All in good pun at O. Henry's 32nd annual Pun-Off
Gary Hallock has a reputation as a punster.
"What is a pun if not something that tricks you into thinking it's
one thing and then it turns out to be another thing," he said.
A former winner of the O. Henry Pun-Off, Hallock now oversees the event that Austin Parks and Recreation Department representative Laura Esparza said could only happen in the Capitol City.
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"This is such a unique event that really could only happen in Austin. It's a combination of word and wit and wisdom," she said.
Participant Eirik Ott agreed.
"It champions a certain kind of dorky, nerdiness and elevates it to a level where you get awards for it," Ott said. "No where in the whole country can punning even be stomached, but here it's championed."
In the end, the competitor with the most twists was Kirk Miller, an IT guy that moonlights as a carpenter.
"My dad's proud of me. He said, 'When I die son, this ‘awl’ will be yours'," he said on stage, holding up the small tool.
The Pun-Off benefits the O. Henry Museum, an Austin landmark to a literary punster.
"O. Henry is famous for the short story with the twisted ending," Hallock said.
William Sydney Porter, best know by his pen name, O. Henry lived in Austin in the late 1800s. He's known as the master of the short story.