October 7, 2023

Title: SEASIDES

Constructor: Sally Hoelscher

Editor: Anna Gundlach

Theme Answers:

COUNTRY MUSIC (19A: The Chicks' genre)

CHANGES THE TOPIC (37A: Starts talking about something different)

CLOSE-UP MAGIC (53A: Card tricks performed at a table, e.g.)

Theme synopsis: Each of the theme answers has C-SIDES.

Things I learned:

• ANI (36A: Tibetan activist Pachen) ANI Pachen (1933-2002) was a Tibetan tribal princess, a Tibetan Freedom Fighter, an activist, and a Buddhist nun. She spent 21 years imprisoned in China, after being captured by Chinese forces in 1960 along with other Tibetan refugees. ANI Pachen's autobiography, published in 2000, is titled, Sorrow Mountain: the Journey of a Tibetan Warrior Nun. This clue was added during editing, and I was happy to learn about ANI Pachen.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BOAT (9A: Pontoon or kayak) and SHORE (32D: Where seashells wash up) I was delighted to be able to incorporate a couple of SEASIDE bonuses in the grid.
• ALOO (16A: ___ gosht (potato and meat dish) This is your occasional reminder that ALOO is a South Asian term for potatoes, so when you notice a dish in a crossword clue contains potato, the answer may be ALOO. (This reminder is just one of the many services Sally's Take offers.)
• BEAR (17A: Grizzly, for example) When I constructed this puzzle, I didn't know when it would run, but this answer ended up being especially timely. This week, October 4-10, is Fat BEAR Week! The National Park Service hosts Fat BEAR Week every year as a celebration of success and survival. Each year the public is invited to weigh in on which of the BEARs in Katmai National Park will be crowned Fat BEAR Champion. You can meet this year's "contestants" on this site, which has a fun slider tool you can use to see how each BEAR has chunked up this summer, a process that is important in helping them survive hibernation. (That site will then direct you to a site where you can vote.)
• COUNTRY MUSIC (19A: The Chicks' genre) The Chicks are a Grammy-Award-winning COUNTRY MUSIC band consisting of Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer. Their most recent album is titled Gaslighter (2020).
• SIS (28A: Solange, to Beyonce, for short) This clue goes out to my daughter. Anytime I have an opportunity to mention Beyoncé in a puzzle or on the blog, I happily do so, in honor of my favorite Beyoncé fan.
• EGGS (34A: Khagina or omelet ingredients) Khagina is a dish also known as spicy Pakistani scrambled EGGS. There are many variations of khagina, but onions and tomatoes are common additions to the EGGS and spices. An omelet, also spelled omelette, is a dish of EGGS that are fried and then wrapped or folded around the ingredients of one's choice.
• CLOSE-UP MAGIC (53A: Card tricks performed at a table, e.g.) Earlier this year, my husband and I went to a show at the Chicago MAGIC Lounge. It was there that we learned that the city of Chicago has a rich history of MAGIC, and particularly of CLOSE-UP MAGIC, which is also known as table magic. As the name suggests, CLOSE-UP MAGIC is MAGIC performed for a small audience, in an intimate setting where the audience is close to the magician.  
• ADELE (62A: Singer whose album titles are all two-digit numbers) ADELE has four albums to date: 19, 21, 25, and 30.
• OREO (63A: Sandwich cookie with a Candy Corn variety) and BRACHS (9D: Candy corn company) I didn't originally plan to pair these two answers when I filled the grid, but when I discovered there is a Candy Corn OREO, it seemed like an opportunity I shouldn't pass up. (It amuses me a little bit to be featuring these candy corn clues, as personally I'm not a candy corn fan.)
• SPACE (1D: One of five in this clue) I couldn't resist this meta clue.
• BRIM (15D: Stetson part) and HAT (57D: Stetson, for example) This pair of clues reminds me of

  

  My dad

  my dad. I'm not exactly sure how it evolved, but sometime during my childhood, my dad began wearing a Stetson HAT. The BRIM of the HAT protected his ears and face from the sun. My dad's Stetson became one of his trademarks. I have two photos to share with you on this topic. The first is of my dad sporting a Stetson. My husband took this photo, and it's one of my favorites of my dad. The second photo is of my son when he was young, wearing Grandpa John's hat. 

  

  My son

  
  
• SUN (28D: "The ___ Is Also a Star") The main characters of Nicola Yoon's book, The SUN is Also a Star are Natasha, an undocumented Jamaican immigrant facing deportation, and Daniel, a first generation Korean American. Natasha and Daniel happen to meet on Natasha's final day in the United States, and the story progresses from there. The SUN is Also a Star was made into a 2019 movie by the same name.
• BETTE (29D: "The L Word" role for Jennifer Beals) BETTE Porter, played by Jennifer Beals on the TV series, The L Word, ranked 35th on Decider's 2017 list of "The 50 Most Important LGBTQ TV Characters of All Time."
• SOY (39D: Main ingredient in tamari) Tamari is a Japanese sauce made from fermented soybeans. It is similar to SOY sauce, but slightly thicker (and gluten-free).

Geography review:

• PALO (13A: ___ Alto, California) PALO Alto is a city in California that is known for being one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. in which to live. PALO Alto is located in the area known as the Silicon Valley.
• PERU (8D: Lima is its capital) The country of PERU is located on the western coast of South America. Lima, PERU's capital, is located on the coast, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
• EURO (55D: Currency in Portugal and Spain) Portugal and Spain are both located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. The capital of Portugal is Lisbon, and Spain's capital is Madrid. The currency in Portugal and Spain is the EURO.

I enjoy themes that require a reinterpretation of the title. I was intrigued therefore, when I realized the word SEASIDES could be read as C-SIDES. It was important to me to find theme answers that only contained the letter C on each end, and didn't have any spare Cs. I'm happy with this set. Amazingly, I have managed to construct a puzzle without a single cat reference in either the clue or the grid. (I know. I'm shocked, too!) My apologies to Willow. I'm going to share a photo of her with you anyway as a way of asking her forgiveness. I hope you enjoyed solving this puzzle. Thanks to Anna and Amanda for the edits!

Cozy, curled-up cat