Natan Last thinks inside the boxes in his ‘Across the Universe’ crossword history

Natan Last

Natan Last, crossword constructor and author of “Across the Universe: The Past, The Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle.”

Writer and immigration policy advocate Natan Last is also a crossword constructor for The New Yorker and, in his book “Across the Universe: The Past, The Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle,” looks at the game’s history and effect on culture and politics. We spoke with Last ahead of his event at Harvard Book Store on Dec. 10. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have been making puzzles since I was in high school, and I’m kind of obsessed with everyone else’s obsessions. In the puzzle world, you have computer scientists who see the puzzle as the next intellectual game that computers