Keith Alnwick

Let me be FRANC. I was in tRUBLE there for a BIT, but I was able to POUND through without too much aGUINEA. Did you feel the struggle was worth it? I certainly hoPESO :) PS: I LOLed at NERD for "Square One".

I should have taken the advice to slow down, as this one was just so good! (I'm riding on a train sans WiFi and definitely not THERE YET.) There have been a few standouts in my current streak, the weekend puzzle from the father-daughter team from Vermont comes to mind, and now another banger from a young constructor, fresh, clever, and elegant. Hats off to Julian Xiao. Like the finest conductors, it will be a pleasure to stay current on his works.

I can't say I've deciphered it yet, but I already feel like this series is a magnum opus of crossword construction. Can't wait for the next installment!