[A version of this post appeared on Six Colors.]
Years ago, when I was working my first post-college job in web development and IT, I found myself totally burned out. One day, sitting at my computer, I opened up a blank Word document and just started writing down all the things I wanted to be doing instead.
I’ve been lucky enough to check a number of those items off the list, including publishing novels and writing the back page column for Macworld1 but today I get to knock off one that I was honestly never sure would happen.
This evening, Wednesday May 7th, I’ll be appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy!. I’ve been a fan of the show since I was a kid—I’m pretty sure I watched it with my grandmother at some point, though as I recall she was more of a Wheel of Fortune person—and in a family replete with librarians, the pursuit of knowledge has always been a guiding principle. Honestly, I just love trivia and quizzes; that’ll no doubt be a huge surprise to anyone who’s followed my decade of writing and hosting a quiz show podcast, the latest episode of which is also coincindentally out today.
I can’t say anything about my appearance, of course, but I can say that the experience of going out to record the show was amazing. I met a bunch of wonderful and supportive fellow Jeopardy! enthusiasts, who you’ll also see competing this week, and we’ve stayed in touch as the shows have come to air. It’s been a distinct pleasure and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Notably, this also makes Six Colors the home of no less than two contestants, as our new colleague Glenn Fleishman is himself a two-time Jeopardy! champion. I’m honored to follow in his footsteps by being on the show.2
Finally, a big thanks to everybody out there who’s supported my many and varied careers, from my colleague Jason Snell over at Six Colors, to each and every person who’s read my articles, bought my books, and listened to my podcasts. The outpouring of support for my appearance on the show has been tremendous and humbling.
I hope you’ll tune in to watch and root for me! You can find when and where it airs in your neck of the woods over at Jeopardy!’s website.
