Will Shortz: A Tale of a New York Times Puzzle Maker

Have you ever wondered who actually constructs the New York Times puzzle? You know the crosswords that often compel you to rip-out large clumps of hair . . . the grids that often make you feel as learned and erudite as a moose? Will Shortz - the New York Times puzzle creator and editor since 1993 - is the man you can thank for challenging your mind and killing your self-esteem.

Born and raised on an Arabian horse farm in Indiana, Shortz is probably the only person in the world to hold a college degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles, a major he designed - and got away with - at Indiana University,

Shortz also received a law degree from the University of Virginia. He planned to use law as a way to make a ton of money and then devote the rest of his life to making puzzles. Law school, however, was such a bore, that he blew off the bar exam and immediately delved into the world of riddles, conundrums, and trivia.

Before joining The Times, Mr. Shortz spent 15 years as editor of Games magazine, a bimonthly devoted to puzzles and games of many kinds.

He then succeeded the late Eugene T. Maleska as puzzle editor of the New York Times. Shortz started out cautiously, making only minor adjustments to the crossword. For example, he added bylines of the puzzle constructors so they would no longer have to labor namelessly. Shortz also expanded the clues' cultural references, especially in the movies, television and rock and roll realms. There are also a few more "tricks and ambiguities" in the clues now.

A bigger change Shortz did make was to further increase the difficulty from Monday's puzzle, the easiest to Saturday's puzzle, the hardest: that way the Times will have something for everyone from beginners to veterans.

According to Shortz, readers continue to write him believing they've caught a mistake; but they seldom do. One exception that occurred several years ago was the clue "mountain in sight of Darjeeling;" the answer, according to Shortz, was EVEREST. However, one reader wrote in saying he had been to Darjeeling and that Mount Everest was nowhere in sight; in fact, it was completely blocked by several other mountains.

In 1978 Mr. Shortz founded, and remains director of, the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. He also founded the World Puzzle Championship in 1992. He remains captain of the U.S. team, which finished No. 1 in 1992, 1995 and 1996, and second in 1993, 1994 and 1997.

In addition to editing the weekday and Sunday puzzles for The Times, Mr. Shortz creates a weekly puzzle segment for "Weekend Edition Sunday" on National Public Radio. He is the author or editor of 23 puzzle books. Various famous fans of his puzzles include Jon Stewart, The Indigo Girls, and Mike Mussina. On his 50th birthday, Shortz received a personal note from former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who is a major fan of the New York Times puzzle.