Crossword puzzles have a surprising history — and a controversial future

At the time, the crossword was little more than a decade old and it had only appeared in newspapers, namely the New York ...

A history of the crossword puzzle, a venerable form that keeps attracting new fans

At just 16, Natan Last had a crossword puzzle accepted by the New York Times; at the time he was the youngest person ever to ...

The crossword has a radical history. A puzzle veteran explores why

Natan Last's book delves into the crossword's century-long story, exploring what the grids we solve reveal about news and ...
Cambridge Day

Natan Last thinks inside the boxes in his ‘Across the Universe’ crossword history

Natan Last, a crossword constructor for The New Yorker looks at the puzzle’s history and effect on culture and politics in ...
The New York Times

Why We Turn to Crosswords in Times of Crisis

Mr. Last has created crosswords for The Times and other outlets. On Dec. 18, 1941, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Lester Markel, the Sunday editor of The New York Times, sent a ...
The Washington Post

Cluing in to the crossword’s political meanings

Word games are knotty, paradoxical devices. They offer players the illusion of control: What could be tidier than a Scrabble board, or the orderly grid of a crossword puzzle? But they are possible ...