Dina Lindemann

Wow. I couldn’t construct a crossword puzzle if my life depended on it so I couldn’t imagine putting one down the way the Deb Amlen did in the Wordplay column today. I thought it was a fun puzzle. I literally felt sad for Joe Marquez, especially after reading the Constructor Notes and his comment, “As a solver, I never get tired of rebus puzzles, so I’m glad I could get one accepted into The New York Times!” Way to go, Joe! Don’t let this pan lessen your pride and enthusiasm for getting your puzzle published in the NYT! It’s quite an accomplishment!

This was one of my all-time favorite puzzles. Truly a remarkable construction that didn’t rely on iffy fill to complete its stunning reveal. Bravo!

Absolutely loved this one. I literally said “oh!” out loud when I saw the very pleasing symmetrical grid. The slow reveal of the reason for its beauty was fun and I didn’t fully get it until the revealer.