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A fact from Howard W. Bergerson appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 18 October 2014 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that at 1034 letters, Howard Bergerson's poem "Edna Waterfall" was once recognized as the world's longest English palindrome?
The Palindromist № 8 apparently contains an extensive biography of Bergerson; it should be consulted to expand this article. —Psychonaut (talk) 09:04, 4 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Can we quote examples? Is it possible to make part of the DYK palindromic? Victuallers (talk) 10:01, 6 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure what DYK stands for, but one of Howard Bergerson's best short palindromes is:
"Ah, Satan - no smug smirk rims guns on Natasha."
He is best known as the person who brought poetic attributes to palindromy. He was an unabashed fan of old-school romantic poetry, which he mixed with sly humor and a risque sexuality that was startling in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, issue #4 of The Palindromist had 5 examples of what Bergerson called "Sotadic Sapphics" after Swinburne and of course Sappho. (Sotadic is an obscure synonym for palindromic). Here's #4:'
Do not revile distaff ;
O revere it, satyr.
Otis oped a door by an islet:
"O my citadel!
Oh stars!-- an oil-lit cosmos!--Sol !
By my bed, unadorned logs a fire wolfed!
A glow as raw, now red—now dim!
I timid wonder-won Warsaw Olga deflower—if.
As goldenrod, a-nude by my blossoms octillion,
As rats holed at icy motels, I nay brood!
(A depository—tastier ever!-- of fats, I deliver to Nod) ." Msalt (talk) 06:12, 4 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]
New documentary film to feature Howard Bergerson[edit]
There isn't anything solid enough to cite in the article yet, but two documentary filmmakers are working on a palindrome documentary that will discuss Bergerson and his legacy among other subject. (He was the mentor of the current World Palindrome Champion, who is featured in the film.) They just released a short titled "A Man, A Plan, A Palindrome" as a teaser for the feature, which will culminate in the second World Palindrome Championship, which Will Shortz has just announced will take place in 2017. I'm putting this note here for future readers to add it in. Here's an article about (and link to) the short film. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Msalt (talk • contribs) 06:22, 4 April 2015
