Addicted to those little black and white boxes?

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, May 18, 2003 | by Gal Beckerman

COLUMBIA NEWS SERVICE

FOR lovers of crossword puzzles, the switch from pencil to pen is a sign that the novice has become a fanatic. With no eraser to fall back on, the puzzler believes he will correctly fill every little white box on the first try.

Madhuri Kasat uses a fountain pen.

Kasat has succumbed to the hypnotic charm of crossword puzzles, and cannot go through a day without completing one, if not two. She is addicted. And, according to Will Shorz, crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times, she is not alone.

Shorz recently claimed that 50 million Americans indulge in the game. He is probably right. Most newspapers carry a daily crossword puzzle, and major publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster and St. Martin's Press sell millions of crossword books annually.

"I do at least the New York Times puzzle everyday," said Kasat, 26, a pre-medical student at New York University. "It gives me a chance to escape my work and flex a different part of my brain."

Increased entries in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament signify that the word puzzles have become an ubiquitous part of America's game culture. The annual event, which takes place in March, recently celebrated its 25th year. Hosted by Shorz and The New York Times, in 2002 the competition drew 401 contestants, an increase of 30 percent from the previous year.

Contestants solve eight original crosswords created and edited specially for this event. Scoring is based on accuracy and speed. Prizes are awarded in more than 20 categories, including a $2,000 grand prize.

Random House sold an estimated 5 to 7 million copies of its crossword puzzle books last year. The mostly $10 spiral-notebook publications are cash cows for the large publishing house. Although the crossword puzzle buying public is not large, a spokesman for Random House said that sales are steady and puzzledoers buy six to 10 books every year.

Even though crossword books often outsell best-sellers, they are rarely, if ever, found on best-seller lists. The New York Times best- seller list does not include books in which readers have to write.

Another peculiarity of the crossword puzzle phenomenon, according to a Random House spokesperson, is the profile of a typical crossword puzzler. People who buy the puzzles span both educational and economic background. A passion for playing with language and the thrill of filling in the white boxes seems to be the only common denominator.

For a game that is an integral part of American culture, crossword puzzles have a fairly short history. A word square, an ancient ancestor of the crossword puzzle, was found in the ruins of Pompeii. It was also known to entertain children in Rome.

"Word-cross," the modern puzzle created by Arthur Wynne, made its first appearance in the Sunday edition of The New York World on Dec. 21, 1913.

Although the puzzles were an immediate success, the World was the only paper printing them. Then, in 1924, a fledgling publishing house run by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster decided to publish a collection of the puzzles in book form. Theyprinted 3,600 copies and attached a 5-cent pencil to each as a sales gimmick. The firstprinting sold out within days. In three months, they sold

40,000 copies at $1.35 apiece. An American obsession, and a publishing company, was born.

Today The New York Times is now thought to be the pre-eminent promoter of the crossword puzzle. It first published a Sunday puzzle in 1942, and a daily one in 1950.

To fanatics of the game, crossword puzzles provide a release from the factual information that covers the rest of the newspaper. With news of war, disease or social dysfunction dominating, the crossword puzzle becomes a trusty island, free of reality, where one can rest.

David Weinburger, 38, a stock market analyst, says he completes a puzzle on his morning commute and another on his evening commute.

"It is my meditation," Weinburger said. "Other people have yoga or aerobics. I just have my little crossword puzzle, every day."