It is no wonder why many voracious consumers of culture, both “high” and “low, both inside and outside the academy, curl up on the weekend or escape midweek drudgery with a crossword, coffee stain lining the newspaper or—to use a more contemporary metaphor—finger sliding across a smartphone.  In the same way they do with a literary text, crossword “readers” often find the crossword pleasurable, interesting, and mentally challenging.  This is not, however, to say that these harmless amusements aren’t ultimately types of ideological vehicles, however slight they may seem.  What gets included and what does not is, most assuredly, political, and the class and racial and gender politics of it all runs much deeper than curse words, sexual terms, and touchy partisan or medical phrasings.  Access to and representation in a crossword space becomes critically important, as the knowledge from one generation is imparted to the next.

In a most interesting way, the crossword puzzle can metaphorically level social strata, letting cultures be accessed in new and significant ways. Shakespeare is brought together with Dr. Dre, ionic columns together with Oreo cookies.  One might be reminded of Walt Whitman’s paratactical modes, where felons and presidents, prostitutes and farmers all grow together in the same patch of grass.

This cfp is for a proposal for a roundtable at the next MLA Conference in Toronto, which is taking place from January 8-11, 2026.  (Acceptance does not guarantee that the MLA will accept our proposal.)  Time for individual talks will be minimal, as we hope to have a lively roundtable conversation and Q&A.  Each talk should come out of the central question: what does it mean to read a crossword.

If you are interested in participating, please submit a 200-word abstract and brief bio to David Ben-Merre (benmerdn@buffalostate.edu).

The deadline for submissions is March 25, 2025.  (Apologies for the quick turnaround.)  Accepted roundtable participants must update their MLA memberships in order to be included.