A | N | K | L | E | N | I | C | H | E | D | A | S | ||
T | A | N | Y | A | U | S | H | E | R | O | C | T | ||
F | R | E | E | C | Y | C | L | I | N | G | E | T | A | |
I | R | E | H | U | L | A | S | O | P | S | U | P | ||
R | A | B | E | K | E | N | T | A | N | A | L | |||
S | T | O | P | S | I | D | E | H | U | S | T | L | E | |
T | O | N | I | C | S | E | E | S | T | |||||
R | E | L | O | A | D | S | H | A | L | O | M | |||
E | A | S | E | S | F | I | L | A | S | |||||
D | R | O | P | T | H | E | M | I | C | F | I | N | E | |
E | O | N | S | P | I | N | E | E | V | A | N | |||
N | O | T | Y | E | T | R | E | N | D | E | G | O | ||
T | M | I | K | I | C | K | S | T | A | R | T | E | R | |
A | I | M | E | L | I | A | S | T | E | T | R | A | ||
L | E | E | S | T | A | T | E | A | M | I | S | S |
This is my NYT debut! I've had one puzzle published in the WSJ, but that's it so far. I was thrilled to get the nod from Will on this puzzle last summer. I've been constructing puzzles for some years now but never broke through until this one. I have to thank constructor Ruth Margolin for giving me construction tips (I work with her son); I don't think this would have happened without her guidance and encouragement.
I teach chemistry at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts. I live in Natick, MA with my wonderful wife and two children, all of whom kindly tolerate my crossword construction binges (when I come up with a theme I like, I tend to disappear into my computer until it's done). I was introduced to crossword solving by my grandmother, who I imagine is smiling down on me from on high, with her clipboard of cut-out newspaper crosswords and trusty ballpoint.