On the surface, it shouldn’t work. Every episode, ostensibly about crosswords, is too long, unfocused, full of in-jokes, and mostly about nothing in particular.
And yet…
And yet, it’s the most charming, addictive, and sometimes even insightful podcast on my regular rotation. I look forward to each episode. Every week (more or less) Ryan Hecht and Brian Cimmet sit in front of microphones and talk about, well, eventually a week’s worth of crosswords, but it takes some patience to get there. They’ve recorded these conversations over 450 times! They love words, especially when they cross. They have opinions different enough that they can argue with each other. They’re funny. They’re charming. But that alone is not enough to make it work. They have two special ingredients in their secret sauce that are impossible to fake: sincerity, and love.
They do love crosswords, but they also, clearly, love each other. They’ve been close friends since they started their crossword obsession while both living in NYC. They created the awesome Lollapuzzoola tournament together. They competed together at the ACPT.
Now, Brian teaches Musical Theatre in upstate New York. Ryan has bounced around various jobs in California. They maintain their connection by, among other things, this regular rhythm of talking baseball, Sondheim, goofy contests, and, uh, oh right: crosswords! Their shtick is so polished now that it feels like professionals who have done this for years. In fact, they are professionals who have done this for years.
Love helps, but adding sincerity completes the recipe. Without ever delving into uncomfortable details, we learn about their respective lives, their hopes, dreams, and challenges. They talk to us as if we’re their close friends. It makes us feel like we are.
Fine print
I was a guest on a couple of episodes, so I can’t be completely objective. If you’re seeking out the most interesting guest, look for episodes with Ben Zimmer. For reasons only understood by longtime listeners (and perhaps not even by them), Ben is known as The Great and Powerful Barnacle.
You’d think that when Brian and Ryan disagree, I’d tend to agree more with Brian, since we both have a Musical Theatre background. In fact, it’s Ryan whom I slightly side with most often. Please don’t tell Brian.
XWord Info always highlights the two most recent episodes on the home page, but you can catch all the episodes here or wherever podcasts are downloaded.