Jill Sobule: Singer, Actress, Crossword Addict

By Liane Hansen,

Published January 8, 2005 at 11:00 PM CST

Since her 1995 breakthrough hit "I Kissed a Girl," singer-songwriter Jill Sobule has been charming fans with her smart and witty pop music. She donned acting shoes to play a street musician in Eric Schaffer's film Mind the Gap. And with the release of her latest CD, the critically acclaimed Underdog Victorious, Sobule fulfilled yet another desire: she became a clue in a crossword puzzle.

A self-proclaimed crossword addict, Sobule enlisted the help of Weekend Edition puzzle master Will Shortz to create a full-fledged puzzle on the inside cover of her CD.

The singer talks with Shortz and NPR's Liane Hansen about her puzzle habit and her career.

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Liane Hansen

Liane Hansen has been the host of NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday for 20 years. She brings to her position an extensive background in broadcast journalism, including work as a radio producer, reporter, and on-air host at both the local and national level. The program has covered such breaking news stories as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Columbia shuttle tragedy. In 2004, Liane was granted an exclusive interview with former weapons inspector David Kay prior to his report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The show also won the James Beard award for best radio program on food for a report on SPAM.

Will Shortz

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).

See stories by Will Shortz