Kyle and Emily go back and forth this week with palindromist Barry Duncan, whose masterfully mirrored sentences are more than just clever tricks of language. From his early inspirations to his mega-length compositions, Barry walks us through the curious, reflective world of reversibility, and why starting in the middle is sometimes the only way forward.
Along the way, the trio explores what makes a palindrome “good,” and how constraint can actually unlock creativity. Barry shares how structure, rhythm, and the emotional weight of a topic all come into play when writing in this uniquely symmetrical form. Whether the words are light and playful or heavy and profound, the challenge of balance remains the same.
As the conversation unfolds, Barry makes a case for palindromes as more than mere wordplay. They’re a kind of poetry, a kind of puzzle, and maybe even a kind of philosophy. Poetry. Puzzles. Palindromes.
Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.
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Produced by Seth Gliksman, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers
Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore