Howard Barkin

Howard Barkin is an American crossword constructor and solver who studied computer science at Ramapo College before building a career as a quality assurance manager in software development. He came to competitive crossword solving in his late twenties, using puzzles to unwind during a strict half hour lunch break at work, and became a regular competitor at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, reaching the televised finals four times over a decade without winning. In 2016, in his eleventh year at the tournament, Barkin upset six time champion Dan Feyer to win the title outright. Beyond solving, he is an active puzzle constructor whose crosswords have been published by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed.