Jump to: Tricky Clues | Today’s Theme
SUNDAY PUZZLE — In his print introduction, Joel Fagliano writes: “Daniel Bodily, of Woodbury, Minn., is a robotics research engineer. His crosswords often include a visual element, as seen in the middle of the grid here. A self-described ‘left-brained person,’ he notes that crosswords are ‘the closest I’ll come to being an artist myself.’”
I don’t know about that — I love the low-res video game effect in this grid’s layout. You might remember one of Mr. Bodily’s previous Sunday puzzles, in collaboration with Jeff Chen, which included a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial. There’s no arguing with the creativity and artistry in these constructions, and they’re excellent, multi-level challenges.
Today’s Theme
There are eight entries in this theme set, at 3-, 13-, 18-, 20-, 32-, 34-, 70- and 74-Down, as well as a twin set of revealers at 77- and 78-Down. The theme clues are all italicized statements that tell a story, from beginning to end; I didn’t catch that until I looked back on my finished solve, but it’s a thrilling touch. I hope solvers pick up that narrative arc.
Knowing the puzzle’s title, “From the Astronaut’s Logbook,” helps elucidate the theme’s tone. We start with 3-Down: “Woo-hoo! The engines are firing, all systems are go, and we are feeling good!” The entry here is HAVING A BLAST, which means a great time idiomatically, yes, but also literally describes a rocket preparing to soar into space. (I might be alone here, but I first thought this entry was “all systems go.” Fitting, but too straightforward for the theme.)