New York Times, Wednesday, October 3, 2018

I considered other constellations for a puzzle theme, but Cassiopeia won out because it has only has five main stars. Soon after this puzzle got accepted, Jeff Stillman's May 22 Ursa Major crossword was published, and I thought it would be a good long time before this one appeared.

Lovely gridwork. I had a funny feeling something was going on, what with so many Xs popping up during my solve. An even funnier feeling made me worry that these Xs would force an inelegant grid, glopped together with dribs of crossword glue.

Not so! Such a pleasure to get only a bit of ANO STD. Not a lot of bonuses in just FUSHCIAS and YARDLINE, but for a tricky construction involving five Xs, I'd much rather get a clean 78-word grid than an audacious one showing its strain.

That last paragraph goes to the heart of one of the biggest differences between Jim and me (Jim and a great majority of solvers, probably). As a constructor, I value the technical merits of a puzzle as much as the theme, if not more so. Even if a theme doesn't catch my attention, I enjoy studying the craftsmanship. There's almost always something to appreciate there.

Can you tell I used to love "This Old House"?

It's a fun theme, connecting the Xs to form the constellation CASSIOPEIA. I thought Jennifer did a nice job of replicating the pattern as seen in the night sky. However, my long memory quickly recalled a brilliant BIG DIPPER puzzle, with a much more familiar image. I vaguely knew CASSIOPEIA was a constellation, but as to what it looks like ... good thing we have Wikipedia!

The theme didn't hit me that strongly, especially since we just had the other BIG DIPPER puzzle Jennifer mentioned. But I appreciated the stellar (ha) execution.

Let's see Jim top that astronomical pun!

Cassiopeia is one of the easiest constellations to spot if you live in the northern hemisphere, and it's visible year round. Look for the bright stars near Polaris forming a big W. It will immediately evoke an image of a beautiful Ethiopian queen chained to a throne. Or, at least it did to ancient Greeks. The fate of Cassiopeia's daughter was even harsher. Andromeda was tied naked to a sea-side rock, to be devoured by a sea monster. Good times, back then.

Yes, Jeff does obsess over grid work. That's what you want from a constructor. I appreciate outstanding word-crossing skill too but, he's right that, for early-week puzzles, a delightful theme will atone for a few duds in execution. This is a near-perfect theme, combining astronomy and mythology. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came out 21 years ago, but Greek myths are even older. Mark my words, they will withstand the test of time.

Did THE NEREIDS feel like a cheat to you? The definite article was necessary for grid symmetry, but it made it harder to suss out the word.

GUS Van Sant mostly directed smaller films like My Own Private Idaho, but his Good Will Hunting was a hit. MARX, sadly, gets a non-Groucho clue. "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" is, indeed, from EVITA. Do those lyrics make any sense to you? Listen carefully the next time you hear that song and ask yourself what, if anything, they might mean.