Chandi Deitmer author page

Chandi Deitmer, of Cambridge, Mass., is an editor for Elevate Labs, a brain-training app. Her crosswords have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The New Yorker, The Atlantic and numerous "indie" outlets.

This is her fourth puzzle for The New York Times — all Sundays. Her starting point for it was 58-Across. Chandi says, "I love the space a Sunday puzzle affords to be playful."

Chandi Deitmer, of Cambridge, Mass., edits puzzles for Elevate Labs, a brain-training app. Taylor Johnson, of Minneapolis, is a stay-at-home dad who volunteers at a food co-op. After meeting via an email chain, they became friends and sounding boards for each other's work.

Chandi says, "The good thing about good friends is they tell you when your theme idea isn't landing — and offer to collaborate with you to make it better." Each has been previously published in The Times, but this is their first puzzle here together.

Matthew Stock works for a math education nonprofit in East St. Louis, Ill. Chandi Deitmer, of Cambridge, Mass., is a social worker in the fields of psychiatry and geriatrics.

Matthew was making a themeless puzzle a few years ago and his constructing software suggested [41-Across] and [49-Across] in adjacent spots. That didn't work out, but he tucked the thought away. A fan of Chandi's last Times crossword, he asked if she'd like to collaborate on this one.

Chandi Deitmer, of Somerville, Mass., is a social worker in the fields of psychiatry and geriatrics. She got hooked on crosswords in college via the puzzles in The Onion (which was only in print in those days). She started constructing a year or two ago, mainly for "indie" venues. This is her New York Times debut.

The puzzle has a multilayered theme, whose subject is indicated by the designs in the grid.