I'm a professional crossword constructor and Editorial Manager, Puzzles, at Andrews McMeel Universal, where I acquire and edit the Universal Crossword, a daily internationally syndicated puzzle feature; develop (create, design, and code) playable puzzle and game prototypes; and oversee a team of five puzzle editors and one contractor whose portfolio includes the Apple News+ Crossword, USA Today Crossword, and a catalog of original puzzles on GoComics. I created Upwordly, Hex 10, and ThruLine and co-created Overlapt, all of which are original puzzles currently featured on GoComics. I also co-created the now-defunct Modern Crossword.
I've been constructing crossword puzzles since middle school, when I published my first crossword in The New York Times at the age of 14 and became the then second-youngest constructor to be published under Will Shortz's editorship. At 15, I became the youngest published constructor in the Los Angeles Times and the youngest known crossword editor ever for a major newspaper (The Orange County Register and its 24 associated newspapers), where I edited a weekly puzzle feature for more than five years.
While in high school, I founded and directed The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project, a collaborative effort to build a digitized, fully analyzable database of New York Times crossword puzzles published from February 15, 1942, to November 20, 1993 (before Will Shortz became editor) and for which I received several awards.
In college, I became the editor of The Puzzle Society Crossword, a daily nationally syndicated feature for Andrews McMeel Universal and for which I also wrote The Puzzle Society Crossword Crossing blog.
I've had more than 500 puzzles published in The New York Times and other markets, including the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Newsday, The Atlantic, Apple News+, USA Today, The New Yorker, The Orange County Register, Fireball Crosswords, Crosswords with Friends, Daily Celebrity Crossword, The Crosswords Club, the American Values Club Crossword, BuzzFeed, 10-4 Magazine, The Jerusalem Post, KC Studio, SPYSCAPE, and the Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate, as well as in books. I've also built puzzles for Westwords, Crosswords LA, the Minnesota Crossword Tournament, and the Peabody Essex Museum's "PlayTime" exhibit. Over the years I've enjoyed creating many custom crosswords for clients, friends, teachers, schools, and my alma mater, Stanford University.
I try to attend as many in-person puzzle tournaments and conventions as possible, including the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where I was the youngest entrant for two years, served as a judge, and became the youngest contestant ever to win the C Division championship; Boswords, where I won the in-person individuals championship in 2022; Crosswords LA; the Bay Area Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where I was the four-time Junior Division winner; Westwords; the Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest; Lollapuzzoola; Marbles: The Brain Store's 5th Annual Crossword Tournament, where I was a judge; the Second National Brain Game Challenge; and Crossword Tournament From Your Couch. I was also a member of the National Puzzlers' League and attended its annual conventions until the pandemic began.