April 23, 2023

Title: AM I RIGHT?

Constructor: Rebecca Goldstein

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

HARUKI MURAKAMI (19A: "First Person Singular" author)

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (37A: 2020 movie set at the Hampton House on Feb. 25, 1964)

KOSHER PASTRAMI (54A: Meat on a triple-decker sandwich at Second Avenue Deli)

Theme synopsis: On the RIGHT end of each theme answer, the letters A-M-I are found.

Things I learned:

• DONATION (8D: Tzedakah contribution) The word "tzedakah" in Hebrew means "righteousness." In the Jewish faith, tzedakah refers to the obligation to do what is right and just; this is understood as an obligation to make a charitable and generous DONATION. Tzedakah must be adhered to by persons of all financial means.
• DINAH (53D: Club Skirts ___ Shore Weekend) Club Skirts DINAH Shore Weekend, also known as "The DINAH," is a five-day festival catering to the queer women/non-binary/lesbian community. The DINAH takes place in Palm Springs, California. The festival is named for singer, TV personality, and golfer, DINAH Shore. Although DINAH Shore was not a lesbian, the festival originated around the Colgate-DINAH Shore Winner's Circle women's golf tournament. in the late 1980s. The celebration, which this year will be held in September, includes music, pool parties, celebrity meet and greets, and many other festivities. Although I wasn't familiar with this festival, the answer was inferable, since I do know of DINAH Shore.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HARUKI MURAKAMI (19A: "First Person Singular" author) The books of Japanese writer HARUKI MURAKAMI have been translated into 50 languages. His 2020 book, First Person Singular, is a collection of eight short stories. I have not read First Person Singular, but I have read HARUKI MURAKAMI's novel 1Q84, which tells about a fictionalized 1984 happening in parallel with the "real" 1984. It's been quite a few years since I read it, but I still think about it from time to time. I found it intriguing. It is fun and appropriate that this answer is intersected by READ (15D: Enjoyed a book).
• ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (37A: 2020 movie set at the Hampton House on Feb. 25, 1964) ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI is a movie about a fictionalized meeting of Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in a MIAMI hotel room - the Hampton House - on February 25, 1964.
• EAST (41A: "My heart is in the ___, and I in the uttermost west.") and POEM (46A: Sonnet or limerick) The line, "My heart is in the EAST, and I in the uttermost west," is from a POEM titled "My Heart is in the EAST," which is the most famous POEM of Jewish poet and philosopher, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi. The poem expresses a longing to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
• KOSHER PASTRAMI (54A: Meat on a triple-decker sandwich at Second Avenue Deli) Second Avenue Deli is a certified-KOSHER Jewish deli in New York City. 
• VEGAN (59A: Like agave but not honey) Since honey is a product of bees, and bees are animals, it is not considered VEGAN. Agave is VEGAN, as it is a plant product.
• RENT (61A: "Seasons of Love" musical) Ah, nothing like a nice "Seasons of Love" earworm for a Sunday. "Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes..."
• NAVAL (2D: The "N" of NCIS) NCIS = NAVAL Criminal Investigative Service
• ASK (13D: Recite the four questions) In Judaism, the four questions are ASKed by children (or another person if no children are present) at the beginning of the Passover Seder. The four questions are also known by their opening words, "Ma Nishtana," which means "what is different?"
• RHEA (55D: "Better Call Saul" actress Seehorn) I have previously written about RHEA Seehorn, who portrays lawyer Kim Wexler on the TV show Better Call Saul.

Geography review:

• ERIE (30D: Southernmost Great Lake) The Great Lakes, from the northernmost to the southernmost, are Superior, Huron, Michagan, Ontario, and ERIE.
• OSLO (47D: Norway's capital) OSLO is the capital and most populous city of Norway. The city of OSLO is located on a fjord known as the Oslofjord, and there are 40 islands within the city limits.

This is a delightful puzzle. AM I RIGHT? A fun theme idea, and three great theme answers. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I also liked GUMMY BEAR, PIPE DREAM, and ILLUSIONS. Shoutout to just a few of the many great clues: (40A: Know-It-___ (mansplainers)) for ALLS, (62A: Tomatoey chip dip) for SALSA, and (33A: Travels, in science fiction) for TELEPORTS. Thank you, Rebecca, for this puzzle that is a superb Sunday solve.