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Is Williams' Puzzle Series Losing Its Theme?
David P. Williams continues his series of themeless puzzles inspired by the Wallace Stevens poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," with the latest installment challenging solvers with its consistent tough southeast corner. The puzzles, appearing since August 2023, feature intricate clues, such as the ornamental "WAMPUM" and the technical "ASCII" for "American Standard Code for Information Interchange."
Despite the puzzles' complexity and thematic inspiration, the direct connection to Stevens' poem remains elusive, inviting further interpretation and discussion among solvers. Williams also offers alternative clues in his Constructor Notes, adding another layer of challenge and intrigue to the puzzle-solving experience.
Who is the creator of the themeless puzzles mentioned in the article?
The creator of the themeless puzzles mentioned in the article is David P. Williams.
What is the inspiration behind David P. Williams's series of puzzles?
David P. Williams's series of themeless crossword puzzles is inspired by the Wallace Stevens poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." This series includes puzzles that have been published in August 2023, November 2023, and January 2024, with each puzzle maintaining a consistent topology, or structure5. The connection between the puzzles and the Stevens poem is not explicitly clear, which invites solvers to explore and propose their own interpretations and theories regarding the thematic linkage.