{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6a0f5f69d7997e788c702ea1/6a5801bc9c4f0940030b8603?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Natan Last: Who Has Time for Crosswords? (Not Joyce Carol Oates)","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6a0f5f69d7997e788c702ea1/1784168612957-0b91f031-78b7-47a9-b1b2-2e5393c119d3.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Crossword constructor Natan Last joins Ira for a conversation about taste, culture, and the surprising power of play. They discuss how crossword puzzles shape the cultural canon, why every clue has a point of view, and what it means to create work that reflects your own voice. Natan also revisits the moment he made Ira a clue in The New York Times crossword. Plus, they get into AI, the COVID game boom, and why making a crossword is a lot like creating the perfect mixtape.</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>04:39 Discovering Crossword Construction with Natan Last</p><p>06:52 Publishing a <em>New York Times</em> Crossword at Sixteen</p><p>12:20 How Crosswords Changed With Pop Culture</p><p>17:10 Editors, Constructors &amp; Finding Your Voice</p><p>21:11 Ira Becoming a Crossword Clue</p><p>27:16 Writing for <em>The New York Times</em> vs. <em>The New Yorker</em></p><p>30:04 Editorial Choices and the Politics of Clues</p><p>35:35 The Surprising History of the Crossword Craze</p><p>42:01 Building the Next Generation of Crossword Solvers</p><p>44:29 Learning From Will Shortz</p><p>48:24 AI, Authorship &amp; the Future of Crosswords</p><p>53:21 Writing Longhand, Toni Morrison &amp; Creative Process</p><p>58:42 Rap, Poetry &amp; the Joy of Wordplay</p><p>1:02:21 Favorite Crossword Clues</p>","author_name":"Ira Madison III"}