In my last post I said big news was coming, and so it is: I wrote/constructed a crossword puzzle book!
It's titled Will Must Send Regrets: 101 Rejected Crossword Puzzles and the Stories Behind Them. It's now available at Amazon. So, you should click this link and buy a copy!
Even if you have no intention to read it or solve any of the puzzles in it, it's a great book for your shelf to show you have erudite hobbies like crossword puzzle solving. (And I totally don't mind pity purchases.)
I do genuinely think it's a really good book, though. Not all the puzzles are fantastic (they were rejected for a reason, after all). But for each puzzle, I include its rejection email from the NYT editorial team, I give constructor notes, and I provide a (very) tangentially related anecdote. So, even if the puzzle is bad, you can read a bunch of entertaining commentary after you solve it.
I'm super stoked to finally have it finished. I put a lot of effort into it -- or rather I put a long effort into it. The first puzzle in the book was rejected in 2004, so, in a way, it's been nearly 20 years in the making. But I really started working on it about five years ago -- just chipping away, an hour here, a half hour there.
I basically had everything done around Thanksgiving, and just needed some motivation to put it all together, and I got that a few weeks ago, when I was asked to construct a puzzle for the Boswords Winter Wonderland tournament. I eagerly agreed (super stoked about that too!), and then I found out there will be constructor interviews in the tournament, and so I told myself I needed to totally finish my book by then, so that I could plug it. I need all the help promoting this thing I can get. I have almost zero presence on social media (I tweeted about my book today, my first tweet since 2020, and it currently has one like ... lol... maybe I need to buy one of those blue checks) and not many people read this blog consistently.
But, it's done, it's up, and I'm happy about that.
I did have a brief moment of panic a few days ago, though. Right after I published it, I told my wife about it. (She's always, like, 20% interested in my side projects.) And we had the following conversation.
Her: What's the title?
Me: Will Must Send Regrets: 101 Rejected Crossword Puzzles and the Stories Behind Them.
Her: Oh, you mean Will, like Will Shortz?
Me: Yeah.
Her: He doesn't care that you're using his name like that?
Me: No, I mean, he doesn't know, but I don't think he'd care. Why would he? It's not negative. It's all about my failings. I just thought it was a catchy title.
Her: Aren't there copyright laws or something? Do you include emails he sent you?
Me: Yeah, but that's not illegal. They were sent to me. They're my emails... I think.
Her: Still, I wouldn't be super happy if somebody published a bunch of emails from me and didn't ask permission first.
Me: Really? You think that's, like, a breach of etiquette? Well, I already published it, what should I do?
Her: Just email him and ask if he's cool with it.
Me: And what if he says he isn't?
Her: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I knew she was right, so I sent Will an email, and then waited for a response, trying (and failing) not to obsess over it. The thing is, I wasn't worried he was going to say no, even if he did, I could salvage things by changing the title, removing direct emails, etc. -- it would take some work, but it would be doable -- I was worried he was going to take a while to get back to me, and then I'd be stuck in limbo, wondering what to do. Thankfully, however, that proved to be an unfounded worry, as he got back to me promptly and said he didn't mind at all -- such a mensch.
Well, I think I've spilled enough virtual ink on this for now.
Until next time...
