Crossword Genius

American writer in South Dakota editor excluded (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

suspended

'excluded' is the definition.

'american writer in south dakota editor' is the wordplay.
'american' becomes 'us'.
'writer' becomes 'pen' (I've seen this before**).
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'south dakota' becomes 'sd'.
'editor' becomes 'ed'.
'us'+'pen'='uspen'
'uspen' placed within 'sd' is 'suspend'.
'suspend'+'ed'='SUSPENDED'

(Other definitions for suspended that I've seen before include "Temporarily disallowed" , "Stopped for a time" , "having a hang-up?" , "Postponed; hung" , "put aside" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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