Will Shortz, NYT's Crossword KingTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 538, Segment 1
Apr 24, 2017 • 16m
Guest: Will Shortz, Editor of the New York Times Crossword, Puzzle Master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday
The most prestigious of crossword puzzles – the New York Times crossword - turns 75 this year. It became a regular feature of the paper in 1942 after some debate over whether such frivolity was appropriate when America was at war. An editorial in the New York Times had called the puzzles a “sinful waste” of time. Can you imagine the parents today being upset to see their child solving a crossword?
Now, if you spent any time over the weekend on the notoriously difficult Saturday puzzle, you can thank Will Shortz. We discover how a good crossword puzzle is made. And solved.