Today we welcome one of our own! Say hello to crossword constructor, editor-to-be, and linguist Jess Rucks (she/her). Jess lives in Colorado with her spouse, son, and cat, and identifies as Minnesotan.
You’ve written eight constructor spotlights for Daily Crossword Links and now we’re turning the mic around on you! The series is fantastic. What do you like about this work and how do you feel about being the interviewee for a change?
Aw, thank you! I love writing these. I get to connect with people I’m genuinely in awe of (we have so many amazing constructors in this community) and have a chance to get to know them on a more personal level. It’s a delight sharing that with the rest of the community.
As far as being the interviewee – it’s exciting! I’m honored and flattered. I hope that learning a little about me will add to the relational, human element of this feature. One of our priorities with these features is to highlight the human behind the puzzles. Hopefully highlighting the human behind the interviews will have a similarly positive impact.
What else are you up to? Any news to share?
Yes! I recently joined the Lil AVCX team as a new editor! This means I’ll get to write a few puzzles for them, mentor a new constructor, and learn how to edit. I’m beyond excited to continue to make puzzles more and more a part of my life (and be a part of the lovely Lil community). The editor puzzle I’m making for Lil at the beginning of next year is one I’m looking forward to sharing with solvers! 👀🤩
Something else I’m excited about is that my 8-year-old son has started making crosswords. He submitted a query to Universal recently and we’re waiting to hear back.
How did you get into puzzles?
I began solving in college (shoutout to my friend Stephanie who introduced me to crosswords!) and remained a very casual solver for a long time after. I’d solve a puzzle during lunch break or over coffee on the weekend. Then, a few years ago for my spouse’s birthday I decided to make him a crossword (by hand!). I read the NYT’s “How to Make a Crossword” series and went from there. I spent hours and hours and hours on it — and he solved it in like six minutes, lol. I was hooked. After that he encouraged me to start constructing. He found Patrick Berry’s manual and the Collaboration Directory on Facebook, and he test solved all my early (terrible) puzzles. Thanks, Brian!!!
What’s your solving habit like these days?
It really depends on the day; sometimes I might solve three or four puzzles, some days only one. As I started to construct, I very quickly became a more dedicated solver. I enjoy solving, but I feel like a constructor first. Much of my solving is done in service of constructing (or at least, that’s what I tell myself so that I feel like I’m “working” while getting to solve puzzles!).
Did you have a mentor?
Yes, I was paired with the talented Chandi Deitmer through the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory on Facebook. I was such a novice that a lot of what she did in the beginning was just introduce me to the thing that is the crossworld. I had no knowledge of resources such as Diary of a Crossword Fiend, Cruciverb, or XWord Info, and I didn’t know anything about crossword tournaments.
As I developed my skills, Chandi was a thoughtful sounding board, providing her opinions on theme ideas, grids, and clues. Matthew Stock was responsible for our pairing, and I think he matched us because she was a social worker and I was in grad school to become a school counselor. It was a fortunate pairing (at least for me!). And now Matthew is in grad school to be a school counselor (mental health advocates of the world UNITE!).
And what do you think of tournaments now? Which have you been to so far, which do you hope to go to, and what do you find fun or valuable about them?
So far I’ve only been to ACPT. Last year was my first year and I loved it. Toss a balled-up crossword in any direction, and you’ll find someone who’ll uncrumple it and solve it. Lol! Being around people who enjoy words and puzzles as much as I do was a new and lovely experience. I am definitely going next year (come find me and say hi!).
I was an official last year, which was the perfect way to experience the tournament for the first time. I went alone, so having tasks to do and a group of people to do them with was helpful in alleviating my fears of going there not knowing anyone.
One of the highlights of the weekend was when Rafael Musa came up to me, said kind things about my work, and suggested a collab. I was sooooo excited. That interaction really sticks out for me because I was fan-girling getting to talk to him and then he wanted to work with me!? Epic. (Hi Rafa, thanks for talking to me!) Being able to collaborate with people whose work you admire is such a treat — I’ve had a chance to be a part of some exciting collabs because of the constructors I met at ACPT (ahem… like the one you and I have in the works, Shannon!).
Where can we find your puzzles?
The New York Times, Apple News+, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Universal, AVCX, AVCX+, Lil AVCX, Boswords, Puzzmo, and The Inkubator.
That seems like a lot of outlets in a relatively short time! When and where was your first puzzle? Tell us more about how it came to be?
With pleasure! I write mostly themeless puzzles but my first published puzzle was a themed one at Universal in 2023. It was basketball-themed so David ran it during the NCAA Championship games. I’m a huge college basketball fan, so it was extra fun having my first puzzle run at the conclusion of March Madness. Actually at the ACPT in 2025, I met David in person exactly two years to the day after he published my first puzzle. We took a selfie to commemorate it!
Please share some of your greatest hits! I enjoy your puzzles because they feel fresh and fun. Tell us about some of your favorite entries and clues.
Oh, this is a fun question! Maybe my all-time fave clue is: [Fit for a queen] for DRAG.
That’s great! What else?
ELASTIGIRL: [Mom pulled in many directions?]
I CAME TO SLAY: [Announcement on the runway?]
THAT’S SO LAST YEAR: [“2022 called, and it wants its clothes back”]
THERE ARE NO RULES: [“You’re freer than you think”] That felt particularly therapeutic
MOIRA ROSE: [“Schitt’s Creek” character who says, “What you did was impulsive, capricious, and melodramatic, but it was also wrong.”] The but in that quote cracks me up. She’s such a great character
MALALA YOUSAFZAI: [Education activist and Nobel laureate who said, “We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back”] Malala was shot by the Taliban while I was at DLI studying Urdu, so reading about her activism and recovery in Urdu was a very impactful experience for me. I’m a huge Malala fan.
I’m really proud of my Boswords puzzle from Spring 2024. I made sooo many iterations of this grid which I think paid off (it was nominated for an ORCA award)! Cluing three different difficulty levels was quite a task (kinda like eating a giant bowl of spaghetti, and you keep eating and eating, but it feels like the noodles are multiplying in the bowl). It was a fun challenge, made even better by the editing prowess of Brad Wilber, who I also (delightfully) got to meet at ACPT. Meeting one of the greatest editors in the game was a real treat, made even better by the fact that he’s also incredibly kind.
I love the first Apple News+ puzzle that I made (also a theme, surprisingly!). Inspo came from watching the Great British Bake Off and the term SOGGY BOTTOM. Then PIRATE BOOTY, CUTIE PATOOTIE, & BEACH BUM, rounded out the theme set with the revealer REAR ENDS. A true butt-themed puzzle. No regrets.
An Apple+ themeless I made earlier this year had GLAMAZON, ON ESTROGEN, MS. MAGAZINE, SI SENORITA, and GIRL POWER. I made that grid in response to some of the frustrating things I was seeing on the news and in our culture — it was cathartic to have an underlying GIRL POWER message. I enjoyed making that one.
What do you do in your non-puzzle life?
I went to grad school to become a licensed school counselor and I currently provide clinical counseling to elementary school students. I am a huge believer in non-directive play therapy (Child Centered Play Therapy). CCPT believes that play is the language and toys are the words of kids (which I used as a clue angle in a Universal puzzle).
I work hard to create a safe space where a child can do the work they need to do, without me getting in the way. I believe deeply that kids know what they need to do to heal. Providing them the opportunity to do this is so important (especially for kids — who rarely have the opportunity to experience such freedom when adults are around). If anyone has play therapy questions I’m happy to talk your ear off about it or point you in the direction of quality resources.
I think being a therapist very much intersects with being a crossword constructor. The heart of that intersection is being authentic, intentional, and considerate. Also important are having a sense of curiosity and playfulness.
Has your experience in puzzles made its way into your work in play therapy?
Constructing has made me even more intentional in the play room, especially with the words I choose to say (or not say). I really do feel strongly about the powerful overlap between counseling and crosswords. Some skills are valuable in both realms, like thoughtful inclusivity. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there are some great constructors out there who’ve worked in mental health. People like to talk about mathematicians and musicians being omnipresent in the crossworld, but I think the skills that make someone a great therapist definitely translate to construction.
What might our readers be surprised to learn about you?
That I used to be an Urdu linguist in the Air Force. It feels like a lifetime ago! Nowadays, I almost feel like I have to qualify my service with something like, “but I’m super liberal and worked in intel” just so people don’t have preconceived ideas about me. It was an unexpected life chapter, but I enjoy pushing myself into experiences that are outside my comfort zone and broaden my perspective.
What are some other things that are important to you?
My spouse, Brian! He is an intel officer in the Space Force. We met in the Air Force when he was a Korean Linguist and I was an Urdu one. And of course our son Sigur – bonkers smart, silly, and the biggest gift and challenge of my life.
Unapologetically proud Minnesotan here! Lefsa is yummy. Pop is the correct term. Tater tot hotdish is bomb. On a lake is the best place to be in the world.
Every year my mom, aunt, her two daughters, and I all get together to bake Christmas cookies. It’s been happening since before I was born. It’s one of my fave weekends of the year: people I love, cookie dough, wine, creativity and decorating… it’s the best.
Sigur is an interesting name! Where does that come from?
Brian and I wanted to name our child after someone in our families, but our ancestors names were… uninspiring. Since we both have strong Scandinavian roots in our family trees, we decided to turn our attention that way. Sigurd was a hero in the crosswordy Poetic EDDA, a collection of Icelandic literature and Norse mythology. We didn’t like the name with the “d” so decided to drop that and got Sigur. We also knew the band Sigur Rós, which helped inspire us and give us permission to drop the “d” from Sigurd.
How have crosswords affected your day-to-day life?
Crosswords have become this huge part of my life that I never could have predicted. They’ve moved from a fun pastime to a more serious hobby to a definitely-more-than-a-side-gig.
In the face of significant medical challenges that have arisen over the past year in my immediate family, crosswords have truly been a lifesaver and a lifeline. They’ve become this beautiful space where I can feel accomplished and use my brain in rewarding ways that are just my own, separate from the needs of my family.
Also, importantly, they’ve been a way to earn some supplemental income after I stepped back from counseling in order to better support my family and protect my own well-being. I love counseling, but it can be very heavy work. This work can be especially difficult when personal life circumstances also require a great deal of emotional investment. Crosswords offer a lighter, more flexible balance.
What are your goals when making a crossword?
Connection. I believe connection is central to being human, and I think people feel a form of connection when they really enjoy a puzzle — especially when the fill or clues reflect something true about their lives. I want solvers to feel seen. And of course I want them to be fun to solve!
What do you avoid when constructing?
Anything offensive or othering. A lot of constructors will cite the rule “no bummers.” I sort of agree with that and I sort of don’t. Crosswords can be an opportunity to escape from the world and enjoy a puzzle, but they can also be a place for learning and reflection. Just because something is uncomfortable to talk about doesn’t mean it should be excluded from a crossword, especially if the place the constructor is coming from is one of lived experience, respect, and a desire to connect on a deeper level about something that’s important to them.
I’ve heard some people describe this stance as “pro-nuance.” Do you think that feels more in line with your philosophy?
It sounds like it. In grad school, our cohort’s unofficial catphrase was “It depends.” Our instructors said this all the time. And it’s true — whether or not something is acceptable is largely dependent on the situation and context. I think that’s true in crosswords as well.
Any advice for new constructors?
Patrick Berry’s construction handbook is a great place to start. And, solve. Solve some more! Play around with grids. (rinse, repeat)
We’ve heard from so many of our spotlighted constructors the importance of solving more puzzles. Why do you think this is such common advice?
Solving keeps you grounded in where crosswords have been and informed on where they’re going. It’s a great way to look in the mirror and decide what kind of constructor you are. You get a feel for what speaks to you in the puzzles you solve and can build that into your own style.
Who are your favorite constructors to solve?
Oh gosh, too many to mention. The first few that come to mind are Rafael Musa, Carly Schuna, Kelsey Dixon, Brian Callahan, and Kareem Ayas (I just noticed that almost all are very themeless-y constructors, ha!). Rafa makes grids with great fill and fun wordplay. Carly is the first constructor I ever solved who was voicey even in mainstream venues. I know I’m going to have fun solving one of Kelsey’s puzzles. Brian’s puzzles are so consistent – I trust that I’ll have an enjoyable, smooth solve every time. Recently, everything I’ve solved by Kareem has impressed me. He definitely brings the how’d-he-think-of-that-AND-pull-it-off energy.
Rapid fire round!
Solving or constructing?
Constructing
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, always. (I was a barista for 7 years!)
Go-to emoji?
Ooh, probs a tie between 🤩 and 🙌
Three words your closest friend(s) would use to describe you
Safe, sincere, sparkly
Favorite movie or tv show?
Parks & Rec and 30 Rock are so good, Homeland is so compelling – I love the overlap of intel spy-stuff and mental health. Resident Alien – so weird, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming.
Places you hope to travel?
Denmark, Norway, Germany
Controversial opinion?
PADIDDLE is a fun themeless seed entry and pineapple definitely belongs on pizza.
🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌🤩🙌
This month’s constructor spotlight was written by Daily Crossword Links team member Shannon Rapp.
You must be logged in to post a comment.