversible words, the fabulous SymmyS Awards for outstanding achievement in palindromy<\/a>, in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Every competitor in last year’s World Palindrome Championship<\/a> is involved, plus a handful of talented newcomers who are making very strong showings — a computer technician from Indiana, a professional bassoonist from Salt Lake City, a high school math teacher, and a tap dancing saxophonist<\/a> who will perform at the awards ceremony. The judges are basically every star we could think of with any connection to palindromes — Will Shortz, Demetri Martin, “Weird Al” Yankovic, comedian Jackie Kashian, John Flansburgh (half of the Grammy-winning band “They Might Be Giants”), journalists Jack Rosenthal and Ben Zimmer, and palidndromists Tim Van Ert (Timi Imit) and Jeff Grant (of New Zealand).<\/p>\n

So here we have the finalists, 40 brand new palindromes, all of which debuted in 2012. You won’t find my name on the list of entrants, as I run the magazine that is sponsoring all of this. Besides, I’m already the World Palindrome Champion, according to Will Shortz<\/a>, so it’s time to let someone else shine a while.<\/p>\n

2012 SymmyS Award Nominees<\/h2>\n

10 finalists in each of four categories<\/strong><\/p>\n

Category 1. Short Palindromes<\/strong><\/p>\n

A.\tUntitled, by Martin Clear<\/p>\n

To last six epochs in a den, one Danish cop exists a lot.<\/p>\n

B.\tUntitled, by Ray Stein
\nHell – it’s all an if, a final last ill, eh?<\/p>\n

C.\tA slightly violent to-do list, by Jon Agee
\nTape Roger.
\nGo “Bang!”
\nGet Cello.
\nCollect egg.
\nNab Ogre.
\nGore Pat.<\/p>\n

D.\tUntitled, by Martin Clear
\nBut as God lived to bore us silly, did a mad idyll issue robot devil-dogs a tub?<\/p>\n

E.\tMusing, by Anne Tenna
\nI tan. I mull. In a way, Obama, I am a boy \u2013 a wan Illuminati.<\/p>\n

F.\tFacebook Photo, by Lori Wike
\nHag’s mug on net: torrid, a nadir, rotten, no gums, gah!<\/p>\n

G.\tUntitled, by Martin Clear
\nI made Rihanna hirsute, familiar, frail: I’m a fetus Rihanna hired, am I? <\/p>\n

H.\tIgloo dialogue, by John Agee
\nAn igloo costs a lot, Ed!
\nAmen. One made to last! So cool, Gina!<\/p>\n

I.\tUntitled, by Anne Tenna
\n\u201cOttoman Empire: We rip men!\u201d (a motto).<\/p>\n

J.\tUntitled, by Martin Clear<\/p>\n


\nCategory 2.\tWord Unit Palindromes<\/strong><\/p>\n

A)\t By John Connett <\/p>\n

Fishing for excuses? No need. You need no excuses for fishing.<\/p>\n

B)\tBy Dave Morice (Poetry Comics, poet-activist)
\nWORLDS OF BOOKS
\nThere are treasures beyond dreams for you opening worlds of books
\nwhen you find and you lose yourself in time and space
\nwhere freedom of reading
\nis
\nreading of freedom
\nwhere space and time in yourself lose you and find you
\nwhen books of worlds opening you for dreams beyond treasures are there.
\n BOOKS OF WORLDS <\/p>\n

C)\tBy Nick Montfort
\n“Pull the trigger, studly! Be her pick up man!” “Man up!” “Pick her!” “Be studly!” “Trigger the pull!”<\/p>\n

D)\tBy Martin Clear<\/p>\n

“In men, epileptic fits show drama queens up,” charged some yet-to-confess idiots other idiots confess to, yet some charged-up queen’s drama show fits epileptic men in.<\/p>\n

E)\tBy Nick Montfort <\/p>\n

You can lampoon Harvard, can’t you, but you can’t, Harvard Lampoon, can you?<\/p>\n

F)\tBy John Connett <\/p>\n

Prick your finger? Mother your goose? No, Sir, No! Goose your mother, finger your prick!<\/p>\n

G)\tBy John Connett <\/p>\n

Grub for work? You bum – you work for grub!<\/p>\n

H)\tBy John Connett<\/p>\n

Park car (Model A) in a model car-park.<\/p>\n

I)\tBy Aric Maddux<\/p>\n

You swallow pills for anxious days and nights, and days, anxious for pills, swallow you.<\/p>\n

J)\tBy Martin Clear<\/p>\n

Wind broken clocks with those “have nots” … have those with clocks broken wind?<\/p>\n

Category 3.\t Palindromic Poetry<\/strong> (title might or might not be part of the palindrome)<\/p>\n

A)\tMoth ash, by Steven Fraser<\/p>\n

Too sere moths
\n\u2013 Ah! To meld \u2013
\nArcing in ebony.
\nA sign?
\n\u2026
\nI wish to melt
\nTill \u2013 little moths \u2013
\nI wing.
\n\u2026
\nI say \u2018No!\u2019
\nBenign, I cradle moth ash to
\nMere soot<\/p>\n

B)\tuntitled haiku, by James Adrian<\/p>\n

Enola draws dell
\nIf Reed’s pool flows, as wolf loops
\nDeer-filled sward alone<\/p>\n

C)\tA Moral Law, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Trample hate.
\nSnub no pals,
\nNor tamp March self Madness.
\nYell, \u201cavoid ardor\u201d.
\nTrack cars.
\nSoldier a Web.
\nDraw.
\nNix ale.
\nRedo considerable verse.
\nSort egos.
\nDon a retro.
\nPoses repel amateurs.
\nRef foe rift.
\nFight a matador.
\nPlod in a passion.
\nTrade revered art . . no!
\nIs sap an idol?
\nProd at a math gift.
\nFire offers.
\nRue tamale per se.
\nSo porter an od.
\nSo get roses.
\nRevel bared is no code.
\nRelax inward.
\nBeware ID loss.
\nRack car.
\nTrod radio valleys.
\nSend AM flesh cramp matron,
\nSlap on bun.
\nSet a help mart.
\nWall aroma.<\/p>\n

D)\tKayak, by Anne Tenna<\/p>\n

Oh, ocelots impugn; I tan.
\n A meek Alaska yak kayaks a lake,
\nemanating up mist, Ole. Coho!<\/p>\n

E)\tlitigation can leave wounds, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Wart I dialed is not new.
\nWall life of data due.
\nFeud a tad, foe fill law.
\nWent on side, laid it raw.<\/p>\n

F)\tDrome Poem 1, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Revel costs a passel,
\nLess atoner ever.
\nI revere no tassel,
\nLess a past so clever. <\/p>\n

\u2003
\nG)\tDrome Poem 2, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Moody memory ran
\nOn a mate-melt tomb.
\nMottle met a man,
\nO, nary Rome, my doom. <\/p>\n

H)\tInternal Terrorism, by Anne Tenna<\/p>\n

Doom? Reward?
\nA maniac ire made target.
\nAh, a mix — a mania, terror on Ohio.
\nI honor or retain a maxim:
\n“A hate grated America in a mad, rawer mood.”<\/p>\n

I)\tImages of Time, by Steven Fraser<\/p>\n

Spools emit timed loop.
\nMetaverses rev\u2212
\nA temenos
\nTill unmet system we defile:
\n\u2026
\nVaginae, coronae,
\nCode-born aminos in universes\u2019 rev\u2212
\nA tempo old.
\n\u2026
\n\u2026Lost in robe regal
\n\u2026It raced, untended
\n\u2026New as birth, gill, animal foot
\n\u2026
\n\u2026Oh photo of laminal light!\u2026
\n\u2026Ribs a wended net
\n\u2026Nude cartilage
\n\u2026Reborn, it\u2019s old.
\n\u2026
\nLoop metaverses rev in unison
\n\u2026
\n\u2026I, Man, robed ocean, or
\n\u2026Ocean, I gave life.
\n\u2026Dew-met system;
\n\u2026Null, it\u2019s one.
\n\u2026
\nMetaverses rev
\n\u2013a tempo old\u2013
\nEmit time\u2019s loops<\/p>\n

J)\tPure Veneer From An Enemy (a sonnet), by Martin Clear<\/p>\n

\u201cTen nosy men, enamor-free, never upstir
\nEven satin opuses\u201d, says some gal
\nLips parted inside dire droops: award to her
\nUSA\u2019s award: nuts, goddess, I know I shall!
\nA wisp of UFO warding is all it sees
\nZones I rate got some medic I used on mode
\nRobots sap some memos and see bees
\nDNA some memos pass to boredom node.
\nSuicide memos to get a risen Oz
\nSee, still a sign I draw of UFO psi
\nWallahs I won kissed dogs; tundra was
\nA sure hot draw as poor derided I.
\nSnide traps pillage mossy asses upon it
\nAs never its \u201cpure veneer from an enemy\u201d sonnet.
\n<\/p>\n

Category 4.\tLong Palindromes<\/strong> (title might or might not be part of the palindrome)<\/p>\n

A)\tSTAR WARS, RAW? RATS!, by Nick Montfort<\/p>\n

Wow, sagas!<\/p>\n

Solo’s deed, civic deed.<\/p>\n

Eye dewed, a doom-mood.<\/p>\n

A pop …<\/p>\n

Sis sees redder rotator.<\/p>\n

Radar eye sees racecar X.<\/p>\n

Dad did rotor gig.<\/p>\n

Level sees reviver!<\/p>\n

Solo’s deified!<\/p>\n

Solo’s reviver sees level …<\/p>\n

Gig rotor did dad!<\/p>\n

X, racecar, sees eye.<\/p>\n

Radar rotator, redder, sees sis …<\/p>\n

Pop a doom-mood!<\/p>\n

A dewed eye.<\/p>\n

Deed, civic deed.<\/p>\n

Solo’s sagas: wow.
\n\u2003
\nB)\tOn My Gym, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Tall \u201cAbes\u201d abate, spun adages.
\nSold as \u201cten animal\u2019s\u201d battle.
\nBet a passel on pals, all ace.
\nWon, deep shots all in, eras gel.
\nNote, note, no tie.
\nBlast cider.
\nPress a play.
\nOld loft, safe nab.
\nSpots one lb.
\nBird dog one man.
\nStats, put up stats.
\nName no \u201cgod dribble\u201d.
\nNo stops, bane fast fold.
\nLoyal passer predicts,
\nAlbeit one TO.
\nNet on, legs are nil, last oh speed.
\nNo, we call a slap, no less a pate belt.
\nTab slam in a net.
\nSad loss, egad an upset.
\n. . a baseball at my gym? No!<\/p>\n

C)\tSUPER BOWL XLVI, by Barry Duncan<\/p>\n

We now open: \u201cO say\u201d as is. So belt it now, hon, or if one more? Her! A rare KC. (I know.)
\nHad NE revenge, Bill, or no? W? On top? Same?
\nTo get a flag: Ellis. Tip it! Won\u2019t Osi? One to NY. (Name it now.) NE position: on one.
\nCurt et al? Aces all. It\u2019s on! Turn a FOX on.
\nWar day, eh? Din. Oh, sure. Now, as if it\u2019s a Feb. 5 SB. Tame?!
\nSet. Is opposition we felt? It\u2019s so. Two: NY v. NE.
\n(No risk, nor gain.)
\nI. Red. Now. Hut! I note: Ball up. No! Wide! Rah!
\nSeen Kraft (On), Mara (foot), ST (is a hero).
\nTom era: W, an ad. Still? Or met Eli?
\nMadonna fan? Nod. Am I!
\nLet \u2018em roll. It\u2019s Dan (a Ware). Motor, eh?
\nAs it\u2019s too far? Am not far. Knee.
\nShared? I won? Pull. A bet on it? Uh, wonderin\u2019 \u2013
\nI a Gronk, sir. On! Envy?
\nNow toss. Title? Few. No, it is opposites: EM, a TB\u2019s 5.
\nBe fast! If I saw one rush on, I\u2019d \u2013
\nHey, a draw! (No XO, fan.) Rut? No, still a sec.
\nA late truce? No, no, no! It is open. Won? Tie? Many note, no? Is OT now.
\nTip? It\u2019s illegal. (Fate got \u2018em.) A spot. Now on roll.
\n(I beg: Never end.)
\nAh! Won! Kicker a rare hero. Men of iron (oh!) won title, boss. I say: as one. Pow! One W.<\/p>\n

D)\tEric and Traci discuss the morality of watching cross-dressers, by Martin Clear<\/p>\n

“Traci, to regard nine men in drag,” Eric (in a play or an ironic art spot) warned, “I am not so bad.”
\n“I’d never even seen knees … never even did a Boston maiden raw,” tops Traci, “nor in a royal panic. I regard nine men in drag – erotic art.” <\/p>\n

E)\t(at a crossword tournament), by Barry Duncan<\/p>\n

“7, no? Do! Past I? How? Oh, now I spat! Fired, no?
\nWill: a foe? Not! Ah, then a fair event now (i.e., solid).
\nOne tilt on Sat (oh!), Sun. It is \u201c7 across: Orca.\u201d
\n7 sit in. Us. Hot as not. Lite. Nod.
\nI lose? I won’t! Never!
\nI: a fan, eh? That one, of all.*
\nI wonder if: Taps? I won? How?
\n(Oh, it’s \u201ca pod\u201d on 7.)”
\n\u2003
\nF)\tVALENDROME, by Barry Duncan<\/p>\n

Revere her, eh? Won\u2019t eye? No.
\nOn dew I sit.
\nI wonder how a rose so let a desire rule it?
\n\u2018Til lips met, solos.
\nI won kiss?
\nA plan: If a (red, no?) petal be, was sent, I was told\u2026
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nFeb. 14.
\n1 be fond? Lots.
\n(A witness. A web.)
\nLate. Ponder a final pass.
\nI know, I so lost \u2018em.
\nSpill it.
\nTie lure. Rise. Date. Lose. (So raw.)
\nOh, red? Now it is.
\nI wed no one. Yet. Now. Here. (Her.) Ever.<\/p>\n

G)\tA Fall From Grace, by Ray Stein<\/p>\n

Even on Eve …
\nSin is as a sin is.<\/p>\n

Set Adam, God, even Eve (nude man!).
\nNow lived all at serene den.
\nOne drag, an evil to note lurks (ire note).<\/p>\n

Go get Satan, Eve, to help pass a dab a red.
\nNow on, fool Adam. Sin is, do get all, a \u2018Fall\u2019 ate.
\nGod\u2019s in, is mad, aloof.
\nNo wonder, a bad ass apple hot, even a taste.<\/p>\n

Go get one risk rule: To not liven a Garden on Eden.
\nEre . . stall . . a Devil won.
\nNamed uneven, Eve dogma dates.<\/p>\n

Sin is as a sin is, even on Eve. <\/p>\n

H)\tATTA, by Martin Clear<\/p>\n

Evil \u2026 a den rubbed apart \u2026 animals!, I say,
\nArt roped in senile non-ideas I\u2019ve \u2019til eons pass to fly from.
\nSin, air a bra, be vile, rut! An edifice\u2019s animals I\u2019m raw forever of e.g. a minaret laid low, or got revenge.
\n\u2018My, a waste?\u2019 \u2013 Joy!
\n9\/11.
\nAn Arab animal sign is sideline storm, or fed ammo? Deer feed raw, an Arab not.
\nSo banish a rot. Set ice, renotify American go-crews:
\nnab, muddle, harass, worry, trammel some who say \u201cdoom to Iran\u201d in a bar!
\nUSA saw her awe\u2019s usury trample her US lair\/totem.
\nA crew snared, lock radar off. Low, eh? Time to taste gall, ire \u2013 ugh!
\nSit, urbane men in rut, as foretastes sure of aim are now on-delivered. Art, sure \u2026 Wotan art, I say. Doom.
\nLo, dissent: I witness 767s to deliver enemy doom.
\nFor I, a hero, open intense vile vastness.
\nGod for one day.
\nRansoms I get are power.
\nCan Woden, Ogre, Wotan I.D. evil, eh?
\nNet fools send a set: \u201cis not felt I\u2019m enemy\u201d \u2026 \u2019til aerodyne uneven impact!
\nAh, ten ODs! Deed deified. Erased.
\nI \u2013 a wolf at a demo, held dumb \u2013 bell a cat!
\nI \u2013 meek \u2013 over-awe!
\nCarnal.
\nPiled at a door, bodies.
\nInsular.
\nO made-sure voodoo god, I, Atta, I do good!
\nO over-used amoral US nisei:
\ndo brood at a deli,
\nplan race war,
\nevoke,
\nemit a call,
\nebb.
\nMuddle home data flow, aides.
\nAre deified deeds done that cap mine?
\nVenue: NY. Do reality men emit, left on site, sadness? Lo, often.
\nHe lived in a tower gone down.
\nA crew operate gismos: nary a den.
\nOr of dogs sent: save lives? Net nine \u2026 poor, eh?
\nAir of moody men, ere vile dots \u2013 767s sent \u2013 I witness.
\nIdol, moody as it ran a tower: US trade reviled, now one ram.
\nI, a foe; russet sater of saturnine men. A brutish guerilla gets a totem: I, the wolf.
\nFor a dark colder answer came to trial: sure, help martyr us. Use war, eh!
\nWas a sura ban in a riot? Moody as, oh, we Moslem martyr rows?
\nSara held dumb answer cognac ire may fit.
\nOne recites Torahs in a Boston bar; an awardee.
\nFreedom made from rot, senile, dissing Islam in a bar.
\nAn A1 19yo jets away \u2013 Meg \u2013 never to grow old.
\nI alter an image forever of warm Islam.
\nIn a sec, if I denature, live barbarianism or fylfots.
\nSaps, no elite, visaed in one line, snide, portray as Islam:
\nIn a trap, a deb burned alive.<\/p>\n

I)\tFour Clausal Views, by Barry Duncan
\nSanta as traveler, visitor, employer, and lover<\/p>\n

Oh. Oh. Oh, a hero (N, S, W, E) freed.
\nI wonder: It\u2019s an eve. One.
\nNod, NORAD? A radar on.
\nDone? No.
\nEven as tired now (I, deer), few snore. Ha!
\nHo ho ho!<\/p>\n

Pace room, can I?
\nSaw a T. Nast Santa.
\nWas in a C. Moore cap.<\/p>\n

Tense yet
\nSafe boss.
\nIt\u2019s a Claus,
\nUsual cast.
\nIs so, be fast:
\nEyes net.<\/p>\n

Harem? Missus.
\nI tire. Her?
\nIt is us. Simmer. Ah.<\/p>\n

J)\tPalindromic Conversation Between Annoying Little Kid and
\nDismissive Father Who Is Trying To Read A Newspaper, by Martin Clear<\/p>\n

Start now, eh?
\nNever.
\nA war of eponymy?
\nNope.
\nNever even a plus?
\nNo.
\nCan a Celt sop an anaconda, Dad?
\nNo.
\nCan an apostle can a consul, Pa?
\nNever.
\nEven eponymy?
\nNope.
\nFor a war, even?
\nHe won’t.
\nRats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve written before about how a “little dao,” some tangible skill you master, can lead<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[278,56,280,287,286,283,292,293,279,288,17,290,289,277,285,284,281,282,291],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=727"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":738,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions\/738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realchange.org\/taoish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}