January 29, 2024

Title: JAY-Z

Constructor: Will Nediger

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Theme Answers:

JEWELLE GOMEZ (19A: GLAAD co-founder)

JOAN BAEZ (45A: "Diamonds & Rust" singer)

JENNIFER LOPEZ (53A: Latina pop icon who starred in "Hustlers")

Theme synopsis: Beginning with the letter J and ending with the letter Z, each theme answer goes from J to Z, or written another way, JAY-Z.

Things I learned:

• JEWELLE GOMEZ (19A: GLAAD co-founder) JEWELLE GOMEZ is an author whose 1991 book, The Gilda Stories, is a work of Afrofuturism written a couple of years before that term was coined. Afrofuturistic books explore the African-American experience by combining elements of science-fiction, history, and fantasy. The Gilda Stories protagonist is a Black, lesbian vampire. In addition to her literary accomplishments, JEWELLE GOMEZ is, as the clue informs us, a co-founder of GLAAD; she served as the organization's first treasurer. GLAAD is a media-monitoring organization whose name is an acronym of GAY & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. JEWELLE GOMEZ and her partner, Diane Sabin, were one of the six couples that sued the state of California in 2004 for the right to marry. I enjoyed learning about JEWELLE GOMEZ. I especially enjoyed this in-depth article about her from The Guardian.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• WWW (10A: ___.blackfarmerfund.org) The mission of the Black Farmer Fund is to "nurture black community wealth & health by investing in black agricultural systems in the Northeast." The organization was founded in 2020 by Karen Washington and Olivia Watkins in order to address disparities Black farmers face in obtaining financing and accessing land. I'm a fan of using the answer WWW to highlight a particular organization.
• RAI (38A: Aishwarya ___ Bachchan) Aishwarya RAI Bachchan is one of the most popular celebrities in India. Her film appearances include Bride and Prejudice, The Last Legion, and The Mistress of Spices. Aishwarya RAI Bachchan was Miss World 1994.
• LICENSE (39A: "drivers ___" (Olivia Rodrigo song named for a form of ID)) Olivia Rodrigo's debut single, "drivers LICENSE," was released in 2021. We saw the song title as a theme answer March 13, 2021.
• JOAN BAEZ (45A: "Diamonds & Rust" singer) "Diamonds & Rust" is the title song of a 1975 album by JOAN BAEZ. The song was written by JOAN BAEZ, and she has said the lyrics refer to her relationship with Bob Dylan. JOAN BAEZ was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
  
• ERROR (48A: It may make a 404 message appear) I don't know about you, but simply reading this clue made me anxious. There are many varieties of the 404 message: "404 ERROR," 404 Not Found," "HTTP 404," etc. None of them are ever good news.
• JENNIFER LOPEZ (53A: Latina pop icon who starred in "Hustlers") Hustlers is a 2019 movie based on Jessica Pressler's 2015 magazine article, "The Hustlers at Scores." The movie stars JENNIFER LOPEZ, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Lizzo, and Cardi B as New York City strippers. JENNIFER LOPEZ plays the role of Ramona Vega, a veteran stripper. She was amazing in the role, and won multiple well-deserved awards for her performance.
• SONG (68A: "Into You" or "Fade Into You") Multiple artists have released SONGs titled "Into You," including Ariana Grande (2016) and Fabolous (2003). "Fade Into You" is a 1994 song by the alt rock band Mazzy Star.
• EYELASH (7D: Hair that might be wished upon) I learned about using a fallen EYELASH to make a wish from the February 10, 2022 puzzle.
• MOSLEY (22D: Crime novelist Walter) Walter MOSLEY is the author of a series of historical mysteries featuring a Black hard-boiled detective named Easy Rawlins. He has also written Afrofuturistic science fiction, nonfiction, and plays. Interestingly, Walter MOSLEY didn't start writing until he was 34. He claims to have written every day since he began. (Walter MOSLEY turned 72 earlier this month.)
• BODEGAS (46D: Corner stores that might have cats) BODEGAS and cats, a match that charms customers and decreases the chance of a rat infestation. I have previously written about how the owners of many BODEGAS keep cats even though it's not technically allowed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Instagram account BODEGAcatsofinstagram is worth a follow if you enjoy cat photos. There's also a BODEGA Cats account on Bluesky now.

  

  Willow

  Willow is not a BODEGA cat. I have a feeling that "job" would involve too many people for her liking. She's pretty happy being a Hoelscher cat.
• REESE'S (49D: ___ Puffs (peanut-butter-and-chocolate cereal)) REESE'S Puffs  – inspired by REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups – is a General Mills cereal that was first sold in 1994. This clue made me think about what a short leap it is from the candy and cookie aisle to the cereal aisle, with REESE'S Puffs, Oreo O's, Hershey's Kisses Cereal, and so many more. (This is probably a tip-off about how much sugar is in many cereals!)
• NEMO (55D: Pixar fish who "touched the butt") If it's been some time since you've watched Pixar's 2003 movie Finding NEMO, here's the "he touched the butt" scene.
• LISA (56D: "Abbott Elementary" actress ___ Ann Walter) LISA Ann Walter portrays second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti on the TV mockumentary Abbott Elementary. It was just a few days ago that we saw her name used to clue ANN.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• WAKE (11D: "___ up and smell the coffee!")
• NEED I ASK (40D: "Is the answer not already obvious?")
• ZERO (57D: Number of calories in water)

Geography review:

• SHAH (15A: Former leader of Iran) The country of Iran has a history dating back to the 600s BCE. Through the years, the rulers of Iran have held different titles, including Khan, Emir, Bey, Sultan, King, and SHAH. The last SHAH of Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1941-1979), who was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

My first guess upon seeing the title was that the theme answers would have the initials J.Z. I forgot that a hyphen is sometimes used to represent the word "to." This was a fun twist to discover. Thank you, Will, for this excellent puzzle.

One more thing today: Registration recently opened for Westwords, a one day Crossword Tournament that will be held June 23 in the Bay Area. There's also an option to participate. I'm excited for this new tournament offering, and my husband and I will be participating online, solving as a pair.