| 100% | FAULKNER | 8 | Novelist William who wrote "The Sound and the Fury" and "As I Lay Dying" |
| 44% | READE | 5 | Novelist Charles who wrote "The Cloister and the Hearth" |
| 43% | WILLIAM | 7 | ___ Faulkner, author of "The Sound and the Fury" who once wrote the entire outline to a novel on his office walls |
| 42% | FAULKNER | 8 | William __, U.S. author of The Sound and the Fury |
| 42% | SEE | 3 | Novelist Lisa who wrote "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" |
| 41% | ANSE | 4 | The father in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying |
| 41% | ANA | 3 | Novelist Huang who writes the "Twisted" and "Kings of Sin" romance series |
| 40% | ENO | 3 | Brian who wrote the score for "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" |
| 40% | JUDYBLUME | 9 | Novelist who wrote "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" and the other three frequently banned books in this puzzle (2 wds.) |
| 40% | ELLE | 4 | Novelist Kennedy who writes the Briar U and Avalon Bay romance series |
| 40% | RUNYON | 6 | Damon who wrote the stories adapted as "Guys and Dolls" |
| 39% | ROALD | 5 | Novelist Dahl who wrote "Matilda" and "James and the Giant Peach" |
| 39% | CORAS | 5 | Protagonists of “The Underground Railroad” and “As I Lay Dying,” e.g. |
| 39% | COATES | 6 | Ta-Nehisi who wrote the best seller "Between the World and Me" |
| 38% | GRISHAM | 7 | Novelist John who wrote "The Firm" and "The Client" |
| 38% | TYSON | 5 | Cicely who wrote the 2021 memoir "Just As I Am" |
| 37% | TYSON | 5 | Actress Cicely who wrote the 2021 memoir "Just As I Am" |
| 37% | ANGIETHOMAS | 11 | Novelist who wrote the Y.A. bestsellers 17-Across and 29-Across (2 wds.) |
| 37% | OSLER | 5 | Sir William who wrote "The Principles and Practice of Medicine" |
| 37% | SARA | 4 | Novelist Paretsky who writes the V.I. Warshawski mystery series |
| 37% | TANEHISI | 8 | Coates who wrote "Between the World and Me" |
| 37% | BRIANJACQUES | 12 | British novelist who wrote the "Redwall" and "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" series (2 wds.) |
| 36% | COATES | 6 | Ta-Nehisi who wrote Between the World and Me |
| 36% | JAMESBALDVVIN | 13 | Novelist and civil rights activist who wrote "Go Tell It on the Mountain" |
| 35% | MITSKI | 6 | Singer who wrote the lyric "Give me one good movie kiss and I'll be alright" |
| 35% | RITT | 4 | "The Sound and the Fury" director |
| 35% | FAULKNER | 8 | "The Sound and the Fury" author |
| 35% | ANNE | 4 | ___ Bronte, novelist and poet who wrote under the pseudonym of Acton Bell |
| 35% | STEPHENKING | 11 | Novelist who wrote "The Shining" and 37-Across (2 wds.) |