The puzzle maker at the center of the story is Timothy Parker, who edits crossword puzzles for Universal Uclick, a company that produces puzzles for hundreds of newspapers and magazines around the country, including USA Today and Smithsonian Magazine. Now, thanks to some detective work and a database containing decades of crosswords, a group of puzzle-makers say one of the country’s most prominent crossword editors may have plagiarized answers and themes in more than 1,500 puzzles over the last 20 years. Needless to say, copying another person’s puzzle is a serious taboo. When I hire summer interns for the Times, the most important qualities I look for are intelligence and a love of puzzles.Making a crossword puzzle isn’t easy: crossword puzzle makers, or cruciverbalists, have to follow strict rules in building their brain teasers. I love everything about what I do, even the typing. A good field is one in which you don't mind even the least interesting part of your job. I tell everyone how important it is to love what you do. So I think I understand the history, psychology and nuts-and-bolts of my field better than anyone else.įinally, having a mentor helps, if you can find one. I became a regular contributor to Dell puzzle magazines when I was 16 and never stopped making puzzles thereafter. I also read every puzzle book and article there that I could get my hands on. That's where I found The Enigma, the magazine of the National Puzzler's League, and I read all the issues back to 1903. I once had a summer research grant from Indiana University to study the history of puzzles at the Library of Congress. The second thing is to know your field, whatever it is. When the Times was looking for a new crossword editor, someone who could bridge the world of older and younger solvers, I was the natural person to ask. I was around 40 at the time-the only "young" person invited to join. Part of the reason I think I got my job at the Times was that I belonged to a monthly lunch group of elderly crossword constructors in New York City. I tell young people who are interested in puzzles to attend puzzle tournaments and events.
Shortz: First, connections and relationships matter. What advice can you share that’s useful to young people more broadly? Pliska: Your career trajectory was unusual. I'll recognize and promote anyone who does what I think is quality work, including in publications that compete with the Times. Shortz: I don’t really think about "competitors." Whatever is good for the puzzle world as a whole is good for me. 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. Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter
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