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In 2015, Will Shortz was asked to pick his favorite puzzlemakers for a new crossword collection.
To simplify the decision, he set some criteria: each contributor had to be current with at least 25 published NYT puzzles at all skill levels including Sundays.
The results are the constructors you see below.
Interestingly, the constructors themselves got to choose 10 puzzles each, 8 dailies and 2 Sundays, so you're seeing the ones they're most proud of.
Each constructor also has a brief bio. To read those, you need to buy the book.
Update: apparently in at least some cases, puzzles were chosen by the editor, not by the constructors,
despite what the Introduction in the book says.
| Num | Across Lite | Author | Answers |
| 1. | Tuesday, June 2, 2009 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 2. | Tuesday, May 9, 2006 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 3. | Wednesday, July 22, 2009 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 4. | Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 5. | Thursday, October 7, 2010*** | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 6. | Thursday, November 5, 2009 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 7. | Thursday, January 15, 2009 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 8. | Thursday, June 18, 2009 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 9. | Sunday, June 4, 2006 | Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 10. | Sunday, October 30, 2011 | Andrea Carla Michaels & Patrick Blindauer | Solution |
| 11. | Monday, August 1, 2011 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 12. | Monday, October 22, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 13. | Wednesday, January 23, 2013 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 14. | Thursday, September 1, 2011 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 15. | Thursday, July 26, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 16. | Thursday, September 27, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 17. | Thursday, November 22, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 18. | Friday, March 16, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 19. | Sunday, September 2, 2012 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 20. | Sunday, October 16, 2011 | Joel Fagliano | Solution |
| 21. | Monday, June 29, 2009 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 22. | Monday, January 2, 2012 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 23. | Tuesday, August 3, 2010 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 24. | Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 25. | Tuesday, February 14, 2012 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 26. | Friday, June 17, 2011 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 27. | Friday, July 29, 2011 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 28. | Saturday, October 24, 2009 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 29. | Sunday, April 9, 2006 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 30. | Sunday, September 12, 2010 | Paula Gamache | Solution |
| 31. | Monday, July 31, 2006 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 32. | Wednesday, February 21, 2007 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 33. | Wednesday, February 1, 2006*** | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 34. | Wednesday, March 28, 2001 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 35. | Thursday, May 8, 2003*** | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 36. | Thursday, June 3, 2010 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 37. | Thursday, June 28, 2012 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 38. | Friday, July 22, 2005 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 39. | Sunday, February 20, 2011 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 40. | Sunday, October 18, 2009 | Elizabeth C. Gorski | Solution |
| 41. | Monday, April 11, 2011 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 42. | Monday, May 21, 2012 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 43. | Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 44. | Tuesday, August 14, 2012 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 45. | Thursday, March 24, 2011 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 46. | Thursday, July 5, 2012 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 47. | Friday, February 17, 2012 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 48. | Friday, January 11, 2013 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 49. | Sunday, January 29, 2012 | Ian Livengood | Solution |
| 50. | Sunday, February 17, 2013 | Ian Livengood and J.A.S.A. Crossword Class | Solution |
| 51. | Tuesday, July 15, 1997 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 52. | Wednesday, February 28, 1996 | F.A. Longo | Solution |
| 53. | Wednesday, November 14, 2001 | Frank A. Longo | Solution |
| 54. | Thursday, February 10, 2005 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 55. | Thursday, September 15, 2005 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 56. | Friday, October 24, 1997 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 57. | Saturday, November 22, 2008*** | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 58. | Saturday, August 6, 2005 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 59. | Sunday, February 5, 1995 | Frank A. Longo | Solution |
| 60. | Sunday, October 31, 1999 | Frank Longo | Solution |
| 61. | Monday, December 28, 2009 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 62. | Wednesday, December 29, 2010 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 63. | Thursday, June 24, 2004 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 64. | Thursday, September 22, 2005 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 65. | Thursday, December 15, 2005*** | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 66. | Thursday, November 17, 2011 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 67. | Friday, August 11, 2006 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 68. | Friday, March 18, 2011 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 69. | Sunday, November 20, 2005 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 70. | Sunday, December 18, 2011 | Patrick Merrell | Solution |
| 71. | Tuesday, October 18, 2011 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 72. | Thursday, October 26, 2000 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 73. | Thursday, December 2, 2004*** | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 74. | Friday, August 31, 2012 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 75. | Friday, October 19, 2012 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 76. | Friday, February 21, 2014 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 77. | Friday, February 15, 2008*** | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 78. | Saturday, May 19, 2012 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 79. | Sunday, August 12, 2012 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 80. | Sunday, March 9, 2008 | Patrick Berry | Solution |
| 81. | Monday, March 1, 2010 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 82. | Tuesday, November 2, 2010 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 83. | Wednesday, May 18, 2005 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 84. | Wednesday, January 31, 2007 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 85. | Thursday, June 2, 2011 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 86. | Friday, October 8, 2010 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 87. | Saturday, January 21, 2006 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 88. | Saturday, March 1, 2008 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 89. | Sunday, March 2, 2003 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 90. | Sunday, October 25, 2009 | Brendan Emmett Quigley | Solution |
| 91. | Monday, September 12, 2005 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 92. | Monday, September 6, 2004 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 93. | Wednesday, January 5, 2005*** | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 94. | Thursday, November 24, 2005*** | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 95. | Thursday, July 12, 2007 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 96. | Saturday, September 16, 2006 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 97. | Saturday, April 7, 2007 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 98. | Saturday, August 30, 2008 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 99. | Sunday, January 22, 2006 | George Barany and Michael Shteyman | Solution |
| 100. | Sunday, March 19, 2006 | Michael Shteyman | Solution |
Erratum: in the book, puzzle 65 is different. The one listed here is the one Will Shortz and Patrick Merrell intended.
