Limerick Challenge: There once was a man from Nantucket...

A teaser word in the headline of a Wire story last week has sparked a limerick writing challenge. The word is "Sesquicentennial" and it means the 150-year anniversary, as in, the Civil War began 150 years ago. The challenger is Amy Henderson, a member of both the History & Heritage and Broadcast committees and is the historian of the National Portrait Gallery.

Her challenge limerick is:

There once was a Sesquicentennial,
That scoffed its sibling, Perennial.
"Ha, ha," it declaimed.
"How fleeting is fame!
You'll always be semi-biennial."

If you think you can do better enter the competition. Submit entries to the editor of The Wire at [email protected]. The winner will be chosen by Harold Holzer, the great Abraham Lincoln and Civil War historian who will be the speaker at a Club book and author event April 11. Holzer will be discussing his latest book on The New York Times' coverage of the Civil War. The prize to the winner of the limerick challenge is a copy of Holzer's book. The History & Heritage Committee and the Book and Author Committee are jointly sponsoring the event.

-- Bill Hickman, [email protected]