Henry Hook (crossword constructor)

{{Infobox person

| name = Henry Hook

| image = Henry_Hook,_crossword_compiler.jpg

| caption = Henry Hook at the 2014 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|9|18|mf=y}}

| birth_place = East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|10|27|1955|9|18}}

| spouse = Stephanie Abrams (1985-1988, her death)[https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2015/nov/02/crossword-blog-farewell-henry-hook Crossword blog: farewell to the irascible Henry Hook], by Alan Connor, in the Guardian; published November 2, 2015; retrieved December 17, 2015

| known_for = Crossword puzzles

}}

Henry Hook (September 18, 1955 – October 27, 2015) was an American creator of crossword puzzles, widely credited with popularizing the cryptic crossword in North America. With Henry Rathvon and Emily Cox, he wrote the crossword for the Boston Globe.

Hook began constructing crosswords at age 14, when he sent a rebuttal crossword to Eugene T. Maleska. Maleska's crossword contained the hidden message:

You Have Just Finished The World's Most Remarkable Crossword

Hook's crossword contained the hidden message:

What Makes You Think Your Puzzle Is More Remarkable Than Mine{{cite news|last1=Bilger|first1=Burkhard|title=The Riddler|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/03/04/the-riddler|accessdate=October 31, 2015|work=New Yorker|date=March 4, 2002|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930065723/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/03/04/the-riddler|archivedate=September 30, 2014}} [http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/newyorker0202.htm Alt URL]

Maleska subsequently became Hook's mentor.

In 1980, Hook joined the staff of Games.

In the mid-1980s, he collaborated with novelists Patricia Moyes and Herbert Resnicow to create crosswords for crossword-themed mystery novels.[https://books.google.com/books?id=CZdmLIrJnZcC&dq=%22murder+across+and+down%22+hook&pg=PT185 Puzzled: Secrets and clues from a life in words], by David Astle; published November 1, 2012, by Profile Books

In 1990, CROSSW RD ranked his Hooked on Puzzles #3 the best book of the year;[https://www.scribd.com/doc/256332623/And-the-Wynners-Are-Weng-Hook-Cox-Rathvon-Shenk-Pomerance-and-Joline-by-Helene-Hovanec And the Wynners are: Weng, Hook, Cox, Rathvon, Shenk, Pomerance, and Joline], by Helene Hovanec, in CROSSW RD Magazine; volume 1, number 2; March/April 1991; via Scribd; retrieved February 15, 2017 Hook subsequently recused himself from future awards.[https://www.scribd.com/doc/253543629/In-Memoriam-William-Lutwiniak-1919-1992-by-jbn-J-Baxter-Newgate Letters], by Henry Hook, in CROSSW RD Magazine; volume II number 3 (May-June 1992), via Scribd; retrieved February 25, 2017

Stanley Newman has described one of Hook's puzzles as "one of the toughest crosswords (Newman) has ever published".[https://web.archive.org/web/20070907130722/http://stanxwords.com/wordwit1.htm WordWit Puzzle Contest], by Stanley Newman, at StanXWords.com; published September 3, 2007; via archive.org; "Three winners will be selected at random from all correct entries. Each will receive a copy of one of the toughest crosswords Stan has ever published: "The Beast" by Henry Hook. (Includes annotated solution.)"

Matt Gaffney, the crossword constructor for Slate.com, described meeting Hook as being like "meeting Elvis",{{cite news|last1=Gaffney|first1=Matt|title=Diary: A Weeklong Electronic Journal: Entry 5|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts_and_life/diary/features/2002/_33/entry_5.html|work=Slate|date=January 25, 2002}} while Will Shortz called him "ingenious, (and) a truly brilliant puzzlemaker."[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/01/03/crossword-elite-put-lots-of-thought-into-little-boxes/ Crossword Elite Put Lots Of Thought Into Little Boxes], by Sam Hodges, in the Orlando Sentinel; published January 3, 1988; retrieved February 15, 2017 Crossword editor and historian Ben Tausig, in his 2013 The Curious History of the Crossword, described Hook as "an under-recognized, polarizing genius with a sometimes tense relationship with audiences."The Curious History of the Crossword, by Ben Tausig; p. 131; published 2013 by Quarto Publishing

Hook died on October 27, 2015, after a long illness.{{cite news|last1=Shortz|first1=Will|title=Remembering Henry Hook|url=http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/remembering-henry-hook/|accessdate=October 31, 2015|work=New York Times|date=October 28, 2015}}{{cite news|title=Puzzle maker Henry Hook dies after a long illness|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2015/10/30/puzzle-maker-henry-hook-dies-after-long-illness/cppq0eu96E9A9tDA2zLFiL/story.html|accessdate=October 31, 2015|work=Boston Globe|date=October 30, 2015}}