May, I think that's terrific! I'm a novice puzzler and cannot imagine actually creating one. Congratulations to Nathan...and to you!

jude

How cool is that. I can barely finish one, I can't imagine trying to design one.

Here's the link to the puzzle (for May 27) online. Click on the "Featured Puzzle" twice to get it to open.

And here's a link to a paper version of the puzzle

Here is a link that might be useful: Nathan's puzzle

Oh what fun, I haven't looked at a crossword in years. Tell Nathan I LOVE EJ's Aida! Hey....I have a famous initial buddy! Tell him too that we were listening to Ani before she got famous LOL

Great fun!

Oh, that was so much fun! Excellent, clever, witty clues! I loved it!

When my DD was in high school, she used to construct cryptograms for me to solve. It was amazing to me that the mind of a "puzzle constructor" is so different from that of a "puzzle solver." I'm a solver, but it is something very special to be a creator.

Mazel tov, May, on producing such a smart son! (You deserve at least a little of the credit.) And thanks for sharing this with us.

Sue

Very excellent puzzle! I used to compete in the national crossword tournaments sponsored by Games magazine, so I'm a pretty decent judge of what makes a fun, well-constructed puzzle, and that definitely qualifies. Constructors are some of the most interesting people I've ever met.

Congratulations to Nathan! (And to his mom!)

Congratulations to Nathan for getting published and to May for having such a brilliant son.

I've often thought of creating one and submitting it, but figured most papers didn't take freelance.

What fun I'm having with Nathan's CWP! The questions are very diverse. I haven't done a CWP in a long time but this reminding me what fun and challenging they can be. And boy do I need challenges for my mind.

Great puzzle! I thoroughly enjoyed solving it and I love the fishy clues/answers. Thanks so much for sharing it!

Alexa

Thank you for all your kind comments! Anyone who is a parent already knows this but as much fun as it is to brag about your own accomplishments, it's just the biggest thrill ever to brag about your offsprings' accomplishments.

I did the puzzle on line this morning, using the lower level security (where it tells you when you've entered a wrong letter) and it took me just shy of 25 minutes. I didn't even know I was being timed!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Nathan's blog (in case anyone is interested) where he talks breifly about this

My congratulations to Nathan! Not only for being published, but for making such a good puzzle. It was easy (i.e., made sense) and had very few "flaws" for me: Only one "oh come on", one "crossword" word, and one "Huh?". That's a very very good puzzle indeed! The clues were clever and interesting without being strange or goofy. I think that might be harder to do even than making a good grid. What a great first! I hope he'll publish more.

Wow!!!

I have the good fortune of having met Nathan (but not May! yet) and I already knew he was smart (and nice) -- but I didn't know he was a crossword constructor! The highest form of human life, in my opinion. I LOVE crosswords and I have enormous respect for constructors. Puzzles have gotten so good they are becoming a literary form, in my opinion. (This morning's NYT was very clever.)

I'm looking forward to doing Nathan's puzzle. I haven't seen it yet -- I was too excited to wait to post!

Congratulations, May!

What fun!!...And I used as my "delay" excuse....fun puzzle to solve!

Congratulations proud mother May, and to Nathan too! He's famous!

I became a crossword aficionado when I retired. I guess several of us fall into that category. :-) I greatly admire crossword constructors, the ones who create the clever type of puzzle built around a theme such as Nathan's. I would like to try constructing a puzzle, just to see what it's like. I would need to work up the courage.

Congratulations, Nathan's Mom!

Jim

We had fun with it too, I found it challenging without being frustrating! Except for the pain reliever clue. I've never seen the word and I kept going back to try and figure it out. Thanks to your link, I see I'm not the only one! Good going Nathan, keep it up!

May, my husband was reading his e-mail and looked up, puzzled. "I'm supposed to tell you that Nathan Miller's mother says thanks for the nice comment and that you will understand. ... ??"

Thing Two happened to have another friend from camp stay over last night. I made copies of the puzzle. They were SO excited! She told me that he's going to be at camp this summer, so I guess I will see him. Want to plan some sort of practical joke? :-)

May, I purposely did not read any comments here in case there are spoilers! I am going to do Nathan's puzzle now. I enjoy crosswords very much but my good friend is just crazy about them. He even went to the national competition that the movie Wordplay was about. I'll show this to him.

I would be bustin' my buttons, too, if one of my kids did this. Congrats.

Thanks thanks!! This is so much fun.

LOL gell - your husband was clearly mystified.

I did the puzzle, and it is GREAT. Really. Very clever, very well constructed, no stupid obscure clues, no crossed unfamiliar names, not too easy. And I am VERY picky about crossword puzzles. Nathan has the makings of being one of the great puzzle constructors. I can't wait to see his next one.

Congratulations! Fun puzzle and I'm another puzzle lover. I like them when they are hard enough to be frustrating, but ultimately solvable and this was.

I'm sure we'll be seeing his name on more in the future.