The “Twenty Under Thirty” contest was created because it had to be. The number of young constructors making extraordinary, groundbreaking puzzles is higher than ever. University puzzle

societies are fertile ground for communities of cruciverbalists with fresh voices and immense talents. People

under thirty - and often under twenty - are now routinely published in the best puzzle features in the world.

The time has come to recognize the best of these young voices in a unique forum. “Twenty Under Thirty” is loosely modeled

after the New Yorker’s annual “40 Under 40” feature for young writers. We placed a call for constructors to send in a

puzzle that spoke to their talents. Initially nervous that we might receive just 20 total submissions (or not even that),

the final tally swelled to more than 45. Moreover, the quality of the submissions was extremely high. The puzzles were solved and ranked by a panel of crossword experts,

including blogger Michael Sharp (rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com), constructor Patrick Blindauer (patrickblindauer.com), and

constructor/blogger Elizabeth Gorski (crosswordnation.com), and the very best were picked from a deep pool.

The winning constructors were paid $250 for their work -

higher than the rate for any daily - as a show of recognition for their excellence. Pat Scanlon provided beautiful

illustrations for a PDF version. An iPhone app is in the works. The 2013 “Twenty Under Thirty” collection will, very

deservedly, be available to a wide audience.

Twenty Under Thirty • edited by Ben Tausig Puzzle # 12/20 • Michael Doran

MICHAEL DORAN

Michael lives in the beautiful, vibrant city of Portland, Maine, where he works for the Maine State

Golf Association as the director of Junior and Senior Golf traveling all around the Pine Tree State administering golf tournaments. When he is not

working, Michael is usually playing golf (sometimes upward of 200 rounds per year), traveling, or doing

something out of doors. His cruciverbalism is generally done in winter, when Maine dictates how much outside fun one can have. His crosswords have been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Games Magazine, and other small venues.

Twenty Under Thirty • edited by Ben Tausig Puzzle # 12/20 • Michael Doran

Across 1. Buccaneer’s city 6. Worked the farm, in a way 11. Craigslist posts 14. Live, in broadcasting 15. Opt for a cheap union 16. Fury 17. Nostalgic nineteenth century

period 19. Sight on foliage in the morning 20. In the style of 21. It should be minded in London 22. Profit 24. Where a barge may head 26. 1990s Nickelodeon canine 27. Condition that has its ups and

downs 34. Golden Raspberry, for one 35. Time for action 36. Rudy’s coach, in “Rudy” 37. Deal with inevitable problems 38. The 34 in 34-30 40. It might give you a lift 41. Condom brand 42. Object used in a form of golf 43. “___ Arms of Mine” (Otis

Redding tune) 44. Person who doesn’t beat around

the bush 48. It may come between dusk and

dawn 49. Blackout cause 50. Certain noble’s realm 54. JFK served in it 55. It investigated JFK’s death 58. Stock “CSI” evidence 59. Freshman’s chance to get

acclimated, or a hint to the starts of 17-, 27-, and 44-Across

62. Ms. DiFranco 63. Flair 64. Big name in #2 pencils 65. First name of two Spice Girls 66. Cures, say 67. Racket events

Down 1. B.C. era clothing 2. Adult film store section 3. Early Yucatan inhabitant 4. ATM input 5. “Entourage” protagonist 6. Old-timey drug dealer’s device 7. PC key under Z 8. Deli counter cut 9. Parrying weapon 10. Lay waste to 11. Cover during a heist, say 12. Beethoven’s third? 13. Like a baseball cover 18. Org. that recently left Florida 23. Neighbor of Den. 24. Ripped to shreds 25. They can’t get enough 27. Surprisingly vegetarian Betty

Crocker product 28. Obstinate reply 29. White-collar criminal’s

undoing 30. Bouncer’s requests: Abbr.

31. 2400 is perfect on it, nowadays 32. Do away with 33. More on the pink side 38. Trademark for “The Donald” 39. Reminder of an old flame? 40. Radiohead frontman Yorke 42. Stimulating toys?: Var. 43. Home wrecker? 45. Fall under the weather 46. Jobs for some Hollywood

types 47. Person holding something 50. Dutch wheel 51. Actress Hathaway 52. SeaWorld species 53. “Twin Peaks” locale 55. Prix ___ dinner 56. Windfall 57. Stopping points for travelers 60. Grab a bite 61. Bill in a jar, say

DIFFICULTY: ● ○ ○ ○ ○ Solution: http://twentyunderthirty.com/solution/doran Purchase all 20 puzzles for $5: http://twentyunderthirty.com

by Michael Doran

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31 32 33

34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43

44 45 46 47

48 49

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57

58 59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67