Free Association 25
Happy 2021 puzzle friends? Yes. Happy 2021. Right? Right.
I could say a lot of things after the last few days. Instead, I will give you a puzzle and trust that you are still keeping it together. I am. I am? Yes. I am.
I hope you enjoy Grid Therapy’s 70th puzzle. You can’t know how grateful I am to be the most outlying of outlying outposts in the puzzleverse. I’m here in the world I want to belong to. And it’s fun to imagine I somehow now belong to it. That will never not be a feel-good. The connections I have made here give me more pleasure than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you. Better days ahead.
Also, I did not know it was going to appear when I posted the last puzzle here on Grid Therapy, but you can see my latest puzzle in a major publication still on the LA Times crossword page. It appeared on January 3rd, and it was a Sunday puzzle so it’s big and has lots of words and stuff. When is my next one? Probably not for a bit, because I haven’t submitted one recently. I am too laser-focused on you fine people. And also I have been lazy of late. There it is. Much love.
About The Author
Trent H. Evans
I'm a husband, father, psychologist, musician, and crossword constructor living in Catonsville, MD. My puzzles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and its syndicates, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Andrews McMeel Universal Syndicate, the American Values Club Crossword, and crossword apps such as the Redstone Crossword Puzzle App on iOS and Google Play. All of that means I've been published in every newspaper in the United States and many others around the world. And now I've been published here at Grid Therapy, which allows me the freedom to let who I am shine through. I hope you enjoy your time here on the crossword couch! I'd love to hear from you if you have comments or suggestions. If you're interested in having a custom crossword puzzle created for your event or organization, email me at drtrent (at) gmail.com.
I always look forward to you puzzles. This one was a delight. Enoyed seeing “oust” . One can only hope!
Nice one! The center grid spanner cracked me up — I had no idea! Super clean and a joy to solve. Thank you!
Thanks for another fun puzzle!
This is a good one! I continue to marvel at your ability to construct such clean and interesting crosswords, but to also inject little special words that tell us a bit about you. I support the OUST as well! Thanks for another wonderful grid.
Just saw … and completed … your January 3 LA Times grid. Very nice!
Enjoyed this a lot, especially OUST. Thanks so much.
Thank you all so much for your kind comments. They mean much more to me than you can know. Your appreciation keeps me going and makes this endeavor mean something. Thanks for taking the time to solve and comment! You all are fantastic. 15-across is my experience with you (and was the seed for this puzzle BTW).
Belated thanks for this puzzle. Hey, I learned 10-across! I did not know that they were subject to so much mockery, although now that I think of it, I don’t generally see men wearing them.
Not that I go out all that much these days 🙂 Anyway, thanks for the much-needed distraction, and for all of the effort you put into constructing.