Friday Minis

Each of today's mini puzzles has a tasty treat inside of it -- and I do mean that literally. The now-famous/infamous Sid Sivakumar has officially inspired me to start adding more foods from my culture into puzzles. So here we are. This certainly isn't the last you'll see of such entries 😉🧩

Amanda

Theatre Thursday #12

Puzzle spoilers and hot theater takes ensue. Read after solving if you care about either. 

Have you ever loved something so much that you don't even know how to talk about it? That's how I feel right now, writing about "Come From Away". In actually, I have an ungodly amount to say so I'm hoping I'm able to be articulate and reasonably concise in the sentences that follow. I saw "Come From Away" about a year and a half ago and it's truly difficult to capture the power and heart that this show has managed to embody with little to no fanfare. The set, as you can see from the photo above, is nearly non-existent, as is the presence of any major props, costumes, or production value to speak of. Instead, you find yourself confronted by perhaps the strongest ensemble work of any show you've ever seen -- with each actor double-cast and not a single one emerging as the lead or the star. Rather, the ensemble as a whole elevates itself and rises to a new level of excellence that I've never seen before in the theater. If you've yet to experience the magic of this show, there's some good news: 1) It's slated to go on tour again next year (fingers crossed that the arts will be in a position to return by then); and 2) the musical is almost entirely sung through, so by listening to the cast album you are able to catch all but about 20 minutes of the story. STORY. That is really what this musical does so well. Tells a story. Tells a true story. And not only tells a story but tells the story that we so desperately need to hear and be reminded of right now: that there is good among us and within us.

This is a beautiful and unusual show. The songs, barring a few, do not feel like show tunes. The function of the music is so narrative that it's possible to even forget that the storytelling is being done through song. The handful of characters present in the show were condensed from hours of interviews with tons of real life people and yet the narrative comes out feeling seamless and natural. So much could have gone wrong at so many points in the development of a true story centering around 9/11 that would then be produced in New York. But it's perfect. (And in my opinion should have won Best Book at the Tony's that year). Perhaps right now as much as ever its message serves as a hopeful reminder that there can be acts of kindness that bridge our differences in response to a terrible event. I hope you feel inspired to either visit or revisit the cast album, and/or keep an eye out for tickets whenever the world resumes as normal. For now, I'm including a link to the cast of "Come From Away" performing an NPR Tiny Desk Concert that I just cried through all 18 minutes of. I hope you enjoy -- and be sure to grab a box of tissues! 🎭🧩

Amanda

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Guest Midi by Ken Stern

I'm super happy to be hosting a midi puzzle by Ken Stern today, which I learned from his notes below is his first solo puzzle in thirteen (!!) years. What an honor! :) Ken is a great guy and a fun constructor and it was a blast to work with him on this puzzle. One of the things I like best about both working with and hosting other constructors is that it gives me an endless opportunity for learning. That's also something I like about solving crossword puzzles in general. 1-Across was something that I got to discover through editing this puzzle, and it's something that I am now happy to know. Continued learning is by far one of my favorite things about making and solving crosswords, and I continue to be surprised by all of the amazing stuff I come across. I hope you enjoy today's mouth-watering offering! 🧩

Here's Ken: This is my first solo crossword in 13 years, and my first attempt at a freestyle grid. I took Amanda up on her open offer on Twitter to publish a puzzle -- you already know how wonderful (and daily!) her puzzles are, but she also has a really keen eye as an editor -- if you are working on a puzzle, she will undoubtedly help you help it better, as I'm grateful to her for doing with this one. Thank you, Amanda! This puzzle is also partly inspired by an interview with Sid Sivakumar (who you might be aware has his own crossword site at sidsgrids.com) in which he talked about including more world cuisine in puzzles. 1-Across is not my native cuisine, but I certainly enjoy both eating and spelling it. Finally, if you haven't already, I hope you'll make a donation to a COVID or racial justice charity and pick  up Grids For Good (gridsforgood.org), the collection of 44 excellent original puzzles, to which Amanda and I both contributed.

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Tuesday Mini

Honestly, any opportunity to celebrate Phoebe Waller-Bridge should be taken, so that is just what I did in today's puzzle. And in the photo for today's puzzle. I know mini puzzles aren't necessarily everyone's bag, so I do my best to keep the entries, the clues, and the grid designs feeling as fresh and interesting as I can. I hope I've succeeded. And if not, I'll see you back here tomorrow for something else. 😉🧩

Amanda

Monday Midi

Well yesterday was quite an eventful day at the Boswords tournament! What a fun afternoon! Thanks to everyone who reached out with kind words after the tournament, and congrats to Paolo, Erik, and David for your huge successes! If you weren't able to participate in the tournament, the pack of tournament puzzles can be purchased for (I believe) $5 on the Boswords site. I've also been told that the full interviews with everyone will be accessible somewhere/somehow, so I'm looking forward to checking those out. If anyone is here for the first time after hearing about this site during the tournament, 1) Welcome!, and 2) No, I'm sorry this is not sidsgrids.com. But there's the link if you meant to go there instead ;)

I was feeling pumped up after the tournament yesterday, so I went kind of crazy with the clues for today's puzzle. I hope you find them fun! In other clue news, a few of my wackier clues got edited from my Boswords puzzle, so when I stream on Twitch this week, maybe I'll have a "cut clues" segment amidst our group solving. We'll probably solve some more cryptics, and maybe some other variety puzzles or NPL flats. Hope to see you there, and in the meantime, enjoy the puzzle! 🧩

Amanda

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Puzzle #11: "Led Astray" by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

What a total thrill to be hosting Enrique Henestroza Anguiano on Brain Candy today! Enrique has his own site (Datalexic) where he posts crosswords, and he's also been popping up on other indie constructors' blogs lately as well, and I've had a blast solving all of his puzzles. It was so great to work with him on this one, especially since the idea was such a fun one! And honestly, he's just a really delightful guy. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of his work in the future :)

In other news, today is the long-awaited Boswords tournament (which I have a puzzle in), so if you're planning on participating in that...happy solving and I hope you enjoy the puzzle! I look forward to talking shop with you all afterwards! 🧩

Here's Enrique: I'm stoked to have a puzzle on Brain Candy! I've been following Amanda's superstar trajectory and puzzles across a number of venues over the past year, but I also love her level of dedication to publishing a high-quality puzzle on the daily here. This guest crossword was something in my files that I loved, but that was in an in-between zone on the trickiness scale. Amanda had great suggestions for improving the fill and thoughtful feedback on the clues that helped make this the best puzzle it could be -- much appreciation for her awesome editing skills. Hope you enjoy!

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Saturday Midi

I am so happy to have 24-Across in this puzzle. I feel like no matter what your background is, there's some version of this for every culture. I'd love to compare and contrast. While they're all probably rooted in something fairly serious, there's also something to be said for a shared experience that ultimately can bring people closer together. A big part of my cultural involvement in this capacity centers around cuisine, and what I wouldn't give for a deli right now. (Thanks a lot, PICTURE). Happy Saturday, and happy solving everyone! 🧩

Amanda

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