Themeless 66

Words:  66

Average Length:  5.50

As an avid reader/book hoarder, I often include books or authors I’ve particularly enjoyed in my theme answers or (more often) clues.  This puzzle has two book recommendations:  Isabel Wilkerson’s “The Warmth of Other [20 Across],” a brilliant account of the Great Migration (her recent book, “Caste,” also is terrific), and J. Ryan Stradal’s novel, “The [25 Down] Queen of Minnesota,” which is sympathetic, humane, funny, and evocative.  (I’ve loved all of Stradal’s books!)

The seeds for this puzzle were the pairs at 3 Down and 31 Down, and 11 Down and 33 Down.  Building a puzzle around them required some architectural experimentation, and I’m happy with the ultimate grid design, which flows vertically and diagonally.

Finally, I recently finished posting about my recent Cuba trip.  if you’re interested (you might pick up some intelligence about future puzzles!), head over to PuffinlessTravel.com.

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