Puzzle Wiz Scott Kim
Mr. Harold Keables, whom the Keables Chair honors, was born on January 28, 1900. Exactly 108 years later, on January 28, 2008, Dr. Scott Kim kicked off his tenure as this year's Keables Chair holder with a homily in chapel that challenged the seventh and eighth graders to find patterns in their own Alma Mater, and in the greater world around them.
He will do the same at a free public lecture and demonstration this Wednesday, January 30, at 7:00 p.m. in Seto Hall.
Entitled "Thinking Upside Down," the presentation is open to those with inquiring minds who would like to sharpen their powers of observation and creative thinking.
The Keables Chair at Iolani School is an endowed teaching position that annually brings outstanding teachers, writers and artists to Iolani School. Former Chair holders represent a wide array of expertise and include luminaries such as Lee Cataluna, Don Murray, Jane Hansen, Paul Watkins, Ruth Stotter, Li-Young Lee, Neil Campbell, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Robert O'Meally and, last year, a United States Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.
Scott Kim is a noted author, graphic artist, creator of "inversions," puzzle master, game designer, computer scientist, modern dance artist and choreographer, musician and Renaissance man.
Dr. Kim will discuss and demonstrate the intersection of the visual arts, performing arts and mathematics in "Thinking Upside Down." This entertaining and mind-provoking presentation will include an astounding demonstration of his geometric skills as professional creative artist. 
Kim made a name for himself in 1981 with the publication of his book, "Inversions," recasting words into ambigrams, graphical figures that spell out a word not only in its form as presented, but also in another direction or orientation. He will demonstrate his uncanny ability to do this process "at the drop of a hat" before a live audience.
Kim was born in 1955 in Washington D.C. and grew up in Rolling Hills Estates, California. He had an early interest in mathematics, education and art, and attended Stanford University, receiving a BA in music and a PhD in Computers and Graphic Design. His first puzzles appeared in Scientific American in Martin Gardner's "Mathematical Games" column.
Isaac Asimov called Kim, "the Escher of the alphabet."
Kim is a regularly featured speaker at such meetings as the International Game Developers Conference and Casual Games Conference.
Parking available in the Iolani School Weinberg Building on Kamoku Street.
For more information see:
http://koa.iolani.honolulu.hi.us/Keables/
