“A striking pale pink mansion in the exclusive Primrose Hill area of London has just gone on the market for a tad over $11 million (£9 million). Other than its standout color, the mansion’s claim to fame is that it is purported to be the home that helped inspire the 1956 Dodie Smith novel 101 Dalmatians.” Whoever buys it has to fill it with Dalmatians. That’s the law. “Still, crossword constructors like Lebanon’s Laura Braunstein have noticed disparities in who, exactly, creates them. Simply put: ‘There just aren’t a lot of women or people of color in the crossword world,’ she said. Together with Tracy Bennett, a Michigan-based copy editor and crossword constructor, Braunstein founded the Inkubator, which publishes two puzzles a month — soon to be three — by women and nonbinary people and offers mentorship for beginner constructors. The Inkubator, now in its second year, raised more than $30,000 on Kickstarter from 800 backers and currently has about 1,300 subscribers.” Diversifying crossword puzzles. “Books & Books and Miami Book Fair present… A Virtual Book Launch Party with CHANTEL ACEVEDO to celebrate the publication of Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse (Balzer + Bray, $16.99, ages 8-12) Moderated by: ALEX SEGURA Saturday, July 11, 7pm FREE & LIVE via Crowdcast” Mark your calendars for an awesome authors free virtual chat!
