During his visit, Shortz will present two lectures, according to a press release. The first, “The Art of the Puzzle,” is at 8 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Whittenberger Auditorium.
According to the release, Shortz will discuss the strategy behind creating puzzles and answer questions from the audience. There will also be a word-puzzle competition among audience members.
The second, “Sam Loyd: Puzzle King,” is about Loyd, credited as being one of America’s greatest puzzle-writers, according to the release. The lecture will be at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Lilly Library.
Shortz, an IU Bloomington alumnus, has worked as the crossword editor for the New York Times since 1993. He created an individualized major in enigmatology, the study of puzzles, through the College of Arts and Sciences while he was a student. He graduated in 1974.
Since then, Shortz has been awarded the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007 and the IU Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2014.
Both of Shortz’s appearances are free and open to the public, according to the release.
Bridget Murray
