Manny Nosowsky, New York Times Crossword Constructor, Dies at 94
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 24
Manny Nosowsky, New York Times Crossword Constructor, Dies at 94
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 24
Manny Nosowsky, a New York Times crossword constructor known for witty, pun-filled puzzles, died Wednesday at a San Francisco hospital at 94.
His wife, Debby Nosowsky, confirmed the death; he had spent nearly two decades delighting Times solvers after his first puzzle appeared there in 1992.
At 51 in 1983, Nosowsky retired from a 20-year urology career after health problems and turned to constructing crosswords after solving them with his wife.
He mostly built puzzles by hand on graph paper, later using software but still filling grids manually and writing all his own clues to preserve their humor.
How did a retired urologist's pun-filled puzzles redefine the art of the American crossword?
Can AI ever replicate the wit of a puzzle master, or is human creativity irreplaceable?