Hi everyone--I am back after an almost two-year hiatus. Life got in the way and things became crazy-busy at work. Also, we canceled our subscription to Newsday because of its declining quality of news coverage, so I was unable to provide my take on the daily puzzles and cryptoquotes. However, I hope to be back soon with my commentary, whether it be from Newsday or another paper.
I am getting ready for my fifth try at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) this weekend. Although I don't place very high, I do enjoy watching all the madness. This year, I will be coming straight from Philly following the Paul Simon/Sting concert. There is a possibility that the tournament may move back to Stamford next year. People have complained that the hotel is too expensive and the staff is unfriendly. I don't know if I'll make the trip if this happens.
During my hiatus, I missed a very important celebration: The Crossword Puzzle Centennial. The site infoplease provides an excellent overview of the history of the crossword puzzle. Will Shortz, the New York Times puzzle editor, owns the largest of collection of historical puzzle books. I would love to look at them! Next time you're surfing the Times site, don't miss Deb Amlen's excellent blog called Wordplay.
I was Googling and came across an item about a new game in Australia called Bonza, which has been created for mobile devices. Sounds interesting. We also have Bernice Gordon, still constructing puzzles at the young age of 100! G-d bless her!
I am hoping to feature some reviews of puzzle books on this blog. Later this year, I plan on opening an Etsy shop featuring theme puzzles and word games for all occasions. Stay tuned for details!
Till next time. . . .
Signing off,
The Puzzlechick
Daily Crossword Blogroll
About Me
- Kathy Semble
- My love affair with puzzles started when I was 10 years old. My grandfather bought me a book of word-search puzzles and introduced me to Scrabble and Boggle. In college, my roommate had a subscription to Games magazine and I became hooked on crosswords. During my commute to work, I would solve the Times puzzle as well as others. I even worked briefly for a puzzle magazine publisher. As much as I enjoyed the job, I thought I needed to have more "marketable" skills, so I learned desktop publishing and copy editing. After seeing the movie "Wordplay," I decided to attend the American Crossword Puzzle tournament. This year will be my fifth year in the tournament. During these last few years, I've become familiar with constructors' styles and am now attempting to construct puzzles as well (it's not easy!). I live in Forest Hills with my husband and son. My interests including postcard and business-card collecting, theater, going to museums, attending concerts, traveling, reading, dining out, and shopping.
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