| #9060, aired 2024-03-15 | LOST WORKS $400: According to one guy who read the lost memoirs of this 19th century poet & lord, the book was "fit only for a brothel" Byron |
| #9058, aired 2024-03-13 | 17th CENTURY WRITING $800: As you see, there are geese in France but Jean La Fontain's book of fables included the hen that laid these valuables golden eggs |
| #9038, aired 2024-02-14 | SNAKES IN A BOOK $400: To tempt Eve in this 17th century epic poem, Satan takes the form of a serpent (he sneaks into its mouth as it sleeps) Paradise Lost |
| #20, aired 2023-11-15 | ADVENTUROUS WOMEN $100: One of history's first travel writers, the 4th-century pilgrim Egeria explored the Holy Land using this book as a guide the Bible |
| #8926, aired 2023-09-11 | RENAISSANCE LITERATURE $2000: Margaret of Navarre's 16th century book of stories "The Heptameron" was modeled on a longer work by this Italian Boccaccio |
| #8894, aired 2023-06-15 | 21st CENTURY HORROR NOVELS $600: The Scooby gang was often accused of being these, the title of a book by Edgar Cantero about 4 teens with a telepathic pooch meddling kids |
| #8787, aired 2023-01-17 | "I" ON ART $800: 19th century artist William West dramatized the book of Exodus in these people "Passing Through the Wilderness" the Israelites |
| #8739, aired 2022-11-10 | 21st CENTURY BESTSELLERS $800: Jon Krakauer reported "A Story of Violent Faith" in this book, detailing 1984 murders by religious extremists in Utah Under the Banner of Heaven |
| #8675, aired 2022-07-01 | 20th CENTURY NAMES $400: A Bible of sorts for members of the Red Guards, "The Little Red Book" is a collection of his quotations Mao (Tse-tung) |
| #8601, aired 2022-03-21 | PICTURE/BOOK $800: A landmark work of the 18th century The Wealth of Nations |
| #8443, aired 2021-07-14 | MUSIC, IN THE CLASSICAL SENSE $1600: The "Bride's Book of Etiquette" suggests "Canon In D" by this 17th century German as the party heads down the aisle Pachelbel |
| #8418, aired 2021-06-09 | POETIC BOOK TITLES $400: For the title of this novel about World War I, Hemingway went back to a 16th century poem by George Peele A Farewell to Arms |
| #8410, aired 2021-05-28 | THE 18th CENTURY $800: Players of this forerunner of bridge could consult a popular 1742 rule book whist |
| #8391, aired 2021-05-03 | VICE $1000: The book "Aristocratic Vice" examines the vices of the 18th century English nobility, including these "affairs of honor" a duel |
| #8361, aired 2021-03-22 | 20th CENTURY ART & ARTISTS $1600: A book called "The Magic Mirror of" this Dutch artist gives insight into how he created those optical effects M.C. Escher |
| #8320, aired 2021-01-22 | LIT-POURRI $2000: Ken Follett says his most popular book is this novel about the building of a cathedral in 12th century England The Pillars of the Earth |
| #8298, aired 2020-12-09 | KEN JENNINGS KNOWS THE G.O.A.T. (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) $600: (Ken Jennings presents the clue.) This writer once said his first book wasn’t an important novel, but it ranks among the great ones, & its line, “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me” is among the most haunting of the 20th century Ralph Ellison |
| #8295, aired 2020-12-04 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE $2000: His first book of poems, "The Black Riders" was published in 1895, the same year as his "Red Badge of Courage" (Stephen) Crane |
| #8126, aired 2019-12-30 | 17th CENTURY HISTORY $400: This 1611 book had what were known as "He" & "She" editions, after variants in the last words of Ruth 3:15 the King James Bible |
| #8110, aired 2019-12-06 | OLD BOOKS $400: The Domesday Book, a record of the value & ownership of land in 11th century England, was compiled by order of this king William the Conqueror |
| #8087, aired 2019-11-05 | THE DARK AGES $1600: This illuminated book was probably taken to County Meath in Ireland in the 9th century the Book of Kells |
| #8079, aired 2019-10-24 | 20th CENTURY NAMES $800: Reading the book "The Rocket Into Interplanetary Space" changed the life of this German who went on to be a rocket scientist (Wernher) von Braun |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY $200: "Jude the Obscure"; remember to let it into your heart the 19th century |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY $400: Saddle up for "Don Quixote" the 17th (or the 1600s) |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY $600: "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling", not a Welsh singer the 18th century (or the 1700s) |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY $800: Johannes Gutenberg didn't write it, but his Bible... huge the 15th |
| #7937, aired 2019-02-26 | THE BOOK OF THE CENTURY $1000: "The Canterbury Tales" start to get told the 14th |
| #7887, aired 2018-12-18 | 4th CENTURY BOOKSTORE $400: "Hymns on Paradise" by Ephrem the Syrian includes commentary on this book of the Bible in which paradise is lost Genesis |
| #7844, aired 2018-10-18 | A.P. BIOGRAPHY $2000: One book examines the "Literary Life" of this 18th century English poet known for his savage wit & satire Alexander Pope |
| #7766, aired 2018-05-21 | BIBLE STUDY $600: In the 15th century Bible seen here, this book opens with an image of King David, said to be its author Psalms |
| #7661, aired 2017-12-25 | ONE-WORD BOOK TITLES $800: In 18th century Scotland, David Balfour seeks the return of his stolen inheritance Kidnapped |
| #7587, aired 2017-09-12 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS $1,200 (Daily Double): A domesticated dog reverts to its wild state in "The Call of the Wild"; the opposite happens in this other book by Jack London White Fang |
| #7538, aired 2017-05-24 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS $2,000 (Daily Double): Trotter is the last name of the title boy in this book by Roald Dahl James and the Giant Peach |
| #7318, aired 2016-06-08 | THE BOOK BOOK $1600: Peter Boxall wrote "1001 Books You Must Read Before you Die" & put Rabelais' 16th century tale of these 2 giants in it Gargantua & Pantagruel |
| #7290, aired 2016-04-29 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE $200: Akela the wolf & Baloo the brown bear are 2 of the animals featured in this collection of stories The Jungle Book |
| #7249, aired 2016-03-03 | NONFICTION $1200: (Hi. I'm Al Roker.) In my book "The Storm of the Century", I tell about the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, a monstrous hurricane in 1900 that nearly wiped this Texas seaport off the map Galveston |
| #7211, aired 2016-01-11 | ART & ARTISTS $400: Franz Pforr was one of the 19th century Nazarenes, so called for their interest in the era of this book, as in Franz' work here the Bible (the New Testamanet accepted) |
| #7063, aired 2015-05-06 | UNNAMED BIBLE PEOPLE NAMED $400: The 1st century Book of Jubilees lists this man's wife as Emzara; hope she could swim! Noah |
| #7051, aired 2015-04-20 | PROLOGUES $400: A 14th century prologue opens with, "Here bygynneth the book of the tales of" this place Canterbury |
| #6911, aired 2014-10-06 | ATLAS CHAPS $3,000 (Daily Double): This 16th century cartographer wasn't projecting when he coined the term "atlas" to describe a large book of maps (Gerardus) Mercator |
| #6851, aired 2014-06-02 | HISTORIC PEOPLE IN ART $1,800 (Daily Double): A book of psalms
from the 13th century
shows the 12th-century murder of this man Becket |
| #6810, aired 2014-04-04 | 21st CENTURY BOOKS $800: The "10,000 hours rule"--10,000 hours of practice to become expert at any competition--was popularized in his book "Outliers" Malcolm Gladwell |
| #6645, aired 2013-07-05 | THE GREAT LIBRARIES OF EUROPE $1200: Among the exhibits at this Irish college's library is the book of Durrow, a gospel manuscript dating to the 7th century Trinity |
| #6603, aired 2013-05-08 | THE BOOK BOOK $1200: 5 women & 1 man form a title "Book Club" that reads the novels of this 19th century woman Jane Austen |
| #6528, aired 2013-01-23 | THE 15th CENTURY $800: This 1450s tome changed the course of culture & history the Gutenberg Bible |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | BOOK OF THE CENTURY $200: 18th:
His almanac, edited by Ben Franklin Poor Richard |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | BOOK OF THE CENTURY $400: 21st:
This Harry Potter book, fifth in "Order" Order of the Phoenix |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | BOOK OF THE CENTURY $600: 20th:
This actress' spiritual memoir "Don't Fall Off the Mountain" Shirley MacLaine |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | BOOK OF THE CENTURY $800: 17th:
"Tartuffe", by this actor & playwright Molière |
| #6475, aired 2012-11-09 | BOOK OF THE CENTURY $1000: 19th:
This novel of greed & corruption that gave its name to an American age The Gilded Age |
| #6332, aired 2012-03-13 | 18th CENTURY AMERICA $400: Every Colonial home had to have "The Compleat Housewife", an early collection of "receipts", i.e. this type of book a cookbook |
| #6146, aired 2011-05-09 | THE BOOKS OF DAVID McCULLOUGH $600: McCullough's book about this title 18th century year was released in 2005 1776 |
| #6018, aired 2010-11-10 | WORLD OF WAR FACT $1200: World Book says this 20th century so-called war that lasted decades was actually an "intense rivalry" the Cold War |
| #5857, aired 2010-02-16 | BOOK OF... $400: A 19th century Egyptologist gave the title "Book of" this to a collection of spells written to be put in tombs The Book of the Dead |
| #5421, aired 2008-03-17 | 19th CENTURY NAMES $400: "The Inquest of the Final Victim Mary Kelly" is the subtitle of a book about this late 19th century Londoner Jack the Ripper |
| #5354, aired 2007-12-13 | THE 15th CENTURY $2000: A masterpiece of illumination is the circa 1415 book "Les Très Riches Heures du" this duke the Duke of Berry |
| #5320, aired 2007-10-26 | THE GIANTS $1000: A depiction of the giant god Atlas holding up the world appeared on the front of his 16th century book of maps Mercator |
| #5083, aired 2006-10-18 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS $1,000 (Daily Double): Ancestors of this elusive modern author protested after Hawthorne used their name in "The House of the Seven Gables" Thomas Pynchon |
| #4965, aired 2006-03-24 | MEN OF THE "C" $1200: This turn-of-the-century magician's instruction manual for witches is known as "The Book of Shadows" (Aleister) Crowley |
| #4570, aired 2004-06-18 | THROW THE "BOOK" AT 'EM! $1000: William the Conqueror's census of 11th century England the Domesday Book |
| #4494, aired 2004-03-04 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE $400: His unladylike horror story "The Cask of Amontillado" was first published in Godey's Lady's Book, in 1846 (Edgar Allan) Poe |
| #4423, aired 2003-11-26 | YOU DON'T KNOW JACK $1000: He wrote that book about the phoning habits of turn-of-the-century wit Oscar Jack London |
| #4412, aired 2003-11-11 | 19th CENTURY AMERICAN AUTHORS $400: To defend the accuracy of her blockbuster book, she wrote "A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1853 Harriet Beecher Stowe |
| #4224, aired 2003-01-02 | 20th CENTURY WOMEN $1000: In 1996 this "Heidi Chronicles" playwright wrote a children's book, "Pamela's First Musical" Wendy Wasserstein |
| #4215, aired 2002-12-20 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS $800: In 1929 William Faulkner made a lot of "noise" in the literary world with this book "The Sound and the Fury" |
| #3971, aired 2001-12-03 | 20th CENTURY JOURNALISTS $1200: His journals in 1960 on "The Making of the President" were turned into a book in 1961 Theodore H. White |
| #3701, aired 2000-10-09 | 16th CENTURY SCIENCE $500: He died on May 24, 1543, just after receiving the first copy of his book "On the Revolutions of Heavenly Bodies" Nicolaus Copernicus |
| #3611, aired 2000-04-24 | THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS $300: The Library's copy of this 15th century book is one of 3 perfect editions printed on vellum Gutenberg Bible |
| #3439, aired 1999-07-15 | 19th CENTURY WOMEN $400: In 1896 she had to pay to publish the first edition of "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" Fannie Farmer |
| #3370, aired 1999-04-09 | 20th CENTURY LIT $200: The success of this book in 1978 allowed John Irving to leave the teaching world "The World According to Garp" |
| #3370, aired 1999-04-09 | 20th CENTURY LIT $600: Ian Hamilton wrote a book on having his bio of this reclusive author blocked by the court J.D. Salinger |
| #3332, aired 1999-02-16 | 20th CENTURY POETS $1,000 (Daily Double): In 1917, at age 52, this Irishman got married & published his book "The Wild Swans Of Coole" William Butler Yeats |
| #3240, aired 1998-10-09 | 17th CENTURY AMERICA $300: The first book printed in the colonies was Stephen Day's "Whole Book of" these biblical songs in 1640 Psalms |
| #2949, aired 1997-05-29 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA $1000: In 1815 Congress purchased this ex-president's 6,000-book library for the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson |
| #2918, aired 1997-04-16 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA $800: "The Education of Mr. Pipp" is a book of satirical drawings of high society by this artist known for his "girl" Charles Gibson |
| #2803, aired 1996-11-06 | 20th CENTURY LITERARY CHARACTERS $200: The central character of the first section of this Arthur C. Clarke book is moon-watcher, a man-ape 2001 |
| #2616, aired 1996-01-08 | PROVERBS $300: In his 16th century book of proverbs, John Heywood wrote, "When" this "shineth, make hay" the sun |
| #2002, aired 1993-04-27 | IRELAND $1,500 (Daily Double): The library at this college is home to many rare works, including the 8th century Book of Kells Trinity College (the University of Dublin) |
| #1917, aired 1992-12-29 | GUINNESS RECORDS 1492 $200: The most popular travel book is the account of his 13th century journeys Marco Polo |
| #1896, aired 1992-11-30 | THE 17th CENTURY $400: In a 1687 book he codified Galileo's research on falling bodies into 3 laws of motion Newton |
| #1880, aired 1992-11-06 | PULITZER PRIZES $400: "The Fate of Liberty", a book about this 19th century president & civil liberties, won the 1992 prize for History Lincoln |
| #1728, aired 1992-02-19 | THE 16th CENTURY $600: Many of his astrological predictions appeared in the 1555 book "Centuries" Nostradamus |
| #1656, aired 1991-11-11 | IRELAND $2,000 (Daily Double): This 8th century illuminated copy of the Gospels is named for a monastery in county Meath Book of Kells |
| #1612, aired 1991-09-10 | TURN OF THE CENTURY $1000: This ideal "girl" was popularized in an 1899 book of sketches called "The Education of Mr. Pipp" the Gibson Girl |
| #13, aired 1990-09-08 | 17th CENTURY SCIENCE $2000: In a 1665 book Robert Hooke described the cells of this plant he saw through his microscope cork |
| #1312, aired 1990-04-24 | NONFICTION $200: Historian Simon Schama wrote the '89 book "Citizens, A Chronicle Of" this 18th century event The French Revolution |
| #864, aired 1988-05-12 | WEAPONS $300: The oldest of all explosives, its formula appears in a 13th century book by Roger Bacon gunpowder |
| #9064, aired 2024-03-21 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: Virginia Woolf disliked this book that was "cutting out the explanations and putting in the thoughts between dashes" Ulysses |
| #14, aired 2023-05-17 | 20th CENTURY FRENCH AUTHORS: He said a famous book of his was inspired by a visit to the zoo, where he observed the gorillas' humanlike expressions Pierre Boulle (author of Planet of the Apes) |
| #8713, aired 2022-10-05 | TRAVEL: The 1948 edition of this publication said, "There will be a day... in the near future when this guide will not have to be published" the Green Book |
| #2, aired 2022-10-02 | 19th CENTURY LITERATURE: William Brodie, an upstanding Scottish tradesman by day & leader of a gang of burglars by night, helped inspire these 2 title characters Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde |
| #18, aired 2022-02-22 | THE 19th CENTURY: An 1873 book title gave us this phrase for the period in the late 1800s of growth & prosperity & also greed & corruption the Gilded Age |
| #8550, aired 2022-01-07 | 20th CENTURY NONFICTION: "Norwegian Independence Day" & "a vast blue sea" are mentioned in Chapter 1 of a 1948 book by this man (Thor) Heyerdahl |
| #8415, aired 2021-06-04 | 17th CENTURY WRITING: This 17th century work quotes the Book of Job, "Behold the giants groan under water, and they that dwell with them" Leviathan |
| #8391, aired 2021-05-03 | 19th CENTURY AMERICANS: His book "An Overland Journey from New York to San Francisco in the Summer of 1859" shows he heeded his own famous advice Horace Greeley |
| #7916, aired 2019-01-28 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Ambrose Bierce, a Civil War veteran, said of this 1895 book, the author "knows nothing of war, yet he is drenched in blood" The Red Badge of Courage |
| #7884, aired 2018-12-13 | 19th CENTURY AUTHORS: In the preface to a book of his stories, he thanks a herpetologist of upper India & an elephant named Bahadur Shah Rudyard Kipling |
| #7821, aired 2018-09-17 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: "I've killed my brother" is said near the end of this 1952 book with a Biblical title & a plot echoing a Biblical story East of Eden |
| #7541, aired 2017-05-29 | 19th CENTURY BRITISH AUTHORS: Cliffs Notes says a book by this man "was the work of a mathematician and logician who wrote as both a humorist and as a limerist" Lewis Carroll |
| #7528, aired 2017-05-10 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: "I felt his spurs in my side & I heard his battle cry" is a line from this 1982 book that became a stage sensation & later a movie War Horse |
| #7490, aired 2017-03-17 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: William Goldman asked his daughters what he should write about; they said these 2 things, which he combined The Princess Bride |
| #7229, aired 2016-02-04 | 19th CENTURY BOOKS: "Instinct", "Hybridism" & "Geographical Distribution" are chapters in this book The Origin of Species (by Charles Darwin) |
| #7213, aired 2016-01-13 | 20th CENTURY LITERATURE: For factual details, the author of this 1972 tale drew on a book called "The Private Life of the Rabbit" Watership Down |
| #6948, aired 2014-11-26 | 20th CENTURY NOVELS: In 1940 House Representative from Oklahoma Lyle Boren denounced it as a "dirty, lying, filthy manuscript" The Grapes of Wrath |
| #6729, aired 2013-12-12 | 21st CENTURY NOVELS: In a letter to the author, President Obama called this "a lovely book--an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling" Life of Pi (by Yann Martel) |
| #6490, aired 2012-11-30 | 20th CENTURY AMERICAN WRITERS: A publisher's note on one of his books called him "The terror of typesetters" & "an enigma to book reviewers" E.E. Cummings |
| #6046, aired 2010-12-20 | 20th CENTURY NOVELISTS: A critic said that a character of his, "yearning for the moon... never saw the sixpence at his feet"; he made that into a title Somerset Maugham |
| #5593, aired 2008-12-24 | 19th CENTURY BOOKS: Its author called it "a Ghostly little book... which shall not put my readers out of humour... with the season" A Christmas Carol |
| #5167, aired 2007-02-13 | 20th CENTURY AUTHORS: This author was born in 1926, the daughter of Amasa, an Alabama lawyer, & Frances, whose maiden name was Finch Harper Lee |
| #4960, aired 2006-03-17 | 20th CENTURY BOOKS: Chapter I of this book tells us: "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood..." Angela's Ashes (by Frank McCourt) |
| #2600, aired 1995-12-15 | 19th CENTURY NOVELS: Book 1, Chapter 4 of this 1880 work is entitled "The Third Son Alyosha" The Brothers Karamazov |
| #910, aired 1988-07-15 | 19th CENTURY AMERICA: His 1889 book "The Gospel of Wealth" said it's the duty of the rich to share surplus wealth, & he did Andrew Carnegie |
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Thomas L. Friedman, an author and foreign affairs columnist from The New York Times
|
"He has won three Pulitzer Prizes and authored six best sellers,...
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a Basketball Hall of Famer and all-time leading scorer from the NBA
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"In January, the State Department named this NBA Hall of Famer...
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiac surgeon and TV host from The Dr. Oz Show
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"He is a renowned cardiac surgeon who has written seven New...
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Chuck Todd, a journalist and chief White House correspondent from NBC News and Meet the Press
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"Chief White House correspondent and political director for NBC News, he...
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Nick Yozamp, a junior from Washington University in St. Louis
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2010 Tournament of Champions wildcard semifinalist: $10,000. 2010-A College Championship winner:...
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Tom Nissley, an online books editor from Seattle, Washington
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2014 Battle of the Decades invitee: $5,000. 2011 Tournament of Champions...
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Chris Matthews, a TV host from Hardball and The Chris Matthews Show
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"He served as a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, and later as...
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Jove Graham, a biomedical engineer from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
|
Season 26 1-time champion: $34,401 + $1,000. Jove's second contestant interview...
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Eric Betts, a senior from Emory University
|
2009 College Championship first runner-up (semifinalist by wildcard): $50,000. 21 and...
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Liz Murphy, a foreign service officer originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania
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2010 Tournament of Champions semifinalist: $10,000. Season 25 5-time champion: $121,302...
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Rebecca Dixon, a graduate student and musician from Vancouver, Washington
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Season 26 2-time champion: $53,002 + $1,000. Rebecca and her partner...
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Stefan Goodreau, a video game tester and camp counselor from Los Angeles, California
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2010 Tournament of Champions 2nd runner-up (semifinalist by wildcard): $50,000. Season...
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Mike Maheu, a high school teacher from San Diego, California
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Season 25 2-time champion: $46,242 + $1,000. Last name pronounced like...
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Melanie Baker-Streevy, a United Methodist pastor from Parma, Michigan
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Season 25 1-time champion: $26,900 + $1,000. Melanie Baker-Streevy - A...
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Iliza Shlesinger, a comedian from New York City
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"A comedian from New York City, she has six Netflix specials...
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