Anne Grae Martin author page
2 puzzles by Anne Grae Martin
with Constructor comments
| S | A | S | S | Y | A | R | M | S | T | A | S | H | ||
| C | U | T | I | E | L | O | A | W | O | W | I | E | ||
| A | D | U | B | A | A | W | A | R | E | N | E | S | S | |
| R | E | N | H | A | N | D | M | A | D | E | ||||
| E | N | T | R | Y | W | A | Y | S | E | D | G | E | S | |
| O | O | O | M | P | S | O | A | T | ||||||
| O | B | D | U | R | A | T | E | E | D | G | E | |||
| U | C | L | A | D | R | E | A | M | M | O | L | T | ||
| T | H | A | N | S | E | T | A | D | A | T | E | |||
| A | R | I | P | I | E | M | R | I | ||||||
| H | E | R | M | A | N | C | O | B | B | L | I | N | G | |
| A | U | T | U | M | N | A | L | T | A | O | ||||
| Y | O | G | A | P | O | S | E | S | A | B | S | I | T | |
| A | L | I | C | E | E | R | E | C | R | O | A | T | ||
| M | A | N | O | R | D | E | T | K | O | N | D | O |
I started constructing crosswords around the same time I graduated from my 200-hour yoga teacher training program, so the two have always been linked to me. This was one of the first themes I attempted, but it quickly ended up on the cutting room floor as my unsophisticated word list rendered a cluttered and obscure puzzle. I kept returning to it, trying to incorporate different poses and grid art.
The first version I submitted to the Crossword Team had a quasi-yin yang design that was laughably cluttered. I'm so grateful fellow yogi Wyna Liu (& the entire puzzle team) saw something in this theme and gave me the chance to rework it.
This is my most "autobiographical" puzzle to date. Yoga has been important to me for a long time in my life, even before I started teaching. The English major in me is also thrilled to have Mark Twain and Jane Austen incorporated. And the Disney song is the icing on the cake.
I hope you're able to learn at least one thing from this puzzle; those are always my favorite to solve.
| R | B | G | G | R | A | D | P | U | S | S | ||||
| U | R | L | A | P | L | U | S | O | N | E | U | P | ||
| B | O | O | K | S | M | A | R | T | E | D | I | C | T | |
| I | N | B | O | X | A | A | S | E | Z | R | A | |||
| O | X | E | N | H | E | N | B | E | R | R | I | E | S | |
| A | C | A | I | C | A | P | N | |||||||
| A | B | C | H | U | G | O | S | H | A | G | A | R | ||
| S | C | H | O | O | L | H | O | U | S | E | R | O | C | K |
| S | C | A | N | S | T | H | R | E | E | N | E | O | ||
| R | E | E | F | G | A | M | E | |||||||
| W | A | G | O | N | W | H | E | E | L | L | E | F | T | |
| O | V | E | N | D | E | V | I | S | U | Z | U | |||
| W | I | D | O | W | L | I | T | T | L | E | R | E | D | |
| S | A | U | N | A | P | L | I | N | K | O | R | E | ||
| S | P | E | X | S | E | T | S | S | O | S |
A little bit about me: I am a third-year law student based in Washington, D.C. I started solving crosswords regularly when I was studying for the LSAT and began constructing in 2019 before starting law school. Constructing and solving have been great outlets for me during the more stressful moments of school.
This theme came together quickly once I set my mind to it. I liked that there was a weirdly high number of phrases that fit this theme, but not an excessive number. Fitting them into the longer answers came easily as well, and from that point it was just a matter of getting the fill as clean as I could manage.
One last note, The Little Red Hen has always held a special place in my heart, and it feels apropos that my debut pays homage to it. I had a seizure when I was very little, and the first thing my mom read to me after it was The Little Red Hen to make sure I could follow along. I've always associated that story with gratitude for health and family, and this is especially true after this year. I hope if you're reading this you can take time to appreciate something in your life you're grateful for right now.
Thank you to my parents, friends, and boyfriend for being so supportive of all my hobbies over the years. I hope everyone has as much fun solving this puzzle as I had constructing it!