Patti Varol author page
1 puzzle by Patti Varol
with Constructor comments
See the 4 answer words debuted by Patti Varol.
Patti Varol is the editor of the Los Angeles Times Crossword.
She is also executive editor at PuzzleNation, managing and editing puzzle content for Crosswords Club, Daily POP crosswords, and the PuzzleNation mobile apps. Her crosswords have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as the Crosswords L.A., Lollapuzzoola, and Boswords crossword tournaments. She is also a founding editor of Women of Letters, a crossword pack featuring the work of women constructors, with proceeds benefiting women-centric charities.
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PATTI: I've been waiting a long time for a New York Times byline, and I love that it's on a collaboration with Doug — even though this is our first NYT together, it is the ninth themeless we've co-constructed. Subscribers to Crosswords Club, which I edit, may know our joint puzzles appear under the name "Helena Buchanan," a pen name that hints at one home state and one favorite novel.
I'm sad our clue to 1A didn't survive, which was [One who has no brand loyalty?]. And I'd clued 37A to reference an actress on The Magicians, which is my favorite train wreck of a TV show. That ... was probably a good clue change.
DOUG: It's always a pleasure to work with Patti on a puzzle! She loves the part I don't love (writing the clues), so we make a great tag team. We're like the original Hart Foundation, but with 95% fewer suplexes.
Patti and I are both baseball fans, so we referenced the infamous PINE TAR Game in our original clue for 38D. I love the image of George Brett barrelling out of the dugout with steam almost literally coming out of his ears.