Fred Piscop is a master puzzle creator and a legend of crossword construction. He has been a regular contributor to The New York Times, a former daily crossword editor for USA Today, former editor of the Washington Post Sunday crossword, and now a contributor of cryptic crosswords to the Times and The Guardian.

Fred has an inspiring story of being introduced to puzzles by his school teacher George Bredehorn who became a mentor and dear friend. George Bredehorn was the inventor of the Split Decisions puzzle (pictured) for which Fred inherited the legacy of keeping it going.

You can find an extended version of this conversation at the Wide Open Air Exchange podcast.

Thanks to Vape Dadz for use of the track ‘Whiskey Priest’ for the Wide Open Air Exchange theme music.