Kim Kirby

I found this one tough but satisfying. Age-wise, I’m too young for MOONRAKER, and too old (I guess) for FURSONA, but that’s what I love about crosswords: you always learn something new. As a history teacher, I always love the historical references, like WHIG. If they refer to something we are learning in the class I teach, I will even include a screenshot in my PowerPoint for that week, as an example of cultural literacy. (My most recent one was PLEBS while we studied Ancient Rome, and SPARTA during our study of Greece. The clue even mentioned the Peloponnesian War!) Speaking of cultural literacy, that’s one of the great things about crosswords: it increases it! I understand complaining when a piece of trivia seems too arcane or vapid, but the flip side is, you learned something about the society you live in! I will never be a furry, for example, but FURSONA is clever and gave me a chuckle this morning.

Such a great debut! The long entries were a delight, and everything felt so fresh and creative!