Sample Page Title

Constructor: Natan Last

Relative problem: Easy (for me … undecided how the names are gonna play for the gen pop)

THEME: none 

Word of the Day: OCEAN VUONG (27D: “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” novelist, 2019) —

Ocean Vuong (born Vương Quốc Vinh, Vietnamese: [vɨəŋ˧ kuək˧˥ viɲ˧]; October 14, 1988) is a Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist. Vuong is a recipient of the 2014 Ruth Lilly/Sargent Rosenberg fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a 2016 Whiting Award, and the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize for his poetry. His debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, was revealed in 2019. He acquired a MacArthur Grant the identical 12 months. (wikipedia)

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LOL, Natan, who created the “Natan Last Sucks” weblog label!?! I’m going to key in your title, the best way I key in each constructor’s title, and it offers me two choices: “Natan Last” and “Natan Last Sucks” … so I simply used each at this time, I hope that is OK. I assume one in all my subs was simply razzing you a very long time in the past. Why am I scripting this like an open letter?! Anyway, the “Natan Last Sucks” label is definitely an honor. No different constructor has a “Sucks” label (although I feel Tom McCoy has a “Tom McCoy the GAWD” label … you see how I actually do let my subs have free run of the place when I’m gone). Anyway, Natan Last doesn’t suck, not at making puzzles anyway, which should you solved this really glowing gem (or JEWEL, if you’ll). This had all of the bounce and movement of an amazing Friday, with only a sprint extra toughness. I might’ve stood for extra toughness, truly, but it surely seems Natan and I apparently learn the identical books (or at the least learn New Yorker articles about the identical books), as a result of this puzzle was unabashedly literary and I ate all of it up, fortunately. I no-looked GERTRUDE STEIN, that is how within the (literary) zone I used to be at this time. TONE LOC on GERTRUDE STEIN … which may be my juxtaposition of the 12 months. That is the candy stack I’ve been longing to see. Literary students must carry this type of surprising creativeness to their work: “Tender Buttons and Wild Things: The Transgressive Erotics of GERTRUDE STEIN and TONE LOC,” *that* is the educational paper I wish to learn. Maybe OCEAN VUONG’s work has one thing to supply as properly … he is somebody I’ve been that means to learn, however as but know solely from my aforementioned studying of the New Yorker. But at the least I knew him. Or knew most of him. I wrote his title down as OCEAN VUOCO—the place the hell did that come from? 

Anyway, the literature angle was pleasing to me, however in fact that’s not what makes the puzzle nice. The actual pleasure got here from how chock full o’ authentic solutions this one, in addition to how easily it flowed. I saved being fortunately stunned each time I turned a nook. There was no half that felt thrown away or uncared for. From CROWDSURFS to SHOOED AWAY, I discovered this one charming. I may need discovered it simpler than most as a result of I resolve the New Yorker crossword each day, and Natan is an everyday constructor there. Their puzzles undoubtedly run extra literary than the NYTXW (Natan’s most up-to-date puzzle for them had ALLEN GINSBURG crossing NIKKI GIOVANNI!). So I’ve been secretly coaching for this, you would possibly say. I like to recommend this similar coaching to you. (YES, YOU!)

I had my first “oh, dang, that is good” second early on, once I stared at 19A: Final 4? after which stared at HORS- and thought “what the hell do horses … need to do … with … finality … Ohhhhhhhhhhh! Dang, that is good.” 

[… of the Apocalypse]

After that, the hits simply saved coming. From CROWDSURFS to “BLUE’S CLUES” to POSE NUDE to SLUMPED to SUPEREGO, there’s actually nowhere to get bored. I feel the NE nook was in all probability the weakest part, but it surely’s not truly weak, it simply seems to be just a little STALE solely by comparability to every thing else, so … we’re good. I like the power of B.S. METER (14D: Ability to detect misinformation, slangily) although I’ve solely ever heard it known as a “bullshit detector.” If somebody mentioned “B.S. METER” I’d in all probability ask them to repeat themselves. But it feeeeels like one thing somebody would say, and I had no downside getting it, so OK. The solely actual grimace-face I made at this time was at DELINT (17D: Use a curler on, in a approach), which I do not like as a phrase although with two cats in the home I DELINT (i.e. DECATHAIR) fairly a bit. As for MECHA, I like to recommend (mecha-mend?) that you just retailer that one away, as I’ve seen it a bunch in different puzzles currently (most just lately, I feel, the LAT) (1D: Anime and manga style involving robots). Constructors appear to have gotten wind that it’s a factor, and they’re starting to place it into heavy rotation. Had just a little hassle within the RAMA / MEMO space, for some purpose (primarily simply could not get MEMO (53A: Format of some N.S.A. leaks)), after which wrote in GAME ROOM and later GAME AREA earlier than lastly alighting on GALLERIA at 31D: Indoor arcade. Otherwise, this one was really proper on my wavelength, in probably the most pleasant of how. Hope your day was brightened by the fixing expertise, as mine was. See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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