January 1, 2023

Title: 1/1

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

THAT'S SO LAST YEAR (3D: "Get with the times!")

SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW (11D: "Must be a day ending in Y")

Theme synopsis: Happy New Year! The grid art is the theme today, supported by two relevant phrases to welcome in a new year.

Things I learned:

• IDLE NO MORE (16A: First Nations resistance movement) IDLE NO MORE is a grassroots movement founded in 2012 by four women in Canada. Its vision is for "all people to join in a peaceful revolution which honors and fulfills Indigenous sovereignty and which protects the land, the water, and the sky..." and to "...live the spirit and intent of the treaty relationship, work towards justice in action, and protect Mother Earth." IDLE NO MORE focuses on public education and non-violent direct action. 
• DAT (41A: "I Like ___" (T-Pain & Kehlani song)) "I like DAT" by T-Pain and Kehlani was released in May of 2021. The song is a sequel to T-Pain's 2007 song, "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')."
• SLEATER (6D: Rock band ___-Kinney) SLEATER-Kinney is a rock band composed of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. Their most recent album, released in 2021, is titled Path of Wellness. You can watch SLEATER-Kinney (whose name is derived from SLEATER Kinney Road in Lacey, Washington) perform an NPR Tiny Desk Concert here. 
• MOTT (48D: "Hell of a Book" author Jason) Jason MOTT's 2021 novel, Hell of a Book, won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. The book intertwines the stories of three characters: an unnamed Black author on a cross-country publicity tour, a young Black boy in a rural town, and a possibly imaginary child referred to as The Kid. While the characters' stories are told, the novel addresses issues of family, art and money, police shootings, and what it means to be Black in America.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• LOUIS (33A: Jazz great Armstrong) I have previously written about how jazz great LOUIS Armstrong (1901-1971) reportedly used Richard Nixon to smuggle weed through customs, how he was among the first to record scat singing, and how he used to sign his letters, "Red Beans and Ricely Yours."
• ANSEL (34A: Nature photographer Adams) ANSEL Adams (1902-1984) is known for his black-and-white landscape photos, and his advocacy efforts for the National Parks. I have previously written about ANSEL Adams. 
• START DATES (53A: Job interview subjects) Today is the START DATE of 2023. A nice bonus theme answer.
• TEMS (54A: One-named singer born in Lagos) As the clue informs us, TEMS was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Her 2020 song, "Free Mind," reached number one on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
• POSSUMS (1D: Marsupials that are immune to rattlesnake venom) This is a fun fact, isn't it? Because POSSUMS are immune to the venom of rattlesnakes, they can safely prey upon the snakes.
• TIGER (4D: Big cat in a Nael poem) Nael was six years old when he wrote his poem, "The TIGER," which was published by 826DC, an organization aimed at inspiring young writers. Go ahead and take a moment to click on the link and read Nael's 12-word poem. I'll wait... You may have seen Nael's poem before, as it has been oft-shared on social media. Here's an article that analyzes Nael's poem, because "what is poem analysis (or any analysis) without overthinking."

  

  Happy New Year from Willow and me!

  
  Today, my (not-so-big) cat and I wish you a Happy New Year!
• WISH (27D: Something made at 11:11) In numerology, 11:11 is considered a lucky time, and some people make a WISH if they glance at the clock at 11:11.
• COMPOST (35D: What eggshells, coffee filters and wine corks can be) I believe that COMPOST piles are one of the coolest things ever. True confession: my husband and I are lazy composters. We don't turn our COMPOST pile, or pay particular attention to the percentages of different materials we add. We simply pile our COMPOST - mostly food scraps, weeds, and fallen leaves - and are rewarded with it turning into rich, beautiful soil. It's pretty close to magic!
• LINDT (44D: Brand of chocolate truffles) Speaking of magical things...LINDT chocolate truffles are right up there. They are definitely among my favorite things. If one of your New Year's resolutions is to support the creators of content you enjoy, you could make a donation to my blog by clicking on the Donate button below, or donating through Venmo or via a check. Look at it as an opportunity to buy me some LINDT truffles.

Geography review:

• OREGONIANS (50A: People from Beaverton or Bend) Located in northwest Oregon, Beaverton is part of the Portland metropolitan area. Fun fact: Beaverton is the home of Evergreen Curling Club, OREGONIANS only dedicated curling facility. Bend is a city in central Oregon. Fun fact: Bend, Oregon is the home of the last remaining Blockbuster store.
• TAMIAMI (38D: Florida suburb whose name is a portmanteau of two major cities) TAMIAMI, Florida is an unincorporated community west of Miami, Florida. It takes its name from the TAMIAMI Trail, a portion of U.S. Highway 41 that connects Tampa and Miami. 

It's all about the grid art today, and it was a delight to open the puzzle and see it! I also thoroughly enjoyed the timely long downs THAT'S SO LAST YEAR and SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW. This puzzle may remind you of the grid art Erik treated us to on 2/22/22, (but then again THAT'S SO LAST YEAR). Thank you, Erik, for this puzzle that was the perfect way to start my 2023.