May 22, 2021

Title: BOTHSIDESISM

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

MARINE ECOSYSTEM (15A: Currency in Germany)

MUSIC JOURNALISM (38A: Album reviews, etc.)

MODERN ART MUSEUM (59A: Place with paintings)

Theme synopsis: The theme is best described by parsing the title in a different way - BOTHSIDESISM becomes BOTH SIDES IS M. Each grid-spanning entry begins and ends with the letter M, placing an M at each side of the puzzle.

Things I learned:

• HENRY (42A: "Call to Rebellion" orator ___ Highland Garnet) HENRY Highland Garnet was a minister, abolitionist, and educator. In an 1843 speech, "Call to Rebellion," he encouraged slaves to act for themselves to achieve emancipation. Garnet felt armed rebellion was the most effective way to end slavery. This opinion was contrary to those held by other abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was enacted by Congress on January 31, 1865, abolishing slavery. On February 12 1865, HENRY Highland Garnet delivered a sermon in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first Black man to speak at the U.S. Capital. Garnet was appointed as a U.S. ambassador to Liberia in 1881. He died of malaria a few months after arriving in Liberia at the age of 66.
• EVER (63A: "The Coldest Winter ___") The Coldest Winter Ever is a 1999 novel by Sister Souljah. The protagonist of the story is Winter Santiaga, whose father is a drug lord. When her father is arrested, Winter's life changes. The novel includes a character named Sister Souljah, a fictional portrayal of the author.
• CECE (6D: Athlete Telfer) CECE Tefler is a sprinter. She runs the 400m hurdles. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, Tefler is the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title. 
• LYNN (26D: "Saving Face" actress Chen) LYNN Chen plays the role of Vivian Shing in the 2004 movie, Saving Face, which was directed by Alice Wu. In addition to her acting career, LYNN Chen is a blogger and podcast host. Both her blog and podcast are titled The Actor's Diet. Chen has been open about her struggles with anorexia, and has been a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NEWTS (1A: Salamanders with a rough-skinned variety) The skin glands of rough-skinned NEWTS produce neurotoxins as a defense against predation. Although the NEWTS produce enough tetrodotoxin to kill a human, the good news is the toxin is only dangerous if ingested. So, word to the wise, don't eat any rough-skinned NEWTS.
• SALLY (33A: "___'s Take on the USA Today Crossword" (blog)) Well! It is definitely a surreal experience to be solving a crossword and encounter yourself in the puzzle. Thank you to Erik for this shoutout which has made my day! And if you've happened to find your way here as a result of this clue, welcome! 
• SMOG (33D: Pollution that reduces visibility) The term SMOG was coined in the early 1900s to describe the mixture of smoke and fog in the air, commonly seen in industrial areas. At that time, the smoke was usually a result of burning coal. Much of the SMOG occurring today is photochemical SMOG, the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds that results in the formation of ground-level ozone. 
• NONBINARY (35D: Gendervague, perhaps) Gendervague is a term that originated in the neurodivergent community. If you'd like to know more, I found this article from the AANE (Asperger/Autism Network) to be informative and well-written. 
• KHMER (52D: Ethnic group of Cambodia) Over 97% of Cambodians are part of the KHMER ethnic group. The KHMER language is Cambodia's official language. 
• LOVE (54D: Keyshia Cole ballad) "LOVE" is a song from Keyshia Cole's 2005 debut album, The Way It Is.

Geography review: 

• EURO (15A: Currency in Germany) The EURO replaced the mark as Germany's currency in 2002. 
• ORE (41A: Portland's state (Abbr.) Portland is the largest city in OREgon. 
• STATE (65A: Maryland, e.g.) One of Maryland's nicknames is "America in Miniature," adopted because the STATE has many kinds of terrain, has played a role in America's history, and is the home to many different ethnic groups. 
• AMES (53D: Iowa city) We saw AMES in the puzzle just a few days ago. Today I will simply comment that while AMES is an Iowa city, it is not Iowa City. 
• ERIE (57D: One of the Great Lakes) Amazingly, it has been almost a month since we last saw our crossword-friend ERIE. Since I began blogging, there has not been a month when ERIE didn't appear in the puzzle at least once. 
• STL (62D: Annie Malone May Day Parade city, for short) Annie Malone was a businesswoman, inventor, and activist. She developed a thriving hair care business in St. Louis (STL), Missouri, which sold hair care products for Black women. Malone was also known for her philanthropy. St. Louis has an annual parade to honor Annie Malone and raise funds for children's charities. 

What a fun puzzle! Aside from the obvious reason I enjoyed this puzzle, I thought the reinterpretation of BOTHSIDEISM as BOTH SIDES IS M was playful. Such great, grid-spanning theme entries, too. I appreciated that all of the theme answers were 15-letters, so that the Ms were at the SIDES of the grid. BOTHSIDESISM, if you're not familiar with the term, is a media bias also referred to as "false balance," which happens when journalists present an issue as having two equal sides, when the evidence suggests otherwise. BOTHSIDESISM was in a Washington Post opinion piece just yesterday. Back to the puzzle, in addition to the entries discussed above, I enjoyed THINK AHEAD, WE'RE ALL SET, and GOOD STORY. This puzzle was a lovely way to begin my Saturday.