This virtual event is available to anyone, anywhere and is available for ticket holders to replay for one week
SUMMARY
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- UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Puzzles & Ping-Pong with Will Shortz
- Shortz is the author/editor of more than 500 puzzle books. He has been the puzzle master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday since the program’s start in 1987, crossword editor of The New York Times since 1993, editor of Games magazine for 15 years and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
- Also an avid table tennis player, Shortz is the owner and director of the largest table tennis facility in the U.S.
- For puzzle hounds and table tennis aficionados, he’ll talk about the relationship between the two pursuits and answer your puzzle-related puzzlements, and he’ll do it all from the tables of his famed Westchester Table Tennis Center
- Followed by an audience Q&A.
- Thursday, Jan. 28 / 5 p.m. Pacific / Virtual
- $10 General Public and FREE for UCSB Students (registration required). Ticket holders will be able to replay this event for one week.
- Tickets/Info: (805) 893-3535, www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
“A philosopher of puzzles.”
The New York Magazine
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Puzzles & Ping-Pong with Will Shortz on Thursday, Jan. 28 and 5 p.m. Pacific. The world’s only academically accredited puzzle master, Shortz has been crossword editor of The New York Times since 1993, where he’s built a level of culture and solving skill unrivaled in the nation. Also an avid table tennis player, Shortz is the owner and director of the largest table tennis facility in the U.S. For A&L puzzle hounds and table tennis aficionados, he’ll talk about the relationship between the two pursuits and answer your puzzle-related puzzlements, and he’ll do it all from the tables of his famed Westchester Table Tennis Center. This presentation will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Acme Hospitality brings custom-crafted meals to your House Calls experience! Order a specially-curated meal from Lucky Penny to accompany this event. Order via the event web page. Dinner option available while supplies last.
ABOUT
WILL SHORTZ
What’s an enigmatologist? It’s Will Shortz, the world’s only academically accredited puzzle master. He designed his own major program at Indiana University, which in 1974 led to his one-of-a-kind degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles.
Shortz sold his first puzzle professionally when he was just 14 years old. At age 16, he became a regular contributor to Dell puzzle publications. To date, Shortz is the author/editor of more than 500 puzzle books. He has been the puzzle master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday since the program’s start in 1987, crossword editor of The New York Times since 1993, editor of Games magazine for 15 years and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which has been held annually since 1978. He also founded the World Puzzle Championship in 1992, and he co-founded the World Puzzle Federation in 1999.
Shortz hosts the puzzle segment every Sunday on NPR and serves as program director the National Puzzlers’ League convention. Through his championing of puzzles – and with public appearances on programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, How I Met Your Mother and The Simpsons – Shortz has earned admiring fans from all over the world. He was also the subject of the award-winning documentary film, Wordplay.
An avid table tennis player, Shortz is the owner and director of the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, N.Y., the largest table tennis facility in the United States. He also happens to own the world’s largest collection of puzzle paraphernalia, numbering more than 25,000 pieces dating back to 1533.
UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Arts & Lectures annually presents more than a hundred events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
Puzzles & Ping-Pong with Will Shortz is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures. Part of the House Calls series.
Event Sponsors: Siri & Bob Marshall.
Special thanks: Acme Hospitality and Lucky Penny.
House Calls Media Sponsors: Santa Barbara Independent, KCRW, Voice Magazine, Noozhawk.
Most House Calls events are hour-long programs and include an audience Q&A.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and FREE for UCSB students (registration required).
For tickets and more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2020-2021 season.