I guess as positive closure to this episode, the Post
published letters from three solvers who disagreed with the original one.
‘Get with it’ on the crossword puzzles
Having read two letters in the Sept. 10 Free For All complaining about The Post’s relatability to the boomer (my) generation, I say to the authors a hearty “Get with it.”
Regarding the first, “Crossword puzzles for whom exactly?”: Crossword answers reflect our culture, be it popular, literary or arcane, and I applaud Evan Birnholz for challenging puzzlers to color outside the lines.
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And, in the second, “Make The Post boomer-friendly,” a writer complained that he didn’t know what a UX designer is: My daughter is one, and she makes websites and apps easy to use for coots like me and the letter writer.
So, dear Post, please keep ringing in the new. As the poet laureate of our generation wrote, “He not busy being born is busy dyin’.”
Seth Greenstein, Potomac
In response to Kutlu Somel’s question regarding Evan Birnholz’s weekly crossword puzzles, I would answer that they are for people who enjoy a challenge beyond the mundane crossword puzzles found in other newspapers.
I look forward to Birnholz’s complex mind exercises that provide me with twists and turns and require thinking “outside the box.” If Somel and others desire an easier puzzle, they should turn to the Arts and Style section of The Post and work on the Los Angeles Times puzzle printed there. I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting the next Birnholz puzzle with pen (not pencil) in hand!
The Sept. 11 puzzle was one of his easiest and should have satisfied most puzzle solvers.
Sonia Houck, Woodbridge
I disagree with the recent letter criticizing the Sunday crossword puzzles by Evan Birnholz. Though sometimes challenging, they are almost always solvable, unlike some of the Los Angeles Times puzzles published in The Post on Saturdays.
Yes, a few of his formats are literally outside the box, but that’s what makes them fun. His puzzles often demand a wide range of knowledge, but he strikes a nice balance of current and past subjects, resulting in a very entertaining product. I hope The Post continues to publish his crosswords for a long time.
Bob Sabatelli, Clarksburg
