November 27, 2022

Title: WISE WOMEN IN LITERATURE

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

NIKKY FINNEY (16A: "Head Off & Split" poet) 

BEVERLY CLEARY (25A: "Beezus and Ramona" novelist)

MARY SHELLEY (60A: "Frankenstein" author)

Theme synopsis: The theme answers, who are indeed WISE WOMEN IN LITERATURE, also have Ys at the ends of their names.

Things I learned:

• NIKKY FINNEY (16A: "Head Off & Split" poet) NIKKY FINNEY's poetry collection, Head Off & Split, won the 2011 National Book Award. I recommend spending six minutes of your day watching NIKKY FINNEY read one of her poems from Head Off & Split. 
• CHESS (51D: Xie Jun's game) Xie Jun is a member of the World CHESS Hall of Fame (inducted in 2019), and the president of the Chinese CHESS Association. She is the first Chinese woman to become a CHESS grandmaster.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• FARRO (14A: Grain with more protein than brown rice) FARRO is a type of hulled wheat that resembles brown rice and has a nutty flavor. In addition to protein, FARRO is a source of fiber, iron, and magnesium.
• BEVERLY CLEARY (25A: "Beezus and Ramona" novelist) Having grown up reading BEVERYLY CLEARY's books, including Beezus and Ramona, I was able to fill in this answer without the help of any crosses. Like NIKKI FINNEY, BEVERLY CLEARY also won the National Book Award. BEVERLY CLEARY won the award in 1981 for Ramona and Her Mother. BEVERLY CLEARY's first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950, and over 91 million copies of her books have been sold. BEVERLY CLEARY died in 2021 at the age of 104. 
• UTES (48A: Great Basin people) The UTES are an Indigenous people of the Great Basin area, a watershed region covering most of Nevada and parts of Utah, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Wyoming.
• MARY SHELLEY (60A: "Frankenstein" author) MARY SHELLEY (1797-1851) was an English author. Frankenstein, her most well-known work, was published in 1818, and is considered one of the earliest examples of science-fiction. The first edition of Frankenstein was published anonymously. MARY SHELLEY's name was used on the second edition, published in 1821. 
• CREOLE (8D: Louisiana cuisine) Louisiana's CREOLE cuisine originated in colonial times and is a fusion of West African, French, Spanish, and Indigenous cuisines. Classic CREOLE dishes include oysters Rockefeller, gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish étouffée.
• EELS (23D: Sea creatures with poisonous blood) If you've eaten EELS, you'll be reassured to know that although the blood of EELS is toxic to humans, cooking destroys the toxic protein.
• SANS (34D: Without, in French) As in SANS serif fonts (fonts without serifs, the short lines at the upper and lower ends of letters).
• LAO (62D: Language with a Vientiane dialect) LAO is the official language of Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos. 

Geography review:

• USA (18A: Jade Carey's Olympic team) Representing Team USA in gymnastics, Jade Carey won a gold medal in floor exercise at the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021). 
• SALEM (65A: Oregon's "Cherry City") SALEM is the capital of Oregon. Its nickname of "Cherry City" is a reminder of the historical importance of cherry-growing in the area. Flowering cherry trees grow along many city streets, and around the capital building.
• DANE (6D: Copenhagen resident) Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, making its residents DANEs.

It took me a little while to figure out why these WISE WOMEN IN LITERATURE were also Ys WOMEN, providing a nice "Aha!" moment. In addition to the literary theme, I enjoyed the cozy answer CHUNKY KNIT. My first thought was cable KNIT, but it didn't take long to get on the right track. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was an enjoyable way to start my Sunday.