Andrea Michaels: An Unconventional Life

When my daughter Christina first mentioned Andrea Michaels, she described a woman whose vibrant, multifaceted life seemed almost too extraordinary to capture in a single story. “She’s really cool, Dad,” Christina said, sparking my curiosity about someone whose journey weaves together wit, words, and a deep commitment to community. 

After meeting Andrea this summer, I understood exactly what Christina meant. Coming of age in Minneapolis, Andrea Carla Michaels has lived a life as dynamic and engaging as the crossword puzzles she’s famous for crafting.

From her early days as a chess prodigy and puzzle enthusiast to earning a psychology degree from Harvard at age 20, Andrea’s path has been anything but linear. She’s performed stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, written for TV shows like Designing Women, won a motorhome on Wheel of Fortune, and become a nationally ranked Scrabble player. In San Francisco, she founded Acme Naming, a corporate naming consultancy, and earned the title “Queen of Mondays” for her 85+ accessible, playful crossword puzzles published in The New York Times. Her contributions to the crossword world recently earned her the prestigious 2024 Merl Reagle MEmoRiaL Award, an annual honor presented at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

Yet Andrea’s impact extends far beyond her creative achievements. Known in San Francisco as the “Pizza Lady,” she’s been distributing food and clothing to the homeless since 2015, expanding her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and even reuniting lost luggage with its owners. Her advocacy for rent control and community service earned her a 2023 certificate of honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. 

In this interview, Andrea shares insights from her atypical life journey—spanning comedy, crosswords, corporate naming, and philanthropy—revealing how her love for words and people has shaped a life of purpose and play.

Ennyman: Growing up in Minneapolis, you developed a love for puzzles and games, even competing in chess championships as a young girl. How did your early experiences in Minnesota shape your creative and problem-solving skills? Did this all play a role in your later career as a crossword constructor?

Andrea Michaels: Minnesota influenced my career in two ways… We had moved there from Florida. I was in shock so stayed inside and read and did puzzles. But I think I got my naming start looking at the sailboats names on Lake Harriet.

I wrote a paper in 10th or 11th grade asking if people liked their name  or would like to change it or if they knew what their name meant and on and on!

EN: You studied psychology at Harvard? Your later work in comedy seems like quite a pivot. How did your academic background influence your diverse career path, and are there specific skills from your studies that you apply to your creative or professional work?

Talking with Will Shortz, NYTimes Games Editor

AM: These are heavy questions I’ve never thought about. I went there thinking I’d study English and Linguistics but was in over my head in those departments. Certainly psychology has played an enormous part when I taught ESL to Japanese businessman… And every naming client one has to deal with the entirety of their childhood and subjective takes on matters!!!! And that is more an experiment in social/group psychology than stand up!

Generally I just like a great story! [I went to] Harvard just becauce I was a very precocious little girl and learned quickly and wanted to go somewhere that no matter what course I chose (at school/in life) that chances are they’d have a good department in it! I was interested in everything and quite the dabbler /dilettante!

EN: You’ve had a varied career, from performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles to writing for TV shows like Designing Women and appearing on game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. What drew you to these entertainment ventures, and how did those experiences lead you to settle in San Francisco and focus on crossword construction and corporate naming?

AM: It’s all connected.  It’s all writing and playing with words. Zero grand plan.

I fell into standup as I like to tell stories and friends encouraged me to do it on stage.

I love Gameshows and thought money was silly and you might as well just win it.

That led to writing for game shows. And as I was doing standup that led naturally into sitcom writing.

I didn’t like LA though and didn’t really watch sitcoms. Didn’t like driving. Longed for San Francisco so I moved back there. Had a friend in branding who’d asked me to help her name things. I asked if I could sit in a corner and name stuff.

Each thing has led to the next. Always solved crosswords and liked trivia so that led to writing them just for fun now and then. 

The big goal was not to work too much.  To have a different creative adventure every day. No one asked me to do any of the things I do. I just want everything to be fun.

I lost on jeopardy! Army captain set a record on my show and the final question was on the civil war. :(

EN: More recently you have been labelled or titled or crowned the “Queen of Mondays” for your New York Times crossword puzzles. You’re known for creating accessible yet lively puzzles. Can you walk us through your creative process for designing a crossword, and what makes a Monday puzzle distinct in terms of challenge and appeal?

AM: I think I like to think in terms of catch phrases and idioms from having been an ESL teacher… and it fascinates me how people talk especially when they unconsciously mix metaphors… or talk in cliches.

I also like rhymes and even rap (when not profane or misogynistic) as I like to hear how folks play with words. I never consciously set about to create a puzzle. I’ll just hear something or notice some fun gentle word play and think it might make a cute puzzle.

But then I have to sit down and be conscious of matching word lengths and all the mechanics of a grid which interests me not! (Which is where your lovely daughter* comes in!  She actually enjoys that part which is why I now collaborate all the time.

I like helping others' ideas come to fruition by being “worked out” and then if they LIKE making grids… then yay!) Then I’ll clue just to make sure it is clear and light and hopefully bouncy.

I never specifically think I’m making a “Monday” but that’s just where my ideas fall on the spectrum. They were never meant to be easy or “gateway” puzzles but have been so assigned which is fine but I never intentionally dumb anything down or whatever… I’m just practiced in making them “accessible.” Unlike many creators, I’m never ever trying to stump anyone or be tricky. I’m trying to bring a little smile or trigger a fun memory or say, “Look! Have you ever noticed this!”

 

Related Link

Meet SF’s Pizza Lady: Fighting Waste While Feeding the Hungry

Throwback Thursday: Patterns

While watching an episode of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, "Night Call" (Episode 139 -- February 7, 1964) there is a scene where the old woman has been assisted into a wheelchair. The camera angle is from the viewpoint of an adult looking down to the woman. Across her lap is a knit afghan with a zigzag pattern similar to the kind my grandmother used to make, and it seems like for just a moment the camera lingers on the pattern.

One of the thoughts I had at that moment: what would an afghan look like if instead of being knit into a pattern, the colors and knitting were totally random? Isn't it the pattern or design that gives the afghan its interest?

I recently wrote about color as a facet of making or appreciating art. Design and pattern could be added to the list of things which can make a drawing or painting interesting.

Nature is full of patterns, from atomic structure to the design of galaxies... from the incredible Fibonacci sequence to the rhythm of waves... from the phenomenon of day and night to the miracle of a heartbeat...

Many patterns are useful and many "just are." Daily routines, tastes, patterns in our relationships, patterns of thought, of behavior, of interaction with our personal space... patterns in how we go about getting self-understanding, patterns of taste, of desire, of haste, of waste.... Patterns feel right and normal to us.

For the Dionysian, chaos is the preferred realm. Order and structure feel confining. Daily routines get boring. A steady job is like working on a chain gang. Admittedly, there is something appealing about the unknown, about loss of control... temporarily.

But how many are there who can truly live an utterly patternless existence? You don't know when you will rise, or lay down, go out or return home again... if at all...

In the realm of art I have at times enjoyed making totally abstract art. Yet even then, when painting random colors in a random way, I would have to say that total arbitrariness is unnatural. Our mind keeps wishing to interpret, to organize the impressions made by the colors, lines, strokes, shapes... While adding more lines, I can choose to define the shapes or leave them totally loose. But we are attracted to a measure of order, shape, balance and pattern.

We notice it in music, too. A beat, rather than arbitrariness. In jazz, the straight beat may be replaced by syncopation, but even syncopation structures itself. Chord progressions, harmonies, all conspire to organize sound into pleasing patterns.

In certain realms patterns are especially comforting. Breathing, for example... regular breathing, in and out, easy, nourishing us with vital oxygen, this is good. Difficulty breathing, due to failing lungs, lack of air, being held underwater... these can be pretty frightening.

I guess that's one of my patterns, to take a string of thought into unexpected places. Come back tomorrow and we'll see where it goes next.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 25, 2008

What Do Data Centers Do and Why Are They Necessary?

Data centers play an important function in our modern digital world. The problem is that they are physical entities in the real world, and though nearly everyone uses this technology, it's no surprise that many people ascribe to the NIMBY view: Not In My Back Yard.

So, what is a data center? Data centers are specialized facilities that house the computing infrastructure powering our digital world. They're essential because modern society relies on massive, reliable, and scalable data processing that can't be handled by individual devices or homes. Here's a break down the key reasons, with real-world context.

Centralized Power for Massive Scale
Everyday apps (like streaming Netflix, searching Google, or running AI ) generate trillions of data requests daily. A single smartphone can't process this—it's like asking one ant to lift a mountain.

In contrast to the limited capabilities of our laptops, iPads, desktop devices and smartphones, DCs pack thousands of servers into one secure building, providing the raw computing power (CPU/GPU) and storage needed. For example, Google's data centers handle 8.5 billion daily searches, using energy equivalent to a small city. Without DCs, the internet would grind to a halt; loading a webpage could take minutes. 

24/7 Reliability and Uptime

My year in Puerto Rico (1978-79) gave me many memories and taught me many lessons. One of them was the importance of our energy grid, hence my desire to see Minnesota lift its nuclear moratorium. 

In Puerto Rico we had blackouts or brownouts nearly every week. Sometimes they lasted hours and occasionally all day. Power outages, hardware failuility res, or internet glitches happen everywhere. Although it is only an inconvenience for most of us, for businesses downtime can be costly—for example, Amazon loses $66,000 per minute during outages. 

This is what data centers are all about. They include redundant systems: backup generators, cooling (to prevent server meltdowns), and failover tech. Tier IV data centers guarantee 99.995% uptime (less than 30 minutes of downtime per year).

Security and Compliance

Data Security is also an important attribute of DCs. Breaches cost $4.45 million on average (IBM, 2023). Storing sensitive info (health records, financials) on personal devices invites hacks.

DCs offer physical security (guards, biometrics), encryption, and compliance with laws like GDPR or HIPAA. Servers are in locked vaults, monitored 24/7 and protect against cyber threats.

Efficiency and Cost Savings

Running servers at home is wasteful—your PC uses 10x more energy per task than a data center server which optimizes with shared resources, economies of scale, and green tech (e.g., Microsoft's underwater data centers for natural cooling). One center can serve millions, slashing costs by 80% vs. on-premise setups. As a result cloud services are affordable for all; AWS powers 33% of the web for pennies per use.

Enabling Innovation and the Future

Emerging tech like AI, IoT (50 billion devices by 2030), and VR needs exascale computing—far beyond consumer hardware. Data centers fuel breakthroughs in technology. NVIDIA's AI training for self-driving cars requires 100,000+ GPUs in centers. Hyperscalers (Google, Meta) build them to handle exponential data growth (90% of all data created in the last 2 years). This is where the power comes for ChatGPT, autonomous vehicles, and personalized medicine. Without data centers, AI wouldn't exist at scale.

In short, data centers are the "electric grid" of the digital age—unseen but indispensable. Global demand is exploding (expected to consume 8% of world electricity by 2030), driving innovations like edge computing to bring them closer to users. If we didn't have them, we'd revert to a pre-internet world. 

Do you have questions on specifics, like sustainability? Fire away!

From Doodle to Design: Almost Wordless Wednesday

Given that I am an obsessive doodler, it's no surprise that when cleaning my office I would find scraps of paper with little pen and ink doodles on them. A couple evenings ago I fed these to Google's Gemini (AI Flash 2.5) to be "converted" into watercolors. Here's what I received in return.

Be curious.

You never know what you will find next.

The world is your oyster.

The Banana Stand: How a Piece of Fruit Became a Symbol for Nuclear Advocacy

At first glance, a banana stand might not seem like a tool for climate action. But for Generation Atomic, a grassroots organization advocating for nuclear energy, the humble banana has become a powerful — and even radioactive — symbol.

The idea originated at the 2017 Climate Talks, where Eric Meyer, founder of Generation Atomic, attended a pro-nuclear, pro-environment event but was not allowed to actively participate. Out of that frustration came a creative workaround: use a banana to tell the story that couldn’t be told. The message was simple yet profound: “A banana is radioactive. Nuclear is carbon-free.”

Bananas contain potassium — and all potassium is naturally radioactive. It’s a safe, everyday reminder that radiation is a part shut down. Their volunteers use a standard script designed for intentional advof life. Generation Atomic began handing out bananas at major environmental events to start conversations that might otherwise beocacy, gently reframing nuclear skepticism into curiosity.

It starts with a question:
“Do you know why we’re giving out bananas?”
“What mineral is in bananas?” (Answer: Potassium.)
“Did you know that all potassium is naturally radioactive?”
And finally: “You don’t need a license to eat bananas.”

This playful approach introduces the Banana Equivalent Dose (BED) — a unit scientists use to explain radiation exposure in familiar terms. Living near a nuclear power plant over the core of a year, for instance, exposes you to about the same radiation as eating a few bananas.

The banana stand has since become an icon at climate gatherings, featured in the documentary Atomic Hope. It’s more than a stunt — it’s a strategy. In a world divided over nuclear power’s role in the green transition, Generation Atomic’s message cuts through with wit and warmth: sometimes, the path to understanding starts with something as simple as a piece of fruit.

Related Links
Why Generation Atomic Isn't Marching
Five Minutes with Joe Heffernan on Nuclear Energy
Joe Miller Discusses the Power Grid: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?Introducing Your Friendly Neighborhood Nuclear Energy Facility

Short Story Monday: Across the Ravine

Across the Ravine

“A dead dog is symbolic of a tyrant condemned to death by his people," the captain said.

 

The others, pretending not to hear, continued about their business, sorting and packing their gear.

 

"I'm sensing a disconnect here. What's up?" The captain stood slouched with a shoulder against the rock wall. He took a drag on his cigarette, exhaled through his nose, the tension mounting in the muscles of his neck. "I'm quoting from a movie. It was a line in the film."

 

Indifference. They continue to ignore him. He was always spouting silly talk. They never knew when to take him seriously.

 

"Take it or leave it," he shouted as they turned their backs to him and headed off down a steep sloping path that curled into the dry riverbed below.

 

The captain squatted, staring across the ravine. They'd come so far. Getting here without losing a one seemed a miracle in itself. Now he was losing them all.

 

That's just something you don't do, he told himself. You should never, ever kill a dog for no reason. But the thing had come over him, and just like that it was over.

 

"Hey, wait up. Where you going? Wait up!" he shouted, his voice tapering off in a series of echoes, no one listening as he scrambled after them, the sun sinking in his heart, the whole desolate scene fading to black.

 

He'd hoped for something more when they arrived but the barrenness of the landscape and the colliding crustal plains had a strange power over the men, and over the captain as well. He'd wanted to prove something, but what? He'd wanted to lead, but where? He'd wanted to inspire, but how? Now, he wanted to abandon them, but why?

 

Maybe things would be different once they'd crossed the ravine.

Understanding Pathos: The Power of Emotional Appeal

Pathos is one of the three classical modes of persuasion identified by Aristotle, alongside ethos (credibility) and logos (logic). While ethos builds trust and logos appeals to reason, pathos connects to something more instinctive and human — our emotions. It’s the central feature of rhetoric, the element that makes words not just understood, but felt.

In communication, pathos works by stirring feelings such as empathy, anger, joy, pride, or fear to influence an audience’s response. A public service announcement showing a neglected animal, a charity appeal featuring a hungry child, or a political speech invoking national unity — each uses emotional resonance to drive action. Pathos bridges the gap between intellect and empathy, reminding us that human beings rarely make decisions on facts alone.

Writers, speakers, and advertisers use pathos to create connection and urgency. When I write I consciously try to connect to both the head and heart of my readers. During my advertising career this was always at the forefront of my mind and intentions. 

The power of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech lay not just in its logic or ethics, but in its soaring hope and moral emotion. Similarly, skilled marketers know that appealing to the heart is more effective than listing product features. This is why one of the five power words i advertising is "You."

Pathos, however, can be misused. Overly sentimental or manipulative appeals may backfire, eroding trust or overshadowing substance. It's insulting and demeaning when you feel like you've been manipulated. The best communicators balance pathos with logos and ethos — emotion supported by truth and credibility.

The power of Bob Dylan's songwriting is directly related to these three things, authenticity, truth and emotional connection.

Ultimately, pathos reminds us that persuasion is not merely about winning arguments but moving people. To persuade, inspire, or motivate, one must touch the emotional core of the audience. Logic may convince the mind, but emotion compels the will — which is why pathos remains one of the most powerful forces in all human communication.

DIGITAL WORLD (To the tune of Political World by Bob Dylan)

Digital World
To the tune of Political World by Bob Dylan

We're livin' in a Digital World
Love don’t have any place
We’re living in times where bots commit crimes
And crime don’t have a face

We're livin' in a Digital World

Pixels hanging down

Wedding bells ring on a VR screen

Clouds cover up the town

We're livin' in a Digital World

Wisdom is thrown into code

It rots in the cloud, misguided and loud

Leaving no one to lighten the load

We're livin' in a Digital World

Where mercy walks the plank

Life is in filters, death disappears

Up the steps into the data bank

We're livin' in a Digital World

Where courage is a thing of the past

Avatars are haunted, kids are unwanted

The next scroll could be your last

We're livin' in a Digital World

The one we can swipe and feel

But there’s no one to check, it’s all a stacked deck

We all know for sure that it’s real

We're livin' in a Digital World

In the cities of endless scroll

Little by little you turn in the middle

But you’re never sure what’s in your soul

We're livin' in a Digital World

Under the algorithm's scope

You can travel anywhere and doomscroll there

You always got more than enough dope

We're livin' in a Digital World

Turning and a-thrashing about

As soon as you’re awake, you’re trained to partake

What looks like the easy way out

We're livin' in a Digital World

Where peace is not welcome at all

It’s turned away from the feed to wander indeed

Or put up against the wall

We're livin' in a Digital World

Everything is hers or his

Climb into the stream and shout out a meme

But you’re never sure what it is

In collaboration with Grok, @ x.com

Double Dylan by ennyman, composition by Gemini