Daniel Okulitch author page

I was still early in my constructing apprenticeship when this one sprung to life. I wanted a grid with flow and a sense of movement, and stumbling on this pattern immediately caught my eye. Sometimes the right central answer in the right grid just makes everything flow, and I had an embarrassment of good fill to choose from, or at least that's how I'm remembering it.

I was likely tearing my hair out until the wee hours, but we have a way of blocking out those experiences. MENTAL GYMNASTICS was indeed what I was going through at the time, as well, so that was an entry I was determined to feature before I'd even begun.

I love this puzzle's debuts: the central answer, as well as LEGO HOUSE (also an Ed Sheeran song with a video featuring Happy Potter's Rupert Grint), HOT COMB, HIRED GOON and POUR OVER, and that my first NYT themeless made it to the coveted Saturday slot.

Thanks to the editing team for all their help with the cluing — the collective brainpower is always impressive.

DANIEL: Like many new constructors, I began in earnest during the 2020 lockdown since all of opera went on an extended hiatus. My first mentor was Brad Wilber, who in addition to being a terrific teacher is also a huge opera fan. With his help, I had my debut publication this year. Through Brad, Doug and I were introduced virtually last year. I was eager to learn more, had innumerable questions, and wanted to collaborate when possible, and Doug and I hit it off beautifully. His generosity and willingness to help me hone my constructing chops has been a wonderful gift. We still trade theme ideas and chip away at them in a glacial way.

I approached Doug with this idea after coming up with a fun clue in a themeless puzzle for TRIP ADVISOR [Personal injury lawyer?] and wondering if there might be a theme worth exploring. We went back and forth with an ever-expanding list, had to kill a few darlings (CROSS TRAINER [Catholic school teacher?] ), and came up with this very fun theme set. Doug's experience in refining a theme set was incredibly valuable.

Given all the alternative careers and side hustles people have had to adopt due to the changing times, it seemed very timely. Performers, in particular, have had to reinvent themselves and develop new skills, and many have faced the grim reality of how quickly their livelihood can be taken away. The stigma of having side jobs and parallel careers has been torn down, for the better. Those in the arts have had to be immensely creative and improvisatory. Fortunately, that is all part of the training.

DOUG: So glad I got to work with Daniel on this and a few other projects. And I'm very much looking forward to a time when we can sit down together with Brad in person. Enjoy the puzzle and the rest of 2021

Prior to lockdown, I can honestly say I had never completed a NYT puzzle in my life. I have to thank my partner, Lara, for sparking my interest in solving, which has become an integral part of our morning routine together. As an opera singer, 2020 yielded a great deal of free time as the entire industry closed down, and I needed a new obsession. Without knowing what a word list was, or that autofill existed, I tried my hand at constructing into the wee hours. Fortunately, the esteemed Brad Wilber reached out via Facebook and rescued me. He is an incredibly patient and generous mentor (and passionate opera fan!). Achieving my goal of having a puzzle accepted by the end of the year was a thrill, and I'm deeply grateful for his guidance and friendship.

This theme was born from, I recall, an offhand joke I read on the goldmine of ideas that is Reddit, which made my eyes roll (as most puns do, thanks to my father) ... but sent me down the rabbit hole of common legal terms that might be punnily clued. A few darlings had to be killed, but I'm tickled at the result and hope the solvers are as well.

Thanks to the team for all their improvements and help — it's a privilege to learn from them. Happy Tuesday, everyone, and I hope you enjoy my upcoming puzzles.