An NDT Farewell

I started the New Dork Times as I start any passion project: in a fit of creative frenzy and with wide-eyed dreams of what was possible.

I end the New Dork Times, today, with that same passion, just ready to be redirected. Crossword construction entered my life around the same time as my daughter. It was a quick, brain-occupying, naptime activity. Building puzzles with unique themes or highly personal answers became a creative outlet.

As I sat on my couch after a long day today, the last few months of scheduling puzzles to stay on track and constructing by rote without any real feeling culminated in a decision to end the publication. As these things often go, I felt not pain, not sadness, but relief. No more keeping up just to keep up. No more making puzzles out of necessity. That’s how I knew it was the correct decision.

I’ve been feeling different creative urges recently. To write, to pursue a pickleball coaching certificate, to craft and build, to play and perform music. These pull at me like a thread threatening to snap, and I don’t want to ignore them any longer in favor of a project that I feel has run its course.

A veritable buttload of thanks to everyone who subscribed, solved, and commented on my puzzles. You made it fun! Extra thanks to Erin, Matt, and Jim for editing my work day in and day out (you guys aren’t quite off the hook yet, though).

I have a backlog of puzzles numbering nearly three dozen. I don’t have the drive or the energy to post them as core NDT issues. Instead, I’m going to upload them all to Crosshare over the next few weeks for all to enjoy. And I may throw together the occasional mini or midi. When I do, I hope I’ll catch you on the grid.

Thanks again, and happy solving!

Mini 259

Squeak on in, folks!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 259

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

I played Mouse: PI For Hire right after it released. It survived on the whimsy of its pastiche and writing, but the gameplay was stale as all heck. Anyone else play it?

Mini 258

Cool sign-off, bro!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 258

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Mini 257

The CaliFOrniAnS….

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 257

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

This is my favorite cover of all time!

Mini 256

I imagine most of you are recovering from MEGA MINI. Here’s a (hopefully) easier puzzle.

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 256

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

This one goes out to my friend Billy, who plays a mean melody on the mandolin and an even meaner beat on the drum kit!

MEGA MINI

Have fun, folks!

Online Puzzle:

Solve MEGA MINI

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

MEGA MINI is hungry for solves! Will you be the one to feed it?!?!

Mini 255

Brush, gargle, rinse!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 255

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Mini 254

Shape of an L on her forehead…

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 254

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Mini 253

Beach day!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 253

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Woof, this is a tough 4x4 grid. Oh well!

To The Bottom!

Are ya ready, kids?!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Online

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Here’s your inside scoop: sometimes the life of a crossword constructor involves counting how many letters are in a specific word or phrase, then running to the keyboard in a fit of urgency. That’s what happened here when I realized the two restaurants from SpongeBob SquarePants were the same length. The rest of the puzzle practically wrote itself*!

*It did not; I wrote it.

Mini 252

Mi-mi-mi!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 251

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Mini 251

Vroom vroom!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 251

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

A personal fave from The Avett Brothers!

Mini 250

Bend….and SNAP!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 250

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Anyone else watch The Search For Elle Woods? Reality TV really runs the gamut.

Mini 249

How shapely!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 249 Online

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Just some standard shapes my two-year-old knows allllll about in this one!

Mini 248

Honk honk!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 248

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

In high school gym class, I once shot an arrow as far as I could. The teacher was mad because right before I did that, he said to the class, “Please don’t shoot the arrows as far as you can.”

Whoops!

Mini 247

Yum!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 247

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Lol at 2-down. Past Cole was watching a lot of Sesame Street. So is current Cole.

Mini 246

I choose you!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 246

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

This puzzle is a bit of foreshadowing. I’m working on an absolutely MASSIVE themed series featuring none other than my very own mom! There’s still a while to wait, but you’re gonna catch ‘em all soon enough.

Mini 245

Swing, swing!

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 245 Online

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

I made this puzzle before my daughter could say more than a couple of words. Now, she’s threading occasional caveman-like sentences together. One word that sticks in my brain-craw is “Pan,” which is her shorthand for Spider-Man.

Mini 244

I believe…

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 244

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Nothing to see here today, folks!

Mini 243

[Insert middle-school-level insult here]

Online Puzzle:

Solve Mini 243

SPOILER WARNING

Don’t read further unless you want the puzzle’s theme and/or answers spoiled.

Certified soda pop banger!