AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …

@lilavcx.bsky.social , who make our midi puzzles, does a ton of mentoring work. They added seven new constructors this year, and mentored them all. Each constructor made 4-6 puzzles. Lil ran 78 puzzles total, and they were tremendous and often genre-bending.

Enjoy!

As we move toward our fall subscription drive, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in part bc we are an independent media company. No, crosswords are not as vital as journalism. But yes, all content that we consume matters, and it should be as free as possible from corporate control.

I, too, am delighted!

Delighted to be back in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend with a variety cryptic @jessshulman.bsky.social and I made! www.wsj.com/articles/box...

Classic is at capacity for the current submission cycle! Thanks for all the beautiful puzzles you’ve sent these past couple months. We look forward to seeing more in December when we reopen. -Ben and the editorial team

I keep forgetting to post here. New Walrus puzzle up this week—enjoy! Walrus.ca/games/crossword #thewalrus #crossword

Our third sample puzzle is now available to solve! You can solve “Inside Information” by Jasmeet Arora and @xws.bsky.social for free at abortionpuzzles.com! If you enjoy this puzzle, wait until you see what’s in store with the full TPFA pack! Available with a donation at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa!

AVCX Classic submissions are open again! Our May-June season is live, and we look forward to seeing your stuff. We welcome work from all, but are especially excited to see crosswords from queer, non-white, and non-male constructors. Details: avxwords.com/submit-a-puz...

We're back this week with a smooth-as-butter 11x11 puzzle for you to bite into! "Mega Bites" comes from AVCX editor Jess Shulman (@jessshulman.bsky.social), who is bringing some hangry vibes to today's party.

✨Constructor Spotlight✨ Sara Goodchild (she/her, @sarathegood.bsky.social) is an editor & puzzlemaker based in Toronto. She’s honoured to be contributing to TPFA for a 2nd time: abortion is health care! Sara co-created a brilliant puzzle with Steve Mossberg. Available at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa!

We reached $30K this week! 🤑 That’s 6,000 💵 EACH to @baltimorefund.bsky.social Tampa Bay Abortion Fund Chicago Abortion Fund @iwrising.bsky.social Mariposa Fund We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed to and shared our campaign! Thank you, thank you!! 💜 fund.nnaf.org/tpfa

✨Constructor Spotlight✨ Jess Shulman (@jessshulman.bsky.social, she/her) is a crossword constructor and editor in Toronto, Ontario. In the early 1970s, her mom helped found the Toronto Women’s Caucus, one of Canada’s first activist feminist groups, which led some of the country’s earliest… (1/2)

Our second sample puzzle is now available to solve for free on our website! Check out the cryptic puzzle “Lessons in Chemistry?” by @jessshulman.bsky.social at www.abortionpuzzles.com! (& if you like this puzzle, you’ll love the 20+ other puzzles you’ll get when you donate at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa!)

So happy to see this puzzle come out, a fun collab with my good friend @amiewalker.bsky.social Enjoy! Thanks as always to Patti for her insightful editing. www.latimes.com/games/daily-...

My son has his crossword puzzle debut in the LA Times today. He is the youngest person to publish a puzzle there, at 12 years old!! Sorry for the earnest post, but I love him a whole lot!!

I’m very proud to be a part of These Puzzles Fund Abortion 5 — what’s happening to our friends south of the border is damn scary, and this is a great way that we can help. This year’s pack contains 23 original, brand-new puzzles centered on social and reproductive justice themes (mine’s a cryptic)

I had the pleasure of editing this lovely puzz from Katja — please enjoy!

Yay yay yay! New roster for 2025! Super excited to meet and work with this impressive (and so smiley!) gang 😊 Congrats to you all ❤️

I constructed this week’s Walrus crossword. Happy solving!

So thrilled to be a part of Cryptic Crossweird. And touched by the note in their Patreon email this morning: “We loved how collaborative the process was with Jess, and it’s clear to us from working with her what a wordsmith she is.” ❤️❤️❤️ Hope you like it!

Thanks to everyone who submitted a puzzle to AVCX Classic this cycle. We’ve reached our submission limit for this cycle, so we’re closing up a few days early. We invite and very much look forward to seeing your work in May, when we reopen.

Thread with AVCX’s revised editorial policy regarding Donald Trump: — In early 2017, AVCX announced a new editorial policy, namely that we as a feature would regard Donald Trump as an asshole when we referred to him in print.

I'm happy to announce The Gnomon: a new variety cryptic crosswords outlet launching June 2025, with free previews coming February and April. www.gnomoncryptics.com

Deadline to apply for Lil AVCX's 2025 roster is Monday! If you're newish to crossword construction, and looking to make some great crossword pals while being mentored for a year in a very supportive environment, I can't recommend this enough docs.google.com/document/d/1... @lilavcx.bsky.social

@aimeelucido.bsky.social @gppasco.bsky.social @solexyoghurt.bsky.social @jessshulman.bsky.social @naytnaytnayt.bsky.social @livienna.bsky.social

We have a couple thousand new followers today; thank you for supporting independent media, including games. Don’t forget to follow the accounts of our various features/editors @lilavcx.bsky.social @avcxtrivia.bsky.social @burrata.bsky.social @sidsivakumar.bsky.social @francisheaney.bsky.social

Hope you like it!

Hello, BlueSky! Please follow our page so you can hear all about TPFA5 when it launches this spring. We can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on!

Big day! The call for new crossword constructors to join the Lil AVCX mentorship program is out! This is a FANTASTIC way to develop your construction chops, and you’ll meet a lot of really great people in the process. Get your applications in by Jan 27 🎉

AVCX Cryptics is OPEN for submissions the month of January 2025. My fellow editors and I look forward to seeing what you folks come up with! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

We're thrilled to say the 2024 AVCX subscriber drive was a success! Lil AVCX will continue in 2025, and we will have a roster of new constructors in our mentorship program. Keep an eye out in your inbox and here for news about that next week.

Check out the latest Lil AVCX puzzle from @oliogrids.bsky.social! I had the pleasure of editing this one; I think you'll find it delightful.

Looking for American-style cryptics? Check out this brand new venue from Crossweird - super excited to see this out in the world. Congrats on the launch, team! And just look at that puzzle pack you get for joining 👀

Such a treat to collab with @oliogrids.bsky.social! Hope you enjoy our puzzle in the LA Times 😊

My first puzzle of 2025 - solve for free at The Walrus. Happy New Year! Thanks to @emmalawson.bsky.social for her excellent editorial eye (eee?). thewalrus.ca/games/crossw... #crossword #thewalrus #puzzles

Appreciate all who are spreading the word about AVCX! Still time to get free shipping in time for the holidays with an AVCX subscription! 🎁www.tiktok.com/@myli...

Such a thrill to see this in print! My first variety cryptic, my first barred grid, my first with @juffowup.bsky.social ... big day! Thanks for a great collab! 😍

It’s been such a treat to edit Lydia and Christina’s Lil AVCX puzzles this year — their goofy sense of humour is the best! Don’t miss their last one of the year

More excellent analysis from @scieditor.bsky.social

Join me for a puzzle at The Walrus 😊 thewalrus.ca/games/crossw... #crossword

Tonight's midi from roster member Michael Berg is an 11x11 titled "Plus One." We hope you enjoy the silliness and charm of this pop culture-packed puzzle. ➕1️⃣

Bit of week for me, with three crosswords coming out all at once! USA Today (3/16), “Bring the heat” The Walrus (3/15): “What have you got on draft?” AVCX Cryptic (3/14) Loving this crazy hobby that keeps on giving. Happy solving! Thewalrus.ca/games/crossword Puzzles.usatoday.com AVXWords.com

I have today’s USA Today puzzle; hope you enjoy! Thanks as always for lovely editing from @amandarafkin.bsky.social 😊 puzzles.usatoday.com

Crossword Constructors xkcd.com/2896

I have a cryptic today at The Browser. These take a ton of work (and rework… and more rework…) so I’m especially proud and excited to see it in print 😊 #cryptic #crossword

I have today’s New York Times crossword, with my friend Amie Walker ❤️ Enjoy! #nytxw

Tonight's puzzle from @norahsharpe.bsky.social is titled "Let's Get Going." We think you'll find it slightly tricky and filled with personality.😊

My evidence for the proposition that 'hen' should mean 'now', and 'hat' should mean 'this'.