A Big Crossword Stage
O
Puzzle by mathematics associate professor appears in The New York Times
n a Saturday last
by the innovative challenges puzzle makers weave into their September, Adam works, Levine decided to try Levine was antsy making his own. Once he did, to get his hands he became hooked. on that day’s “Math research is my copy of The New favorite thing to do, but it can be York Times because of the frustrating and leave you stuck,” crossword puzzle. He didn’t said Levine, who has worked at have home delivery, and when he Duke since 2017. “So to be able ventured out to buy a paper, the to get away and have something newspaper was sold out. fun to play with is great.” A lifelong fan of crosswords, He enjoys making puzzles he had no intention of doing with larger riddles to be figured the puzzle. He knew all of the out once all of the clues are answers. After all, he wrote filled in, most of which can the thing. be found on his website, When he’s not researching knottygrids.blogspot.com. In or teaching topology – the study Adam Levine, associate professor in the Duke University Department of the summer of 2020, he built the of shapes of spaces – Levine Mathematics, holds the crossword puzzle he created for The New York Times. one that ended up in The New enjoys the challenge of stitching Photos by Stephen Schramm. York Times. together complicated knots of The puzzle’s 68 clues cover a wide range of topics. There’s words into crossword puzzles. And after having puzzles published 33 across, which asks for the 15-letter word for “The site of the online, or in math-focused publications, Levine had his first puzzle impact of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years appear in The New York Times, arguably the biggest stage for ago.” For 52 down, the puzzle simply asks for a three-letter word crossword puzzles, on a day reserved for the hardest ones. for “Quibble.” “I heard from family and friends, just my whole extended It took roughly a year after its submission for Levine’s puzzle circle,” said Levine, associate professor in the Duke Department of to be approved, edited and published. After that, Levine had to Mathematics. “I even heard from colleagues of mine in different wait a few weeks until his parents visited from New York to finally universities, people I mostly communicate with professionally but get his own copy of the puzzle in print. who noticed it in the paper.” “It is going to get framed, but it’s been a busy semester,” Levine’s crossword puzzle hobby goes back to childhood. Levine said. Once, while at summer camp, his grandfather sent him a letter in By Stephen Schramm the form of a crossword puzzle. Around four years ago, inspired
The Crossword If you want to try Adam Levine’s crossword puzzle, visit The New York Times: duke.is/pgtsq. You may need a subscription.
working.duke.edu
11
