One down

Yesterday's Los Angeles Times carried the obituary of Barry Tunick, who, along with Sylvia Bursztyn, had been writing the Times' Sunday crossword puzzles since the '80s. I've been working crossword puzzles for nearly ever, and those puzzles have always been my favorites for their clever clues, the wit and the puns, for how smart they are. Turns out Tunick was the one who wrote those clues, the one who loved the puns.

I never knew anything about either one of them before yesterday, only that I enjoy their creations immensely. Working one of their puzzles is one of the small yet completely satisfying occupations of my life. And now one half of that partnership is gone. Coincidentally, just yesterday I began Puzzle No. 50 in Vol. 22 of their collected puzzles. I hope when I finish it, I'll find Vol. 23 at the bookstore.

Thanks, Barry. I'll miss you.