I'm happy the indie outlets are doing what they are. I'd love to get more puzzles from underrepresented groups, but my philosophy is that I'll use any good puzzle submitted to me.

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My favorite puzzles to solve are the themeless Fireball puzzles (which, since I'm crazy, I like to tackle with just the Down clues) and Matt's contest puzzles (though I don't always solve the meta). I won't name favorite constructors except to say I like the ones who require the least editing.

What do you think of wordle? do you like it?

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I've been pretty much allowed free rein on deciding on the puzzle style. Getting more pay for constructors is tougher, since the WSJ is a big organization with lots of levels to go through, so my pull isn't as strong as I'd like.

Do you ever just come up with a crossword item and just cackle maniacally as you fit it in?

First: the theme--is it fun, clever, fresh?; is it well balanced and consistent?

Next: the filler words--are they good, lively words and phrases, with a minimum of abbreviations, partial phrases, crosswordese?

Last: the clues--if everything else looks good, the clues can always be fixed.

Hi Dr. Maddox,

Just in case you see this when you're back online, I thought it'd be interesting to get your insight on this:

For those of us who might use psychologists, is there any specific certification we can check for therapists claiming to deal with specific issues?

I was recently seeing a psychologist for something that she claimed to have expertise in, and the more sessions I did, the more it became clear she was definitely not trained in dealing with them.

Is there some way to check this in case I decide to go back into it?

It varies a lot. Sometimes it feels like the grid is cooperating and sometimes it feels like it's fighting me. For a daily puzzle, it might take two hours or less, or it might take days, putting it down and coming back to it. Cluing adds more time.

What do you think of (modern/indie) crossworld’s drive in increasing diversity among constructors, and what do you think print outlets could do better in this area?

What’s your favorite (non WSJ)? What’s your favorite indie outlet? Favorite blogs? Favorite constructors?

You know he can't admit that!

Until recently I was a pen-and-paper solver (with plenty of cross-outs). When my printer conked out a while back, I switched to digital, and haven't gone back to paper.

How much pull does an editor have at the paper in terms of increasing pay for constructors, setting editorial standards, etc.?

What do you look for when evaluating puzzles submitted to WSJ?

Until recently, I was pen solver (with plenty of cross-outs). When my printer conked out a while back, I switched to digital and haven't gone back to paper.

How long does it take you to completely create a puzzle?

I'm not sure there's any innovation I could come up with that some clever constructor hasn't already done. With all of the self-published crossword sites online now, a constructor doesn't need to worry what the public is ready for.

Are you a pen/paper solver? Or do you prefer digital puzzles?

I don't get hate mail. If the WSJ mailroom gets any, they're nice enough not to share it with me. I do get occasional lukewarm-or-worse reviews on some of the puzzle blogs.

What's an innovation in crosswords that you would love but the Public isn't ready for?

As an editor, I don't like an answer word in the grid to appear in a clue for a different answer. My test-solvers are very good at pointing those out.

Do you make catty comments about how they constructed them as you complete them?

Do you get hate mail?