For the Birds Crosswords

Andrew J. Ries is a lifelong resident of Minnesota. He was raised in Hastings, a quiet Twin Cities suburb on the Mississippi River and moved to St. Cloud in order to attend college at St. Cloud State University. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history and film studies, Ries decided to stay in St. Cloud, and it was in 2009 that he published his first crossword book, Minnesota Crosswords. His second book, Michigan Crosswords, was released in 2011. Crossword puzzles have long been a passion for Ries. He remembers first working puzzles with his grandmother when he was five years old. By the time high school came, Ries began to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle seriously, and by the time he graduated from high school, he was an able and proficient solver. These skills were honed by doing more and more puzzles (and gaining much more useless knowledge along the way), and starting in 2009, he took those skills to New York City to compete in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. His best finish at the tournament was 41st in 2011. Ries began constructing puzzles in 2006 and had his first published puzzle run in The New York Times on August 13, 2007. His puzzles have also run in various newspapers, magazines and books across the country. In 2010, he launched his own website and he offers free crosswords and variety puzzles on a weekly basis there. Aside from crosswords, Ries is an avid sports fan, loves going to the movies, and enjoys listening to a wide variety of music. He holds season tickets to the St. Cloud State University Husky hockey team and doesn’t miss a game. He also competes in a local cribbage league and plays the piano.