![]() Pliska: It seems like you have an unmatched career. I truly believe that crosswords are for everybody. And I publish many puzzles by young people. To broaden the audience at the Times, I've added more modern references to the puzzles and increased the playfulness of the themes and clues. I've taken what is essentially a solitary activity and made it into a community by hosting puzzle tournaments and events. I think these positive qualities are apparent to others.īringing people together is one of my driving motivations. Shortz: I work my hardest, am honest with everyone and try to have a good time myself. Pliska: How have you built such a dedicated following? I've never had a planned career arc, but one thing has led to another. In general, I take advantage of opportunities that come up, through relationships with people I know or otherwise. NPR listeners, though, have to sit through my seven-minute puzzle if they want to get to the next story. Anyone who reads the Times but isn't interested in crosswords will simply turn the page. Being on NPR every week with 3.5 million listeners is valuable because it's a captive audience. That helps keep me in the public eye, although that isn't exactly why I do them. Shortz: I say yes to most interviews if I can afford the time. How did you parlay the New York Times crossword puzzle into so many other gigs? But upon graduation, I skipped the bar exam and went right into puzzles. I earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Shortz: My original plan was to become a lawyer, make a lot of money, then retire and do puzzles. Sign up here to get top career advice delivered straight to your inbox every week. She is currently a sophomore at Harvard University studying economics.Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter I think it is appropriate that they are adding more puzzles right now.Įllie Grueskin is an avid puzzler and KENKEN champion. After Pearl Harbor and the start of US involvement in World War II – in February, 1942 – they introduced the puzzle because they knew that people would need an intelligent diversion. The Times was the final major publication to withhold from publishing a daily Crossword. Q5: Do you have a favorite board game or non-newspaper puzzle? The second, featured right below, is my very own word puzzle. The first one is called “Two Not Touch” – it is a grid-based logic puzzle designed by Jim Bumgardner and has some similarities to KenKen. ![]() Who designed these puzzles and how will they add to the existing KenKen and Crossword offerings? ![]() Q4: I see that you’ve just introduced two new puzzles to the daily puzzle section on page A2. The solving process is similar in that in involves filling in squares, figuring out a strategy or hint, and finishing with a sense of completion. While people who like word and math puzzles are different types of solvers, both types like to use their minds to solve puzzles. Q3: I know your longest-running puzzle is the Crossword. With a tough KenKen, or problem of any sort, you struggle through the tough part and at the end, you rush to finish the last squares – at which point you have an endorphin rush. Q2: You helped bring KenKen, the Japanese math puzzle, into the Times about a decade ago and declare it as “the most addicting puzzle since Sudoku.” What about KenKens captivated you? By completing puzzles, you’re not just filling time, but you’re also making yourself a better person. Puzzles serve as a diversion from whatever is bothering you drugs can do that too, but puzzles are empowering and beneficial to the mind. Q1: What is it about puzzles that makes them such a valuable quarantine activity? Shortz, an avid ping-pong player and Westchester resident, also owns and operates the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville. I recently interviewed Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times and all-around puzzle connoisseur, about his favorite puzzles in times of quarantine and normalcy alike. Puzzle master and Westchester resident Will Shortz is the The New York Times crossword puzzle editor. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |