Merl Reagle: Difference between revisions
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'''Merl Reagle''' (b. [[January 5]], [[1950]], [[Audubon, NJ]]) is a [[United States|U.S.]] [[crossword]] [[puzzle]] creator. Since 1985, he has constructed a puzzle every Sunday for the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' (originally the ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]''); it is now also published by the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', the ''[[Seattle Times]]'', the ''[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]'', the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'', the ''[[New York Observer]]'' and the ''[[Arizona Daily Star]]'', among others. [[Will Shortz]], the crossword puzzle editor for ''[[The New York Times]]'', has said that “. . .his themes are consistently fresher and funnier than anyone else’s. And he’s one of the greatest puzzlemakers at interlocking words in intricate, wide-open patterns.” <ref>Grossmann, John, ”Puzzling: Merl Reagle Lives to Tease Your Brain." ''Delta Sky Magazine'', October, 2003</ref> His 2004 puzzle, "Wide Open Spaces," holds the record for the lowest word count, or number of answers. The 21 x 21 grid had only 51 black squares and 112 words.[http://www.cruciverb.com/index.php/articles/572] |
'''Merl Reagle''' (b. [[January 5]], [[1950]], [[Audubon, NJ]]) is a [[United States|U.S.]] [[crossword]] [[puzzle]] creator. Since 1985, he has constructed a puzzle every Sunday for the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' (originally the ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]''); it is now also published by the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', the ''[[Seattle Times]]'', the ''[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]'', the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'', the ''[[New York Observer]]'' and the ''[[Arizona Daily Star]]'', among others. [[Will Shortz]], the crossword puzzle editor for ''[[The New York Times]]'', has said that “. . .his themes are consistently fresher and funnier than anyone else’s. And he’s one of the greatest puzzlemakers at interlocking words in intricate, wide-open patterns.” <ref>Grossmann, John, ”Puzzling: Merl Reagle Lives to Tease Your Brain." ''Delta Sky Magazine'', October, 2003</ref> His 2004 puzzle, "Wide Open Spaces," holds the record for the lowest word count, or number of answers, in a Sunday puzzle. The 21 x 21 grid had only 51 black squares and 112 words.[http://www.cruciverb.com/index.php/articles/572] |
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Reagle made his first crossword when he was 6 and sold a puzzle to ''[[The New York Times]]'' at age 16, a feat that made him the youngest published ''[[The New York Times|Times]]'' puzzle constructor at the time. |
Reagle made his first crossword when he was 6 and sold a puzzle to ''[[The New York Times]]'' at age 16, a feat that made him the youngest published ''[[The New York Times|Times]]'' puzzle constructor at the time. |
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He has been featured on [[CNN]], [[Today (NBC program)|the ''Today'' show]], ''[[Nightline]]'', ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show|Oprah]]''[http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200702/20070201/slide_20070201_350_105.jhtml] and [[National Public Radio]]<ref>Amende, Coral. ‘’The Crossword Obsession: the History and Lore of the World’s Most Popular Pastime.’’ New York: Berkley Books, 2001, p. 365</ref>. An [http://www.sundaycrosswords.com/puzzlearticle.htm article] he wrote on crossword construction for the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' in February 1997 was reproduced in shorter form in the July 1998 ''[[Reader's Digest]]''. |
He has been featured on [[CNN]], [[Today (NBC program)|the ''Today'' show]], ''[[Nightline]]'', ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show|Oprah]]''[http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200702/20070201/slide_20070201_350_105.jhtml] and [[National Public Radio]]<ref>Amende, Coral. ‘’The Crossword Obsession: the History and Lore of the World’s Most Popular Pastime.’’ New York: Berkley Books, 2001, p. 365</ref>. An [http://www.sundaycrosswords.com/puzzlearticle.htm article] he wrote on crossword construction for the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' in February 1997 was reproduced in shorter form in the July 1998 ''[[Reader's Digest]]''. |
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One of the few crossword puzzle constructors who makes a full-time living at his craft, Reagle is the only Sunday crossword maker who does his own [[print syndication|syndication]]. With the assistance of his wife, Marie Haley, he has published 12 volumes of his Sunday crosswords, which he sells from his [http://www.sundaycrosswords.com website]. Merl and Marie make their home in the [[Tampa Bay]], [[Florida]] area. |
One of the few crossword puzzle constructors who makes a full-time living at his craft, Reagle is the only U.S. Sunday crossword maker who does his own [[print syndication|syndication]]. With the assistance of his wife, Marie Haley, he has published 12 volumes of his Sunday crosswords, which he sells from his [http://www.sundaycrosswords.com website]. Merl and Marie make their home in the [[Tampa Bay]], [[Florida]] area. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 16:49, 15 February 2007
Merl Reagle (b. January 5, 1950, Audubon, NJ) is a U.S. crossword puzzle creator. Since 1985, he has constructed a puzzle every Sunday for the San Francisco Chronicle (originally the San Francisco Examiner); it is now also published by the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Seattle Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Hartford Courant, the New York Observer and the Arizona Daily Star, among others. Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times, has said that “. . .his themes are consistently fresher and funnier than anyone else’s. And he’s one of the greatest puzzlemakers at interlocking words in intricate, wide-open patterns.” [1] His 2004 puzzle, "Wide Open Spaces," holds the record for the lowest word count, or number of answers, in a Sunday puzzle. The 21 x 21 grid had only 51 black squares and 112 words.[1]
Reagle made his first crossword when he was 6 and sold a puzzle to The New York Times at age 16, a feat that made him the youngest published Times puzzle constructor at the time.
He is noted for making puzzles with pencil and paper, without the aid of a computer. The 2006 documentary Wordplay by Patrick Creadon depicted Reagle’s on-camera construction of a crossword that subsequently was published in the Times. The film then showed various famous crossword enthusiasts, including Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, The Indigo Girls and Mike Mussina, attempting to solve the puzzle. Reagle has often constructed puzzles for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which he first attended in 1979, its second year. He now serves as a tournament judge.[2]
He has been featured on CNN, the Today show, Nightline, Oprah[3] and National Public Radio[2]. An article he wrote on crossword construction for the Philadelphia Inquirer in February 1997 was reproduced in shorter form in the July 1998 Reader's Digest.
One of the few crossword puzzle constructors who makes a full-time living at his craft, Reagle is the only U.S. Sunday crossword maker who does his own syndication. With the assistance of his wife, Marie Haley, he has published 12 volumes of his Sunday crosswords, which he sells from his website. Merl and Marie make their home in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.