Congratulations to Will Shortz

That's ONE way to make the New York Times crossword editing team more diverse.

This is going to mess up the posting schedule I just worked out, but as crossword news goes, it doesn’t come much bigger. Will Shortz just came out of the closet.

Furthermore, he has a boyfriend.

Furthermore, they’re getting married.

Will Shortz has been a giant in the puzzling community at least since getting the New York Times crossword gig in 1993, if not since his days as the head of GAMES Magazine. He hosts the American Crossword Puzzle tournament, he created the NYT Spelling Bee puzzle, he does weekly challenges on NPR, he’s edited a zillion sudoku books, and those are just the highlights. Inventing the letter bank, as I mentioned two days ago, was one of his minor accomplishments.

The New Yorker article in which he reveals his relationship is a solid portrait of the icon at his most lovable. It won’t tell you much more about Will’s partner—a name was not given. All else that’s known is that he shares Will’s passion…for table tennis.

Will’s been a help to me on a few key occasions in my career. He provided a pull quote and valuable research for my book, and let me know about the 111x111-square puzzle from 1948 that I felt the need to exceed. They say, “Never meet your heroes,” but Will in person is everything you could hope: a cheerful, intelligent, humble man, a friend to all who seek his friendship, and serenely confident of his purpose on earth. May he and his partner get all the happiness that Will has spent his life so freely giving others.