Mike Shenk

Mike Shenk is one of the most versatile puzzle constructors and editors in the country. He provided a stunning assortment of pencil puzzles for Games magazine and its offshoots for 16 years, even while constructing daily crosswords for a major newspaper syndicate, which he still does. Mike has been the editor of the puzzles in The Wall Street Journal since the paper introduced its crossword in 1998. The Journal puzzles have since grown from one weekly crossword to a selection of crossword and variety grid puzzles each week. He is a partner in the puzzle-writing company Puzzability with Amy Goldstein and Robert Leighton.

Puzzability, which combines the talents of Mike Shenk, Amy Goldstein, and Robert Leighton, creates puzzles, games, and contests for newspapers, magazines, calendars, TV shows, ads and packaging, corporate events, and electronic media. Its print works include Celebrity Crosswords, Crazy Phrazies, Crazier Phrazies, Take Five Word Puzzles, the award-winning Bananagrams for Kids, The Brainiest Insaniest Ultimate Puzzle Book, and the Amazing Mind Benders Page-A-Day calendar. Puzzability’s Variety Show is the company’s first book for Puzzazz. You can read more about Puzzability at puzzability.com.