Crossword puzzle fans – this one is for you. Natan Last’s Across The Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle is an entertaining look at crossword puzzles, a pastime that has grown in popularity in recent decades, exploding especially after the pandemic. Last, a constructor and constructing instructor, explores the history and roots of the crossword puzzle, but what I found more interesting was the discussion of the puzzle as a social barometer and how the inclusion of certain words and clues can in itself be a political or subversive act. Last also explores how puzzling has become more collaborative and social, as well as the inclusion of younger and more diverse constructors who are expanding and evolving what has often been seen as a fusty institution. I recommend this book to casual and expert puzzlers alike – there is is something in here for everyone.
Fun: here is Natan with me at Wonderland Books, where he did a reading and Q&A in January:
