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Exciting things have been happening with crossword puzzles in the US: more constructors, more outlets to get puzzles published, clues and answers that would never have appeared even a few years ago, and puzzle packs raising a whole lot of money for charities and humanitarian causes.
You hear from crossword constructor extraordinaire Erik Agard, Juliana Pache of BlackCrossword.com, Rachel Fabi of These Puzzles Fund Abortion, and Adrian Johnson from Puzzles for Palestine.
Content note: there is one Category B swear in this episode.
This is another instalment in the Word Play series about word games and puzzles; listen to the other episodes here. And check out Erik Agard in the episode where I went to the 2017 Lollapuzzoola crossword tournament! There’s also a very early episode of the show about British-style cryptic crosswords. And the Objectivity episode about media outlets unsuccessfully feigning neutrality is relevant to this one too.
EXTRA MATERIALS:
The Expanded Crosswords Name Database by Erica Hsiung Wojcik, that Erik mentioned.
Erik also set up the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory, where people from marginalized groups who want to learn to make puzzles can go for mentorship and other resources.
Some of the tools Juliana uses to create and publish Black Crossword: Crossfire, Crosshare and Amuse Labs.
All the guests namechecked Nate Cardin of Queer Qrosswords, which took a cue from Francis Heaney’s fundraising pack Puzzles for Progress.
“My biggest beef has always been clues that make very overt assumptions. So, like when the clue is "husband's spouse." … Oh, you mean "wife." Because you assume that I'm straight.”
“Crosswords are not just some nerdy pastime. They are an American art form that, on the daily, send a signal to millions of people about who and what matter, about where we are as a culture.
“By opening the crossword’s gates to more types of words and styles of wordplay, these editors reasoned, the form itself would become more capacious, inventive and, well, more fun.”
“Its theme involved the letters B, O, O, and B extending beyond each side of the traditional 15x15 crossword grid; the terminal B of SPONGEBOB was, literally, part of a SIDE BOOB.”
Ada Nicolle’s new book A-to-Gen Z: 72 Puzzles That Hit Different.
More puzzles from Inkubator and et tu, etui?
I had to look up the word ‘procrustean’ that Erik used, and even by the standards of Greek gods’ bad behaviour, Procrustes was a shit.
RIP Faith Ringgold.
Support the show at theallusionist.org/donate and as well as keeping this independent podcast going, you also get behind-the-scenes glimpses about every episode, fortnightly livestreams with me and my dictionaries, and the Allusioverse Discord community.
We’re also going to meet up IRL in Vancouver on 25 May 2024, all are welcome. Details are over on the Events page.
YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
marcescent, adjective, botany:
(of leaves or fronds) withering but remaining attached to the stem.
Derivatives: marcescence, noun.
Origin 18th century: from Latin 'marcescent - 'beginning to wither', from marcere 'wither'
CREDITS:
Erik Agard is a crossword constructor for outlets including the New Yorker, and the founder of the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory.
Juliana Pache is the creator of Black Crossword, daily mini crosswords, also soon available in book form.
Adrian Johnson is one of the organisers of Puzzles for Palestine, the pack of puzzles by all-star setters available in return for donations.
Rachel Fabi is the crossword editor for Autostraddle, and one of the editors of These Puzzles Fund Abortion - their fourth fundraising puzzle pack is available now, and donations over $50 will also net you the first three packs.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, on the unceded ancestral and traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
The original Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick, who also provided editorial assistance. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
Find the Allusionist at youtube.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow, @allusionistshow.bsky.social and instagram.com/allusionistshow
Back in two weeks with a new episode - HZ.
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