Portia Lundie author page
1 puzzle by Portia Lundie
with Constructor comments
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Hey all, excited to be making my debut in the 15x15 section. I've been making midis for the NYT Crossword app for a little while (check out my Harry Potter-themed Wizarding Midis!), and Joel challenged me to try making a daily. I sent over a couple of theme ideas, and this was the one they liked best. I hope they'll be open to publishing my NINTENDO themed 15x15 one day.
My crossword dictionary is heavy on comedy, sci-fi/fantasy, and pop culture, and I'm glad that came through in this grid. OPPS/PCB was originally submitted as OPUS/UCB — as a kid in NYC, I knew this improv theater before I knew about most Broadway musicals! LYRA is both my favorite character in a fantasy series and a circus apparatus that I've taken a class in. Still, I've also dabbled in astronomy, so I was happy with this final clue. If LEAP DAY makes you think of that 30 Rock episode, you'll love my Modern TV Midis — thanks to that dictionary, I also got JENNA into this puzzle!
I was originally attracted to puzzles because of the trivia aspect, hence all the themed packs. I grew up with many different dialects in my household, so wordplay is still somewhat frustrating. That's why I was really proud of this one — I even got PERM and COMB in there! When my father moved to this country from the Caribbean, he was embarrassed that he couldn't finish American crosswords, so he couldn't be prouder that I've been welcomed into this lovely community. When I told my mom I was getting my puzzle published in the New York Times, she said, "Well, are they paying you?"