Sunday New York Times Crossword – Colonization by Robert W. Harris

It may take a little while to get back into the crossword flow, but Sunday is as good a day to start as any. I’m not familiar with Robert W. Harris as a composer, but it’s a pretty straightforward puzzle, with ants making their way into all sorts of unexpected places.

I would have clued plantain dealer as “A bug in a Cleveland newspaper?”

I also might have clued “Madam, I’m adamant” as “Miss, I’m desperate but not serious!”

The first time I heard of Federico Garcia Lorca was in the winter of 1982, when I heard this quote: “The day that hunger is eradicated from the earth there will be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever known. Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burst into the world.” There are multiple volumes of Lorca poetry at my local bookstore, but somehow I’ve never gotten around to reading any of it. We shall have to remedy that, shan’t we?

The Poe poem “Lenore” is another poem of loss and death, but with a touch of redemption near the end. I assume this Lenore is the same Lenore being mourned in “The Raven.” I will make a separate post for this poem. I don’t think this was planned, but there was another drop of Poe in this puzzle with usher as part of the fill.

UPDATE: Upon further review, I grasp the Lenore in the poem “Lenore” is a different Lenore than the Lenore in “The Raven,” as a fiancee for the late, lamented Lenore is mentioned in “Lenore,” while no name is given for the narrator in “The Raven.” Got that?

I enjoyed zebu and nerdiest as fill, but I’m still waiting for someone to clue Eloi as “Morlock chow” or “Morlock dinner guests.” Maybe that’s up to me…