September 2, 2023

Title: GETTING ORIENTED

Constructor: Rafael Musa

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Freestyle: This is a semi-themeless puzzle. We're GETTING ORIENTED with a grid whose center resembles a compass, and the answers NORTH, EAST, SOUTH, and WEST placed accordingly, and all clued as [Compass direction].

Things I learned:

• CLUB (59D: "Chemtrails Over the Country ___" (Lana Del Rey song)) "Chemtrails over the Country CLUB" is the title track from Lana Del Rey's 2021 album. I am familiar with Lana Del Rey, but not with this song. Fortunately, the answer was fairly inferable. Fun fact: I've written about Lana Del Rey two times previously, and both of those puzzles were also constructed by Rafael Musa.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• OPTIC (19A: ___ nerve (eye-brain connection)) The OPTIC nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. The OPTIC nerve conveys information about brightness, color, and contrast, as well as being responsible for the light reflex (the constriction of the pupils when light shines into the eyes) and the accommodation reflex (adjustment of the lens for viewing objects at a close distance).
• À LA MODE (29A: Served with ice cream) When I see "Á LA MODE" on a dessert menu, it makes me quite happy.
• CLAP (55A: "Please ___" (request to an unenthusiastic crowd)) Excellent clue. This clue/answer pair made me sad on the hypothetical performer's behalf! 
• SOUL (16D: Mary J. Blige genre) Mary J. Blige is known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop SOUL" and the "Queen of R&B."
• MISS (30D: "___ Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" (Taylor Swift song)) Taylor Swift's 2019 song, "MISS Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" is from her seventh studio album, Lover. Taylor Swift wrote "MISS Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" after the 2018 midterm elections. It has been described as a protest song, likening the political scene to a high school.
• PIEROGI (32D: Polish boiled dumpling) Typical fillings for the Polish dumplings known as PIEROGI are potato, cheese, or sauerkraut. They are often served with sour cream.
• EAT ALONE (38D: Enjoy a quiet meal with a book, say) When I used to travel for work, I would often EAT ALONE at restaurants, just me and a book. It was a great way for this
  
  introvert to recharge after a day of conferencing. I just happened to choose this mug this morning, before I solved the puzzle. It says," Introverts unite. We're here, we're uncomfortable, and we want to go home." (I may have shared this one before. I really need to keep a list of the photos I share...)

Geography review:

• LIMA (27A: Peru's capital) LIMA is the capital of Peru, and its largest city. LIMA is located on the western edge of Peru, along the Pacific Ocean.
• RIVERS (35A: Seine, Nile, Tigris, etc.) This clue provides a sampling of RIVERS located on three different continents. Representing Europe, we have the Seine, a RIVER in northern France. The Seine flows through Paris, and into the English Channel. From Africa, we have the Nile RIVER, which flows north through 11 countries (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt) and into the Mediterranean Sea. In western Asia, the Tigris RIVER runs through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, and empties into the Persian Gulf.
• DESERT (49D: Gobi or Atacama, for example) Our DESERT examples are also located on different continents. In Asia, the Gobi DESERT covers parts of northeastern China, and the southern part of Mongolia. We often imagine DESERTs as being hot and sandy, but the Gobi is a cold DESERT, which occasionally receives snow. Much of the Gobi is exposed bare rock rather than sand. In South America, the Atacama DESERT is located along the Pacific coastline of Chile, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama is known as the driest place in the world.

This puzzle is a perfect example of a FREESTYLE puzzle that isn't quite themeless. Although there isn't word play involved, there's definitely a theme here. I really enjoyed this puzzle. When I opened the puzzle, I was immediately struck by the beautiful grid pattern. After reading the title I thought, "Oh, it would be fun to put the compass points at their respect spots in the grid. The puzzle did not disappoint! Lots of enjoyable fill as well: NOODLE SOUP, STRIKEOUTS, FOOL AROUND, and DO NOT ENTER. Thank you, Rafa, for this puzzle that was a superb way to start my Saturday.