May 9, 2023

Title: K...

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

NOT IN OUR HONOR (14A: Coalition that advocates against Native mascots in sports)

NEW ORLEANS (30A: Birthplace of bounce music)

NICK OF TIME (39A: Last possible moment)

NIGHT WATCHMAN (58A: Title job for Thomas Wazhashk in a 2020 Louise Erdrich novel)

Theme synopsis: The first word of each theme answer can follow the letter K to form a new word. Our K... words are: KNOT, KNEW, KNICK, and KNIGHT.

Things I learned:

• NOT IN OUR HONOR (14A: Coalition that advocates against Native mascots in sports) Since 2005, a group of Native American leaders and organizations in the Kansas City area known as NOT IN OUR HONOR have been speaking out against the use of Native American stereotypes and misappropriation of Indigenous culture. NOT IN OUR HONOR's efforts include protests directed toward Kansas City's NFL team in an effort to get the Chiefs to change their name, choose a new mascot, and stop using the "tomahawk chop" at games. To learn more, I recommend reading NOT IN OUR HONOR's "Statement to Kansas City Football Team." 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• OZONE (25A: Stratosphere layer protected by the Montreal Protocol) The Montreal Protocol, aka The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the OZONE Layer, is an international treaty first adopted in 1987. There have been nine revisions to the treaty since it was first adopted. The Montreal Protocol has been ratified by all United Nations members, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Holy See, the State of Palestine, and the European Union, making it the first universally ratified treaty in United Nations History. Part of the treaty's efforts is aimed at phasing out the production of OZONE-Depleting Substances (ODS). Earth's OZONE layer is recovering, and is projected (if current policies remain in place) to return to 1980 values by 2040.
• LOU (34A: Fannie ___ Hamer) I have previously written about Fannie LOU Hamer, one of the co-founders of the National Women's Political Caucus.
• NIGHT WATCHMAN (58A: Title job for Thomas Wazhashk in a 2020 Louise Erdrich novel) The NIGHT WATCHMAN by Louise Erdrich won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2021. Louise Erdrich, who is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, is known for her novels, poetry, and children's books that feature Indigenous characters and Native American settings. The NIGHT WATCHMAN is historical fiction, and is based on the life of Louise Erdrich's grandfather. In the book, Thomas Wazhashk is the NIGHT WATCHMAN at a jewel-bearing factory near the Turtle Mountain Reservation.
• NASTY (64A: It's Janet...Miss Jackson if you're ___") "It's Janet...Miss Jackson if you're NASTY," is a line from Janet Jackson's 1986 song, "NASTY." 
• SNEEZE (10D: Reason for saying "Bless you") and POLITE (11D: Like saying "Bless you") This is a delightful pair of consecutive clues.
• CIARA (41D: "Body Party" singer) "Body Party" is a 2013 song by CIARA. 
• ITCHY (52D: Like a wool sweater that feels like a steel wool sweater) This is funny, but/and it makes me ITCHY just thinking about it!

Geography review:

• NEW ORLEANS (30A: Birthplace of bounce music) Bounce music is a style of NEW ORLEANS hip hop that originated in the late 1980s. Bounce music is energetic and characterized by a call-and-response style.
• LAOS (19D: Country that borders Thailand) LAOS is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. In addition to bordering Thailand, LAOS also borders Myanmar, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The capital of LAOS is Vientiane.
• OSLO (28D: City hidden in the answer to 1-Down) and TOO SLOW (1D: Gotta be faster than that!) This OSLO clue is an interesting and enjoyable take on a cross-reference clue. In the last year, we've seen OSLO as an answer an average of (just over) once a month. So hopefully you know that OSLO is the capital and largest city of Norway.

When I saw the title of today's puzzle, I wondered if the theme answers would feature the letter K. Not at all - there's only one letter K in the four theme answers! It took me about two-thirds of the way through the solve to see the theme; a nice "Aha!" moment. I enjoyed learning about the efforts of NOT IN OUR HONOR. I also liked the answers EMOTION, EROTICA, SCOFFS, and I'M AWARE. Thank you, Erik, for this puzzle that was an excellent way to start my Tuesday.