Book
The riddles of the sphinx : inheriting the feminist history of the crossword puzzle / Anna Shechtman.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063275478 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 271 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : HarperOne, 2024.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Part I. The riddles of the sphinx -- Black-and-white thinking -- Ruth Hale and the crossword craze -- Margaret Farrar and the domestication of the crossword -- Part II. The sexual politics of wordplay -- Do crossword puzzles : advice to a young psychoanalyst -- Julia Penelope, cunning linguist -- Part III. Politicizing a pastime -- When computers replaced women -- The paradoxes of Ruth von Phul. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographies. Autobiographies. Personal narratives. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | 793.732092 Shech | 31681010363893 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"Combining the soul-baring confessional of Brain on Fire and the addictive storytelling of The Queen's Gambit, a renowned puzzle creator's compulsively readable memoir and history of the crossword puzzle as an unexpected site of women's work and feministprotest. The indisputable 'queen of crosswords,' Anna Shechtman published her first New York Times puzzle at age nineteen, and later, spearheaded the The New Yorker's popular crossword section. Working with a medium often criticized as exclusionary, elitist, and out-of-touch, Anna is one of very few women in the field of puzzle making, where she strives to make the everyday diversion more diverse. In this fascinating work--part memoir, part cultural analysis--she excavates the hidden history of the crossword and the overlooked women who have been central to its creation and evolution, from the 'Crossword Craze' of the 1920s to the role of digital technology today. As she tells the story of her own experience in the CrossWorld, she analyzes the roles assigned to women in American culture, the boxes they've been allowed to fill, and the ways that they've used puzzles to negotiate the constraints and play of desire under patriarchy. The result is an unforgettable and engrossing work of art, a loving and revealing homage to one of our most treasured, entertaining, and ultimately political pastimes"-- - Baker & Taylor
A renowned puzzle creator's offers a memoir and history of the crossword puzzle as an unexpected site of women's work and feminist protest. - HARPERCOLL
"A surprising and ambitious investigation of language and the varied ways women resist the paradoxes of patriarchy both on and off the page."âNew York Times
Combining the soul-baring confessional of Brain on Fire and the addictive storytelling of The Queenâs Gambit, a renowned puzzle creatorâs compulsively readable memoir and history of the crossword puzzle as an unexpected site of womenâs work and feminist protest.
The indisputable âqueen of crosswords,â Anna Shechtman published her first New York Times puzzle at age nineteen, and later, helped to spearhead the The New Yorkerâs popular crossword section. Working with a medium often criticized as exclusionary, elitist, and out-of-touch, Anna is one of very few women in the field of puzzle making, where she strives to make the everyday diversion more diverse.
In this fascinating workâpart memoir, part cultural analysisâshe excavates the hidden history of the crossword and the overlooked women who have been central to its creation and evolution, from the âCrossword Crazeâ of the 1920s to the role of digital technology today. As she tells the story of her own experience in the CrossWorld, she analyzes the roles assigned to women in American culture, the boxes theyâve been allowed to fill, and the ways that theyâve used puzzles to negotiate the constraints and play of desire under patriarchy.
The result is an unforgettable and engrossing work of art, a loving and revealing homage to one of our most treasured, entertaining, and ultimately political pastimes.
