Literary Hub

Sheltering: Adrienne Raphel Talks Crossword Puzzles and Stephen Sondheim

The Author of Thinking Inside the Box Talks to Maris Kreizman

May 7, 2020

On this episode of Sheltering, Maris Kreizman speaks with Adrienne Raphel about her new book on crossword puzzles, Thinking Inside the Box. Raphel talks about what Will Shortz is like in person, the myth of crosswords warding off dementia, writing a letter to Stephen Sondheim, and claims that she is only “average” at crosswords. Please buy Thinking Inside the Box from your favorite local bookstore or through Bookshop.

From the episode:

Adrienne Raphel: One of the most treasured moments of research I did for this book was writing a letter to Stephen Sondheim, totally on a whim. And then got a letter back from him! It’s truly my most prized object, this little letter that just says: “Yes I did introduce cryptics to America, thank you for recognizing that.”

Adrienne Raphel crossword cryptics life in a pandemic Maris Kreizman New York Times Sheltering stephen sondheim The Virtual Book Channel Thinking Inside the Box will shortz

The Virtual Book Channel

Launched during the coronavirus pandemic as virtual literary communities began emerging in vital and unexpected ways, The Virtual Book Channel seeks to provide the best possible platforms for writers to reach their readers. The VBC (aka “The Veeb”) is a curated channel that archives live-streamed programming through partnerships with independent bookstores, literary festivals, authors' WFH spaces, and more.