November 18, 2024 - "Self-Propelled Flowers" - Kaye Brown, edited by Matthew Luter
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Puzzle Notes
Dear friends:"Self-Propelled Flowers" is the evocative title of this 13x10 puzzle from Kaye Brown, her sixth and last contribution as part of the 2024 Lil constructors' team. Let this one remind you — and maybe even celebrate — that the only constant is change.
Kaye says: "As my Lil AVCX journey nears its end, I am grateful for the opportunity to let the close of one chapter usher in the start of another; this puzzle is the first to be published under my new byline: Kaye Brown. I took (or borrowed, as it turned out) the last name Barton from my former spouse, and when faced with the prospect of reverting to my maiden name, I knew it didn't fit me anymore. Inspired by a relative who chose a new surname from our family tree following their own divorce, I have chosen to adopt my grandmother's maiden name. As a schoolteacher, she taught her students (and her grandkids) how to raise monarch butterflies; from her, hundreds of young people learned lessons of gentleness, compassion, and the beauty and discomfort of transformation. This puzzle's title comes from a quote in a Heinlein novel ('Butterflies are not insects … they are self-propelled flowers'); this puzzle's grid and seed entry are a celebration of both the next phase of my life and my grandmother's profound influence."
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Headed to your inbox tomorrow: a guest midi from the great David Steinberg.
Happy solving, folks.
Your friends at Lil AVC X
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