Give Us a Clue

When the folks from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution proposed last year to create a giant crossword puzzle to hang in the festival grounds during the book festival, I thought it was a fun idea. I had no idea, however, that it would be so intensely popular. Throughout the weekend, whenever I passed the Decatur Bandstand, there was always a line of people awaiting their turn to take a crack at solving the big beast of a crossword.

Crossword at the Book Market

So this year, the folks at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, along with several of us from the book festival, are going to create several different crosswords and hang them all over the Book Market Street Fair. Each one will be different.

This means we need a lot of crossword clues (and answers). Want to help?

If you have a crossword clue and answer (or several) to contribute to this year’s crosswords, add it in the comments. All literary topics are fair game. Sure, we’d like some of them to have something to do with authors in this year’s line-up, Georgia authors, and the literary history of the South. But we also want your Dr. Johnson, Herman Melville, and Stephen King clues. Or clues about bookstores. Printing and publishing history. The science of paper. You get the idea.

We’ll choose our favorites and include them in the crosswords.

And yes this does mean you can get the answers to some of the crossword clues by checking back to this post before you come to the festival.

We have to send these to the printer on July 28, so you have until July 27.

Ready? Go!

8 Responses to “Give Us a Clue”

  1. Parker Cross Says:

    Here’s one.
    Q: We were somewhere around ___________ on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.”
    A: Barstow

    I’ve always thought that was a great opening line.

  2. Rhymes With Renee Says:

    Take ‘em or leave ‘em, here are some suggestions:

    Q. Unforgettable Billy Collins poem
    A. Forgetfulness

    Q. The Flawless Skin of ____ People
    A. Ugly

    Q. This author can be found drinking coffee elsewhere
    A. ZZ Packer

    Q. Local author prone to hissy fits
    A. Mary Kay Andrews

    Q. Wait, wait…don’t tell me, it’s author ___________
    A. Roy Blount Jr.

    Q. Southern foodie from Ole Miss
    A. John T. Edge

  3. elysabeth42 Says:

    I will have to think of some since my state stories (first book just released) use clues to figure out the state; crossword clues should be easy right? -

    I will keep checking back on this - E :)

  4. Vivian Zabel Says:

    Q. ___________ (2 words) replaces old with new.

    A. Ty Pennington

  5. brendakeen Says:

    Hey Tom, here are a few suggestions.

    Q. Nickname of the Alexander Calder stabile used for the National Magazine Award
    A. Ellie

    Q. Coleman Barks is known for his translations of this Persian poet
    A. Rumi

    Q. Surname of a father and daughter who’ll be at DBF (hint: she won a Pulitzer for poetry in 2007)
    A. Trethewey

    and in the Shameless Plug category =)
    Q. What literary journal at UGA has won two National Magazine Awards?
    A. The Georgia Review

    Have fun puzzling!
    Brenda

  6. PaulHeidiJoy Says:

    These ought to be very easy

    Q: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking ____________.”
    A: Thirteen
    (1984 George Orwell)

    Q: Margaret Mitchell is resting here.
    A: Oakland (cemetery)

    Q: Boyhood friend of Wayman C. Wanamaker, Jr.
    A: Lewis Grizzard

  7. Rhymes With Renee Says:

    Thought of a couple more:

    Q. Pushcart Prize-winning local author specializing in the comedic and neurotic. A good read, whether you care if you’re body is changing or not.

    A. Jack Pendarvis

    Q. This opening line comes from what Chuck Palahniuk novel: Today, a man called from Long Beach.

    A. Diary

  8. Vivian Zabel Says:

    Q. A dangerous time of night and a dangerous Internet predator.

    A. Midnight

    Vivian Zabel
    http://4rvpublishingllc.com
    http://midnight-hours.weebly.com

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