Crossword Puzzle Professional Matt Gaffney Named Top Puzzle Writer for 2012
In the competitive field of crossword puzzle writing, Matt Gaffney took the top prize in the 2012 Orca Awards. Find out why his work is considered the most inventive, clever and fun to crossword puzzle lovers everywhere.
- (1888PressRelease) March 06, 2013 - In a profession that banks on word play, calling the annual presentation of awards for the year's best crossword puzzles and Constructor of the Year the "Orcas" is no doubt intentional. And while Valley resident Matt Gaffney has snagged many puzzle honors in years past, this time around he grabbed the top achievement at the Orcas by receiving the Margaret Farrar Award for Constructor of the Year. To crossword puzzle lovers everywhere, Orca winners signify the cream of the crop in this competitive and specialized field.
The award is named for Margaret Farrar, a prominent and prolific American crossword puzzle editor at the New York Times in the early 20th century. She established many of the rules and principles that govern crossword construction standards and conventions; her principles for designing and styling puzzles apply even to the present day. Many of her books are still in print.
Matt Gaffney knows what it's like to be a ground-breaker in a field of long-standing tradition, and being named "Constructor of the Year" indicates his innovative puzzles and weekly crossword contest have hit a vein. With more than 4,000 puzzles and 15 years under his belt as a full-time constructor, Gaffney is probably best known for his challenging "metapuzzles." His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Politico, New York Magazine, Washingtonian and Billboard. He has also written puzzles for the Discovery and Travel Channels, the Major League Baseball website and a series for the Wine Spectator. Matt is the author of 14 crossword puzzle books, several "Complete Idiot" guides including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Crossword Puzzles and Word Games and Gridlock: Crossword Puzzles and the Mad Geniuses Who Create Them.
Matt's expertise placed 11 of his puzzles in the top 25 crosswords in the running for Best Puzzles of 2012. Crossword columnist Sam Donaldson remarks on the popularity of Gaffney's puzzles, "… no one out there is consistently making crosswords this inventive, this clever, or this fun." A fan comment echoes Donaldson's sentiments, giving props to Gaffney's skills in writing challenging puzzles: "I'm glad to see Matt Gaffney celebrated with the Farrar Award. That, let's say, uh, gentleman, has brought me more crossword frustration but also more puzzle joy than anyone else this year. And by joy I mean satisfying smugness when (ok, if) I finally unravel his tangled mess of clues. Bravo."
In 2013, in addition to his regular puzzle writing gigs, Matt will be launching a puzzle video series, writing puzzles for smart phone applications, continuing his popular Matt Gaffney'sWeekly Crossword Contest and writing articles on the art of puzzle-making and puzzle-solving. To purchase Matt's books or keep up on his latest adventures, visit www.mattgaffney.com or LIKE Matt Gaffney's Weekly Crossword Contest on Facebook. For more information or to set up an interview, email weeklycrosswordcontest ( @ ) gmail dot com.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam