April 22, 2023

Title: CAT CARRIERS

Constructor: Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

OLYMPIC ATHLETES (17A: People who might be carrying a torch)

I DIDN'T CATCH THAT (38A: "Huh? Please repeat?")

PUBLIC ATTENTION (59A: Limelight)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer acts as a CARRIER for the word CAT.

Things I learned:

• TERI (32A: "Good Trouble" actress Polo) The TV series, Good Trouble, is a spin-off of The Fosters, a show about lesbian couple, Stef Foster (TERI Polo) and Lena Adams Foster (Sherri Saum). Good Trouble follows the lives of two of the couple's children. TERI Polo has made guest appearances as Stef Foster on Good Trouble.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NORAH (8A: Jazz singer Jones) Singer, songwriter, and pianist NORAH Jones, has won nine Grammy Awards. In addition to her recording career, she hosts a podcast titled, NORAH Jones is Playing Along. The podcast features "impromptu musical collaborations and candid conversation."
• BEA (15A: Arthur who sang "Bosom Buddies" with Angela Lansbury in "Mame") When the musical, Mame, opened on Broadway in 1966, Angela Lansbury portrayed Mame Dennis and BEA Arthur portrayed Vera Charles. They both won Tony Awards for their performances, Angela Lansbury for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and BEA Arthur for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Twenty-two years later, at the 1988 Tony Awards, Angela Lansbury and BEA Arthur once again sang "Bosom Buddies" together. 
• ETTA (43A: Barnett of "Porgy and Bess") George Gershwin wrote the opera, Porgy and Bess, with ETTA Barnett (1901-2004) in mind. She originally refused the role of Bess because it was written for a soprano, and she was a contralto. She finally agreed to take the role for the 1942 Broadway revival of the show, which was a success. 
• PHO (1D: Soup in many punny Vietnamese restaurant names) Names such as What the PHO or PHO King Delicious, for example.
• HOST (12D: Cara Santa Maria, for the "Talk Nerdy" podcast) The tag line of the Talk Nerdy podcast is "conversations with interesting people about interesting topics." The HOST of the podcast is Cara Santa Maria, science correspondent on the National Geographic TV series, Brain Games, and an award-winning journalist. 
• ID TAG (33D: Pet accessory with a name and phone number) and PUMA (55D: Cougar) Some nice bonus theme content with these two answers, although I wouldn't want to try to put a PUMA in a CAT CARRIER! 
• NOT (63D: "The Body Is ___ an Apology" (Sonya Renee Taylor)) The Body Is NOT an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love is a 2021 book by Sonya Renee Taylor. The Body Is NOT an Apology is also the name of a movement and a media and education company founded by Sonya Renee Taylor to explore "the intersections of identity, healing, and social justice through the framework of radical self-love."

Geography review:

• RIO (57A: ___ de Janeiro) RIO de Janeiro (the city) is the capital of RIO de Janeiro (the state) in Brazil.
• TEMPE (4D: ASU city) The city of TEMPE is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and is home to Arizona State University (ASU).
• NIGERIAN (39D: Chinua Achebe's nationality) Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was a NIGERIAN writer sometimes referred to as the "father of African literature." His first book, Things Fall Apart (1958) , is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

You know I like a CAT-themed puzzle! Great grid-spanning theme answers here. I especially liked the clue for OLYMPIC ATHLETES. With the title CAT CARRIERS, of course I'm going to share some CAT photos with you today. (Side note: I know Amanda has a CAT, and I'm hoping someday she'll send me a photo of her cat that I may share with you! Hint, hint...) As I mentioned yesterday, my husband and I are visiting our son in Seattle, so today's CAT photos are once again of our son's CATs, Mister and Lily. Thank you, Amanda, for this CAT-themed puzzle that is a lovely way to start a Saturday. 

Mister

Lily