Administrivial Alert! In the Thursday, January 23, 2014 puzzle, there are elements in the print version that cannot be replicated electronically. We recommend using the PDF for the best solving experience.
WEDNESDAY’S PUZZLE — Is everyone comfortable and ready for a nice bedtime story? Good. Just don’t blame me for the nightmares.
This. This is the story that my mother told me when I was a kid that alerted me to the concept of “stranger danger” and how, if anyone ever offered you candy, to make sure you had a big pocket full of bread crumbs in reserve just in case you needed to find your way HOME. Also, it taught me not to eat too much, lest my poor woodcutter father marry a woman who would be capable of leaving me and my sister in the woods because we were eating them out of house and home. I think it’s safe to say that those old fairy tales really messed up a lot of kids. Either that, or the children growing up in the 19th century when HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN wrote the story and the BROTHERS GRIMM published it were much tougher than I ever was.
Anyway, placing my own neuroses firmly to the side, I really thought this was a very clever debut by newcomer Jared Banta. There is quite a bit of theme material here and it manifests itself in different ways: circles that make up a map from HOME to the WITCH’s house (or vice versa, depending on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist), the title of the fairy tale, the publishers and, of course, its author. Follow those circles and you can find your way HOME using the trail of BREADCRUMBS. That’s pretty neat.
In nontheme news, I really liked NEAR BEER and EAT NO FAT, but was momentarily tripped up by H BEAM because I was anticipating I BEAM. I BEAMs are a far more common girder, at least in the field of crossword construction. I wonder how many buildings have been built using I BEAMS that were lying on their sides and construction workers saying “Hey, look! An H BEAM!” [That joke is a lot funnier if you look at this photo. Sometimes Deb needs visual aids. –Ed.]
Clue of the Day goes to 48 Down’s “Provide an address?” for ORATE. I would have picked 63 Across’s “Bad marks for a high schooler?” for ZITS, but The Boy is now a teenager in high school, and he didn’t find that funny at all. Maybe in a few years.
Will Shortz says, “Constructor Jared Banta of Superior, Colo., makes his debut today with a very clever theme idea. Generally solvers (especially new ones) don’t expect a rebus element on a Wednesday, so I’m girding myself for complaints about the lower-left and upper-right corners.”
Let’s meet Mr. Banta:
Constructor’s Notes
This puzzle has had a very eventful life, from going through eight revisions to get the fill as good as I could make it, to getting lost in the mail, to being accepted but subsequently awaiting publication for two years. During that time, I’ve undertaken quite a journey in my own life.
When I first submitted this puzzle, I was a temp worker still living in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado (Go Broncos!) Right around the time this puzzle was accepted for publication, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my passion of composing film music. I have since graduated from U.S.C. and taken a job as scoring assistant with Hollywood film composer Christopher Young. Recently, I scored my first feature film, a documentary entitled “True Son”, about a young politician named Michael Tubbs. Currently I am working with Mr. Young on a movie called “Deliver Us From Evil”.
I’ve had an interest in creating things from an early age, an interest which has long included both music and puzzles. I’m afraid puzzle writing may always be a hobby for me since my fledgling music career only allows for occasional dabbling any more, and so I am humbled and honored to be listed among such incredible thinkers as the New York Times puzzle constructors, whom I have admired very much for many years.
As for the puzzle itself, I was fascinated by the idea that one could tell a story through the restrictive medium of a crossword. I suppose I lucked out to discover a familiar story with a 15-letter title that could be graphically represented within a puzzle grid. After that discovery it was simply a matter of getting the fill to work. I remember that Mr. Shortz wasn’t terribly fond of the central “TNS,” but he gave me a pass in this case because of the constrictions of all the theme squares.
I’m excited to have my work pass over so many breakfast tables, and I hope it brings a little bit of enjoyment to people’s day!
And we’re happy to have you join the club, Mr. Banta. You can learn more about his music and puzzling career here.
Updated, 11:32 a.m. | As some readers have mentioned, I’m told that HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN did not write HANSEL AND GRETEL, which makes me wonder why the HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN entry is in the grid, much less broken up.
Finally, hands up if you were confused trying to parse 43 Across. It’s O.K. to admit it. Sometimes we solve by getting things from crossings, and if you thought that the entry LAMER was, perhaps, an editorial opinion of “Debussy’s masterpiece” of LA MER, rest assured that you were completely wrong:
If you like puzzles and music, Pete Muller is running his latest Muller Monthly Music Meta contest. The first puzzle went live today, but you can join in the fun here.
Your thoughts?