| 100% | AGNEW | 5 | For whom Safire wrote the words "nattering nabobs of negativism" |
| 47% | AGNEW | 5 | Politico who called the press "nattering nabobs of negativism" |
| 43% | LYRICIST | 8 | One who writes the words for songs |
| 43% | POE | 3 | Who wrote of "sorrow for the lost Lenore" |
| 41% | ABBIE | 5 | Hoffman who wrote "Revolution for the Hell of It" |
| 40% | AIMEE | 5 | Mann who wrote most of the songs for the movie "Magnolia" |
| 40% | SHEL | 4 | Silverstein who wrote the words and music for Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" |
| 39% | KASDAN | 6 | Lawrence who wrote the screenplay for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" |
| 39% | ODETS | 5 | Playwright who wrote the screenplay for The Sweet Smell of Success |
| 38% | SARABAREILLES | 13 | Singer/songwriter who wrote music and lyrics for the stage adaptation of "Waitress" (2 wds.) |
| 37% | SARABAREILLES | 13 | Singer-songwriter who wrote music and lyrics for the stage adaptation of the film "Waitress" (2 wds.) |
| 37% | YANNI | 5 | Composer Chryssomallis, who wrote "Seven Billion Dreams" in 2015 for NASA's 15th anniversary of the ISS |
| 37% | BAIN | 4 | Donald who wrote a 1963 "memoir" seen in the first words of 17-, 30-, 46- and 60-Across |
| 36% | AGNEW | 5 | "Nattering nabobs of negativism" speaker |
| 36% | BETTYWHITE | 10 | "The Proposal" actress who won a Grammy for the spoken word recording of her book "If You Ask Me": 2 wds. |
| 35% | OBAMA | 5 | Former U.S. president who won a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award for the audiobook of "Dreams from My Father" |
| 35% | SASHA | 5 | One of the daughters for whom the 2010 book "Of Thee I Sing" was written |
| 35% | AUERBACH | 8 | For whom the NBA Coach of the Year award is named |
| 35% | POE | 3 | For whom the Mystery Writers of America named the Edgar Awards |
| 35% | ROSSINI | 7 | He wrote the music for the Barber of Seville |
| 35% | RECEIPT | 7 | Written item for the purchase of something |
| 34% | CAESAR | 6 | Famous Julius for whom the month of July is named |
| 34% | BROCA | 5 | Scientist for whom a part of the brain is named |
| 34% | ATHENA | 6 | Greek goddess for whom the capital of Greece is named |
| 34% | KAHN | 4 | Gus who wrote the words to "Makin' Whoopee" |
| 34% | EMOJI | 5 | Word derived from the Japanese for "picture writing" |
| 34% | MAVEN | 5 | Word from the Hebrew for "one who understands" |
| 34% | MARIOPUZO | 9 | American author of "The Godfather" who also wrote the screenplay for 1978 film "Superman": 2 wds. |
| 34% | SIDNEYPOITIER | 13 | "Lilies of the Field" actor who won a Grammy for the spoken word recording of his book "The Measure of a Man": 2 wds. |
| 34% | THOR | 4 | Norse god for whom a day of the week is named |