![]() ![]() 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. (The completed grid is here.Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter So sharpen your pencil and start practicing with this puzzle, which Mahnken whipped up exclusively for Brandeis Magazine. If you want to be an adept solver, practice is key, he advises: “Do crossword puzzles all the time, but also go back and look at all the answers - try to commit them to memory, and internalize the reasoning behind the clues.” “It’s not a matter of whether I can solve it but how fast,” he says. On a great day, Mahnken can solve the New York Times Saturday puzzle - the most difficult, infuriating puzzle of the week - in a half-hour. His trademarks as a puzzle writer are devising clever themes, designing attractive gridding and avoiding thorny corners. While other students run laps or eat a special diet to keep in shape, this double major in chemistry and American studies turns on the music and follows a brisk daily regimen of writing and solving crosswords - in pen. Mahnken’s easygoing demeanor belies the disciplined approach that has propelled him into the crossword stratosphere at age 21. (For example, Shortz changed one clue from “‘Entourage’ character” to “‘Exodus’ hero.” Answer: “Ari.”) “Now I’m pretty decent, but I don’t think I’ve got Will Shortz’s chops just yet,” he says, referring to the legendary New York Times puzzle editor who, along with two other cruciverbalists, worked with him on his Times puzzle. He’s been constructing crosswords for The Justice ever since, roughly 65 so far. “I underestimated how difficult it is to write a good crossword,” he says. Mahnken offered to create the weekly puzzle himself. At the time, The Justice was running a mediocre syndicated puzzle. Mahnken arrived at Brandeis three years ago, a crossword novice with a literary bent and a love of wordplay. The laid-back Seattle native has not let the acclaim go to his head. Even Times editor Deb Amlen wrote this about Mahnken’s effort: “Hands up if you’ve ever solved a puzzle, sat back and thought, ‘Man, I wish I’d thought of that.’” “Splendid debut! The future of our hobby is in very good hands,” said another. The puzzle’s cleverness prompted giddy responses from Times crossword devotees. The dictionary-themed puzzle Mahnken wrote served up clues like “Where ‘house party’ is in the dictionary?” The answer: “After hours.” (Or, after “hours” - get it?) Another clue: “Where ‘isolated’ is in the dictionary?” Answer: “By itself.” ANSWER: Cruciverbalist Evan Mahnken ’19, who made his New York Times crossword debut in October with a Wednesday puzzle.
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