![]() To shake Wordplay out of whatever ruts I had fallen into. As a professional puzzle constructor (and cartoonist!), he brought some class to the joint along with his own blogging style, helping In November 2009, Patrick Merrell was brought on board as my co-blogger. He put all his reliance, In courage and defiance, For over a year, I wrote eight posts a week on my own. Garson Hampfield announced in his second video that Wordplay was beginning Technical problems kept pushing back the start date, but finally, the wonderfully clueless I was not part of that old group, so both I and this new-fangled blog idea were viewed with suspicion. ![]() That community had thrived for years, but the Times was decommissioning all its forums and looking for In September 2008, the beloved old Times crossword forum was finally shut down amidst much consternation. It’s been more fun than I can possibly explain. From talking with editors, business people, producers and techies, to sitting in on a Page One meeting, to getting published in the Science section, You probably imagine that writing for The New York Times would be a marvelous experience full of When one day out of the blue The Times contacted me with a job offer, I was surprised and, I admit, thrilled. Perhaps by writing about puzzles for a year, I’d learn a littleĪbout the art form and even improve as a solver. I love writing and I love puzzles of all sorts, so a crossword blog seemed like a good idea. I started my personal crossword blog in November 2007, and began coding my statistics site, XWord Info, that same year, never imagining that it would beĪ gateway to writing for The New York Times. I’m glad I came, but just the same, I must be going. I cannot stay, I came to say, I must be going. All that’s left are some people to thank and, if you’ll allow some nostalgia, a few recollections of my journey. ![]() He counts President Bill Clinton, filmmaker Ken Burns and comedian Jon Stewart among his many fans.FAREWELL - I’ve been blogging about the Times crossword now for a little over three years and I’ve finally run out of things to say, so this is my 555th andįinal Wordplay post. Shortz is the focus of the 2006 documentary film Wordplay. A member of the National Puzzlers League, he currently serves as the league’s historian. The founder and director of the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Shortz is author or editor of more than 100 books. He has been the crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times since 1993. He worked at Games magazine for 15 years, becoming editor from 1989 to 1993. He went on to receive a law degree from the University of Virginia, but following graduation skipped the bar exam and began his career in puzzles at PennyPress magazines. He designed his own major program at Indiana University, which in 1974 led to his one-of-a-kind degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles. Shortz is an enigmatologist – the only academically accredited puzzle master in the world. Non-Vanderbilt students with their college or university identification cards may purchase tickets for $5 at the Sarratt box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Only one free ticket may be picked up with a Vanderbilt identification card at the Sarratt Student Center box office. Tickets are free to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff. Tickets may also be purchased at or by calling 1-80. For more information about the bookstore, visit Tickets for the lecture are available now at the university’s Sarratt Student Center box office or any Ticketmaster outlet. S.Įarlier in the day, Shortz will sign books on campus from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Vanderbilt Speakers Committee, a student-run organization, is sponsoring his talk, which will be held in the ballroom at the Student Life Center located at 310 25th Ave. Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times and puzzle master on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, will give a public talk at Vanderbilt University Wednesday, Oct.
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