First-year student Rena Cohen brings a new voice — and challenging answers — to the world’s most popular crossword puzzle.
Crossword aficionados who tackled the Thursday, Oct. 3, New York Times puzzle were in for a challenge — and a treat. That puzzle marked the NYT debut of Rena Cohen, a first-year Arts & Sciences student who brought a fresh voice to the world’s most-read crossword section. Her puzzle featured eight novel answers — including “track shoe,” “boy toys,” and the plaintive response “oh pooh” — that had never appeared in the puzzle’s 82-year history.
For Cohen, breaking into The New York Times’ crossword section was a dream years in the making. She talked with the Ampersand about the ups, downs, and acrosses of wordplay, and her future at WashU.
How did you get interested in crosswords?
I’ve always loved word games and puzzles. I grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, and my childhood was full of passionate Boggle and Scrabble games with my family. I started solving crosswords with my dad when I was young, so crosswords have just been a part of my life. I eagerly submitted my first crossword puzzle to The New York Times when I was about 10, complete with a hand-written letter to the editors. I’ve improved a lot since then, but back then I was just excited to dip my feet into the world of constructing.
When did you publish your first puzzle?
After years of rejections, I had a breakthrough in my junior year of high school when the Los Angeles Times and USA TODAY published a couple of my puzzles. That was very exciting, but getting into The New York Times was still my dream. It’s the gold standard for crossword puzzles.
How did you make it to the Times?
In an effort to recruit a diverse roster of constructors, the Times created the Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship. This program gives new puzzle makers from a wide variety of backgrounds a chance to work directly with Times editors to develop puzzles. I briefly collaborated with Will Shortz before continuing to work on my puzzle with Christina Iverson. Both editors gave me some great advice and mentorship to help me build grids and develop themes. It wasn’t guaranteed that any of my puzzles would be published, but I was hopeful.
How much work goes into a puzzle?
More than most people think. Computers can crank out crossword puzzles almost instantly, but those tend to have a bunch of obscure words and awkward clues. A lot of effort goes into selecting each word and making a grid that’s accessible and exciting. My Oct. 3 puzzle was the most challenging one I’ve ever completed, but it was also the most rewarding.
Will you keep making crosswords?
Absolutely. I’m always thinking of new themes and playing with new grids. I worked with editors at the Student Life newspaper to launch a new series of daily mini crosswords. Be sure to look out for more puzzles in other places!
How did you end up at WashU?
I decided WashU was my first choice during my junior year of high school. I wanted to stay somewhat close to my family, and I fell in love with the campus during a visit. Beyond that, I appreciated the collaborative environment and the opportunities to follow my interests.
I plan to double major in psychological & brain sciences and Spanish. I started learning Spanish when I was 13 after volunteering with the refugees in my community as part of my Bat Mitzvah project. I’m happy to be part of the Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program here at WashU.
“WashU” has recently appeared as a crossword answer in both The New Yorker and The New York Times. Were you aware that you’d be attending a crossword-worthy school?
It’s a total coincidence that it debuted in The New York Times the same week as my puzzle. I hadn’t anticipated that. I was excited to see it!
