In a few cases, I’ve been able to use my local knowledge to make the clues Charlotte-specific in some fun ways. Chris sets the theme, fills the grid and writes the clues my role as editor of these puzzles has been to offer suggestions for improvement. Chris was full of ideas for Charlotte- and Carolinas-themed puzzles and quickly authored an initial set of five that will run in The Ledger over the next few weekends. Matt introduced me to Chris King, a Columbia-based constructor and author of several crossword collections. When Ledger founder Tony Mecia asked me over the summer for help launching a locally themed Ledger Crossword, I knew Matt could help us find a constructor who would bring some Carolinas flavor (a little smoke, a little vinegar, with a nice bark on the outside) to the puzzles. I was so excited about Matt’s newsletter that I reached out and volunteered my services as a consultant. This sort of central resource for online crossword solvers was something I had sought in vain when I first went in search of beyond-the-NYT resources in 2018. The backstory: Earlier this year, my worlds collided when I learned that a solver named Matt Gritzmacher had started a “Daily Crossword Links” newsletter on Substack (the same platform that has been home to the Ledger for almost three years now). For the last two summers, my college-age daughter has joined me in the Pairs category for the Lollapuzzoola tournament. At the same time, many formerly in-person-only crossword tournaments were forced to go online, opening the competition to people (like me) who might have balked at getting on a plane to compete but were happy to spend a Saturday afternoon in front of the computer doing puzzles. Stuck inside with nothing to do, a lot of people turned to constructing. The pandemic was a blessing for those of us who love word puzzles. The Times has expanded puzzle offerings and coverage, old-line publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic have added (or reinstated) crosswords, often for online solvers, and independent Millennial and Gen Z crossword-makers - known as “constructors” - have sparked further growth. In 2021, we’re living amid an unexpected Crossword Renaissance. Yes, The New York Times ran its first crossword back in 1942. Yes, the first American-style crossword puzzle premiered in the New York World newspaper in 1913. The Ledger’s new crossword puzzle feature, which I am pleased to introduce today, keeps the Ledger squarely on the cutting edge of 21st century trends.
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