Henry Hook (crossword compiler)
| Henry Hook | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 18, 1955 East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2015 (aged 60) |
| Known for | Crossword puzzles |
| Spouse(s) | Stephanie Abrams (1985-1988, her death)[1] |
Henry Hook (September 18, 1955 – October 27, 2015) was an American creator of crossword puzzles, widely credited with popularizing the cryptic crossword in North America. With Henry Rathvon and Emily Cox, he wrote the crossword for the Boston Globe.
Hook began constructing crosswords at age 14, when he sent a rebuttal crossword to Eugene T. Maleska. Maleska's crossword contained the hidden message:
You Have Just Finished The World's Most Remarkable Crossword
Hook's crossword contained the hidden message:
What Makes You Think Your Puzzle Is More Remarkable Than Mine[2]
In 1980, Hook joined the staff of Games.
Stanley Newman's official website has described one of Hook's puzzles as "one of the toughest crosswords (Newman) has ever published"; Matt Gaffney, the crossword constructor for Slate.com, described meeting Hook as being like "meeting Elvis".[3] He died on October 27, 2015, after a long illness.[4][5]
References
- ↑ Crossword blog: farewell to the irascible Henry Hook, by Alan Connor, in the Guardian; published November 2, 2015; retrieved December 17, 2015
- ↑ Bilger, Burkhard (March 4, 2002). "The Riddler". New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 4, 2002. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ Gaffney, Matt (January 25, 2002). "Diary: A Weeklong Electronic Journal: Entry 5". Slate.
- ↑ Shortz, Will (October 28, 2015). "Remembering Henry Hook". New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ "Puzzle maker Henry Hook dies after a long illness". Boston Globe. October 30, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.