Mirthwright Puzzles & Games

Happy Friday! This week would have been my mother's birthday. So this puzzle is in her honor, and specifically 22-Down who seeded the grid, as one of her favorite poets. She and her father both did crosswords every day as long as I can remember, and are the ones who introduced me to them. My crosswording mentors. My grandfather, pictured above, insisted on being referred to by his first name by all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. No "Grandpa" or any such thing for him, as even at 90-plus he didn't want to seem old. Also in honor of my mom, here's the song that my dad spent many a tearful night with after we lost her to cancer four years ago. And here's the puzzle.

Happy Friday! We have a new President here in the ol' US of A That's him. I was lucky enough to see Tom Petty in concert on the last tour before he passed away, and he brings you today's constructing and solving song.

Does that song make anyone else think of My So Called Life ? Or am I dating myself? The dedicated SF fans among us will know what this Paul French book is doing here, after completing the puzzle. Thanks to Steve Mossberg for his feedback, even if I ignored some of it. Especially for encouraging me to play with grid design late in the process, which made me feel ok about the coule of cheater squares that are in this one. Today's song is Like Real People Do by Hozier. Enjoy.