April 4, 2022

Title: 1, 2, 3 EYES ON ME

Constructor: Brooke Husic

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

AI WEIWEI (18A: "Rohingya" filmmaker) 

AYE AYE CAPTAIN (35A: "Yes, ma'am!" on a ship)

I RISE I RISE I RISE (55A: Last three lines of the Angelou poem that starts: "You may write me down in history / With your bitter twisted lies")

Theme synopsis: As we progress through the puzzle, each theme answer has increasing occurrences of the long I (EYE) sound.

And now a word from our constructor:

Brooke: see here

Things I learned:

• STATUE (28A: The Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument is one) The Neg Mawon Emancipation Monument is located in Rouseau, Dominica. Rouseau is the capital of the Caribbean island country. The STATUE was erected in 2013, and is a "symbol of freedom and emancipation," and a "tribute to all the enslaved Africans who suffered and were executed in the history of Dominica." This is the second day in a row we have seen STATUE as an answer.
• EVIL (56D: What saying "kayn aynhoreh" wards off) "Kayn aynhoreh" is a Yiddish phrase used to ward off the "EVIL eye."

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• AI WEIWEI (18A: "Rohingya" filmmaker) AI WEIWEI is an artist, activist, and documentarian. AI WEIWEI was born in Beijing, China. His art - such as Sunflower Seeds, displayed at the Tate Modern - often includes political commentary about the Chinese government. AI WEIWEI's documentary, Rohingya, spotlights the plight of refugees, specifically Rohingya refugees that were forced out of Myanmar in 2017. 
• B-DAY (24A: Maya Angelou's is April 4, for short) Today would be Maya Angelou's 94th B-DAY. Maya Angelou died in 2014 at the age of 86.
• SELL (39A: Put on Poshmark) Poshmark is an online marketplace where people can buy and SELL new or used clothing, shoes, and accessories.
• THE (40A: "I Know Why ___ Caged Bird Sings") I Know Why THE Caged Bird Sings is the title of Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography. The book was adapted into a TV movie of the same name that originally aired in 1979.
• I RISE I RISE I RISE (55A: Last three lines of the Angelou poem that starts: "You may write me down in history / With your bitter twisted lies") Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I RISE," was first published in her 1978 book, And Still I RISE: A Book of Poems. 
• STAR (60A: Maya Angelou has one on the St. Louis Walk of Fame) The St. Louis Walk of Fame (located on Delmar Boulevard in the Delmar Loop area) honors people from St. Louis that have "made contributions to the culture of the United States." Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her STAR was added to the walk in 1992.
• XEM (8D: Xe/___ pronouns) Xe/XEM are gender neutral pronouns.
• INUPIAQ (10D: Alaskan language) IÑUPIAQ is spoken by the Iñupiat people in northern and northwestern Alaska, and part of the Northwest Territories in Canada. 
• ARE (26D: "Oh Pray My Wings ___ Gonna Fit Me Well") Oh Pray My Wings ARE Gonna Fit Me Well, published in 1975, is Maya Angelou's second book of poetry.

Geography review:

• HANOI (12A: Capital of Vietnam) You might think from reading my blog that I have a particular interest in geography. After all, this "Geography Review" section appears most days. In fact, the opposite is true; geography has always been a challenge for me. When I first started blogging, I noticed there was quite a bit of a geography in the puzzles, and I started this section partly to help myself learn, and perhaps remember, geography. I am delighted to report, therefore, that I knew this answer without the help of crossing answers! The capital of Vietnam is HANOI.
• IRAN (58D: Country where Maryam Mirzakhani was born) Maryam Mirzakhani was born in Tehran, IRAN. She was a mathematician and professor of mathematics at Stanford University. In 2014, she was awarded the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics, becoming the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored with the award. Maryam Mirzakhani died of breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 40.

This is a lovely way to do a tribute puzzle. The puzzle has a primary theme - 1, 2, 3 EYES ON ME - that is clever and interesting. But the rest of the puzzle lets us know this puzzle was designed around the third theme answer, I RISE I RISE I RISE. It was fun to discover the Maya Angelou clues sprinkled throughout the puzzle. In addition to the themes today, I liked MAJESTIC, JOUSTED, GAME PLAN,  and SCENIC. This puzzle was a delightful way to begin my Monday. Happy B-DAY, Maya Angelou!