I'll have to concur with Eric Hillemann regarding the
Andrew/Subash/Paul packet. I thought it was a lot of fun, and
eminently playable. BTW, not all the intros made reference to
William Dean Howells; most did, but others referred to people,
places, etc. that had been answers to other previous questions.
I know that theme packets aren't to everyone's taste, but that's
often because theme rounds can become exercises in guessing
what the link might be between theme and answer. This one
wasn't; the intros didn't give the answers away, the distribution
and difficulty were fine, and as Eric said, specific knowledge of
Howell's life and work wasn't needed.
I wouldn't submit a packet like this one for use in an
intercollegiate tournament, nor for one that was timed, but I think
it's nice to see innovation on the masters circuit! (And, yes, I'm
envious too. I'm trying to imagine writing a packet with intros like
"Stephen Jay Gould once wrote, of this city ....")
Julie