Celebrating The "Cross-Wordsmith": Tucson Festival of Books Crossword Maker Madeline Cohen

The Tucson Festival of Books is a volunteer event in every sense of the word.

From the planning, to the solicitation of authors, to hanging signs, the smallest details are all handled by volunteers.

One of those exceptional volunteers is Madeline Cohen. Madeline has been a volunteer since the inception of the festival.

When she heard we were doing a book festival, she volunteered to create the crossword puzzles that you see on the large 4 feet by 8 feet boards throughout the festival grounds.

Each year she creates three or more crosswords based on literary themes.

Crowds gather to fill the slots working in various groups – young and old.

The festival is very proud of Madeline’s contribution to the festival.