April 15, 2021

Title: NO STRAIGHT LINES

Constructor: Mark McClain

Editors: Erik Agard & Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

ELECTRIC ARC (17A: Result of a current jumping a gap)

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE (37A: Area containing the South Pole)

RED CRESCENT (57A: Humanitarian symbol)

Theme synopsis: There are NO STRAIGHT LINES in the theme answers, but there are some curved LINES. We have an ARC, a CIRCLE, and a CRESCENT.

Things I learned:

• LITERARY (23D: Lambda ___ Awards) The Lambda LITERARY Awards, also known as the Lammys, are awarded annually to published works which celebrate or explore LGBTQ themes. Awards are presented in 24 categories. 2021 Finalists for the Awards have been announced, and the award ceremony will be held virtually on June 1, and is free to attend if you're interested. 
• BREE (45D: Jane Fonda's role in "Klute") Klute is a 1971 movie about a high-priced call girl - BREE Daniels, played by Jane Fonda - who aids a detective - John Klute, played by Donald Sutherland - in solving a missing persons case. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ROMEO (14A: Character name-checked in Taylor Swift's "Love Story") "Love Story," which is song to ROMEO, was originally released in 2008. The re-recording of the song, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was released a few days ago on February 12. The song topped the Billboard Digital Songs and Hot Country Songs charts. Taylor Swift is the second artist (the first was Dolly Parton with "I Will Always Love You") to top the Hot Country Songs chart with an original and re-recorded version of a song. 
• WOMEN (21A: The editors of Inkubator crosswords, e.g.) The Inkubator is a subscription crossword site that publishes crossword puzzles constructed by WOMEN. The puzzles are appropriately also edited by WOMEN, specifically Laura Braunstein, Tracy Bennett, Juliana Tringali Golden, Stella Zawistowski, and Alex Briñas. If you are not already familiar with The Inkubator, I encourage you to check it out. It's a great project, and produces fun, fabulous puzzles. 
• OLIVE (22A: Tapenade ingredient) Tapenade is a spread of puréed OLIVEs. It is generally eaten spread on bread.
• LITRE (31A: Unit equivalent to one cubic decimetre) The first time through, I missed the clue (decimetre) indicating the answer would be LITRE, not "liter."
• HANK (41A: Jazz pianist Jones) HANK Jones was a jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. He recorded more than 60 albums of his own, and accompanied many other artists on their recordings. (He was the pianist when Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy.) In 2008, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) honored HANK Jones with a Jazz Living Legend Award. Jones died in 2010 at the age of 91.
• GREY (49A: Title TV doctor Meredith) Dr. Meredith GREY's show is GREY's Anatomy. 
• HAYES (51A: Surname that sounds hard to see through) I needed some letters from crossing answers to figure this one out. That's a bit embarrassing, because HAYES is my maiden name!
• RED CRESCENT (57A: Humanitarian symbol) The International Federation of Red Cross and RED CRESCENT Societies is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization founded in 1919. Through the 192 National Societies that make up its membership, it reaches 150 million people each year, acting before, during, and after emergencies to meet people's needs.
• HOT WATER (5D: Metaphor for deep trouble) Be careful with this puzzle. HOT WATER crossing an ELECTRIC ARC seems a bit dangerous.
• IVAN (8D: Scientist Pavlov) IVAN Pavlov was a Russian physiologist known for his studies on classical conditioning. He studied the "conditioned reflex" by noticing that if dogs heard a bell before they were fed, the dogs could be then be conditioned to begin salivating upon hearing the bell, even before food was presented. 
• ALCORN (10D: ___ State University (Mississippi HBCU)) ALCORN State University is a public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Lorman, Mississippi. Founded in 1871, it was the first Black land grant college in the United States. Civil rights activist, Medgar Evers graduated from ALCORN in 1952.

Geography review:

• LAO (19A: Southeast Asian language) LAO is a Kra-Dai language, a language family found in Mainland Southeast Asia, Southern China, and Northeast India. It is spoken by the Lao people in the country of Laos and in northeast Thailand.
• ANTARCTIC CIRCLE (37A: Area containing the South Pole) I previously wrote about how the ANTARCTIC CIRCLE is drifting southward. 
• TAOS (40A: New Mexico city) TAOS is a town in TAOS County in New Mexico. The name TAOS derives from the native TAOS language and means "(place of) red willows."
• STAN (32D: Ending for "Kazakh" and "Kyrgyz") We have learned from two previous puzzles (December 23, 2020 and January 10, 2021) that there are seven countries whose names end with -STAN: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
• OMAHA (46D: Nebraska's largest city) The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln, but its largest city is OMAHA, located on the Missouri River. If you are in OMAHA, and you like sushi, I recommend checking out the Blue Sushi Sake Grill.
• RENO (53D: Nevada City) Nicknamed "The Biggest Little City in the World," RENO is known for its casino and tourism industry.

It's a fun idea to take a puzzle defined by its straight lines forming columns and rows of squares, and title it NO STRAIGHT LINES. I enjoyed all of today's theme answers, and appreciate that "Love Story" and "I Will Always Love You" will probably alternate as my earworms for the day. I like both of those songs, so that's a good thing! This puzzle was a nice way to start my Thursday.