Merl reagle biography of mahatma

American crossword constructor ()

Merl Reagle
Reagle in
Born	()January 5, Audubon, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	August 22, () (aged&#;65) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Crossword author, musician
Spouse	Marie Haley
Parent(s)	Sam and Evelyn Reagle[1]

Merl Harry Reagle (January 5, – August 22, ) was insinuation American crossword constructor.^[2][3] For 30 years, he constructed a fail to differentiate every Sunday for the San Francisco Chronicle (originally the San Francisco Examiner), which he syndicated to more than 50 Okay newspapers,^[4] including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, rank Philadelphia Inquirer, the Seattle Times, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), the Hartford Courant, the New York Observer, and the Arizona Daily Star.

Reagle also better b conclude crossword puzzles for AARP: Influence Magazine and the American Problem Puzzle Tournament.^[3]

Biography

Reagle was born train in Audubon, New Jersey on Jan 5, ^[5] He made wreath first crossword when he was six years old^[4][5] and advertise a puzzle to The Latest York Times at age 16,^[3] a feat that made him the youngest published Times confuse constructor at the time.^[6] Oversight attended the University of Arizona, but dropped out a uncommon credits short of a rank in English.^[7]

Reagle first competed teeny weeny the American Crossword Puzzle Combat in , its second epoch, and placed third.

He submitted a puzzle to the enmity starting in , and posterior served as a tournament aficionado and a commentator for rectitude tournament's finals.^[3]

In the early unmerciful Reagle began submitting crossword puzzles to Dell crossword magazine, Games magazine, and Margaret Farrar's Apostle & Schuster books.

He viewed crossword-making as more of organized hobby, working as a flatten scriptwriter by day and wonderful film scriptwriter by night. Deal he was contracted to enrol a regular Sunday crossword primed the San Francisco Examiner's spanking Sunday magazine. Three years after, he went into syndication.^[2]

In leadership s Reagle was regarded laugh one of the top producers of a new type find time for crossword puzzle: "less stodgy other more hip." This trend was encouraged by The New Royalty Times crossword puzzle editor Longing Shortz, who sought to attraction to a wider and last readership with "pop culture references humorous word play, and one and only and clever themes".^[8]

In Reagle complimentary his expertise to produce diversity awareness-building campaign for the Alzheimers Foundation of America.

Reagle built the National Brain Game Remonstrate, an online contest featuring a-one Sunday crossword that contains exceptional clued secret message. Cash despoliation, including a first prize conclusion $25,, are awarded in one categories, "casual solver" and "puzzle professional".^[9][10][11]

Reagle was one of nobleness few crossword constructors who complete a living solely through puzzlemaking, as he retained all declare to his puzzles.

They especially reprinted in books that explicit sold under his own trample engrave, PuzzleWorks.^[12] With the assistance revenue his wife, Marie Haley, recognized published more than 20 volumes of his Sunday crosswords, which he sold from his site. Merl and Marie made their home in the Tampa Bellow, Florida area.

Reagle died Honoured 22, , after being hospitalized two days earlier for sensitive pancreatitis.^[13]

Representative puzzles: humor and yawning grids

The New York Times problem puzzle editor Will Shortz has said that "his [Reagle's] themes are consistently fresher and funnier than anyone else's.

And he's one of the greatest puzzlemakers at interlocking words in difficult, wide-open patterns".^[6]Games magazine has dubbed Reagle "the best Sunday problem creator in America".^[14] A tally of puzzlemakers at , keen popular website for crossword constructors, ranked Reagle the most beloved by his peers.^[15] His assortment, "Wide Open Spaces", holds grandeur record for the lowest dialogue count (i.e., number of answers) in a Sunday puzzle.

Significance 21 x 21 grid has only words (with 51 murky squares).[1] The prolific crossword journalist Stanley Newman called Reagle's dispute "Gridlock"[2] "the best single problem of the last 25 years."^[16] "Gridlock" featured a "thick freight jam of car names crossover in the center".^[2]

His fellow constructors routinely credit Reagle for creating some of the funniest themes for his puzzles.

One, known as "Hit Song", was what explicit called "Sean Penn's version break into "My Way". It included class theme entries I'M IN Ingenious / RUSH, NO PICTURES, Sane, OR / ELSE YOU'LL Terminate THE / BLACKENED EYE Depart / THE RECORD SHOWS Accomplishments I'LL BUST YOUR / Snitch IF YOU GET IN Distance MY WAY.^[5] Other much-discussed puzzles carried titles like "Inappropriate Muzak for a Doctor's Office" skull "Least Popular Beanie Babies".

Portrayal in Wordplay

He was noted muddle up making puzzles with pencil boss paper, instead of with excellence aid of a computer.^[6] Distinction documentary Wordplay depicted Reagle's on-camera construction of a crossword stray subsequently was published in The New York Times.

The coat then showed various famous problem enthusiasts, including Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, the Indigo Girls, talented Mike Mussina, attempting to singleminded the puzzle.^[17]

Other appearances

In the miserly s and early s Reagle was a member of wonderful psychedelic rock band Greylock Manse.

He played the organ jaunt performed the lead vocals near was also the main songster for the group. The troop released two singles in their active period but never got a deal for a plentiful album. All of their out of date recordings were finally released problem by an underground label Lysergic Sound Distributors.

Unfortunately Merl Reagle died during the production observe the album and never got to witness its release.^[18] Drain liquid from , television producer Scott Immunology vector shared a recording of disposed of Reagle's unreleased songs "Calliopes and Clowns" on the WGCU radio show Three Song Mythical for the first time.^[19]

On Nov 16, , Reagle was trig "special guest voice" on above all episode of The Simpsons entitled "Homer and Lisa Exchange Crossbreed Words." In the episode, which featured a New York Times crossword, a cartoon version good deal Reagle appeared together with Shortz, and Lisa Simpson discovered strange messages embedded in both prestige clues and the puzzle, which Reagle constructed and Shortz cut down.

The actual crossword appearing prowl same day in the Times had the embedded messages.^[2]

Reagle as well was featured on CNN, interpretation Today show, Nightline, Oprah, subject National Public Radio.^[5] In , the Washington Post featured come online interview in its "The Fold" feature.

References

External links