Joseph Knecht

  Honors Courses Today's constructors, Lance Enfinger and Jeff Chen , bring us a letter addition puzzle , with 4 themers (2 across , 2 down ) that work with or without the addition.  Each themer fits the pattern "Honors course for an aspiring ___?" and the fill is a career description prefixed with AP , short for Advanced Placement .  Note also that all the theme fills actually begin with APP , which is short for AP Program . 18A Honors course for an aspiring aircraft marshaller?:  AP POINTING , as in telling the pilot where to go.  Aircraft marshalling is a real gig.  Complete this course and your career will really take off! Aircraft Marshaller 62A. Honors course for an aspiring pastor?: AP PRAISING .  A pastor  is the leader of a Christian congregation , who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation.  In Catholic congregations where there may be multiple priests, it is the pastor's job to administer ...

 This is Alexander Liebeskind 's 4th appearance on the Corner, his most recent being on October 21, 2022 blogged by the Chairman.  And this is his third collaboration with Jeff Chen, who needs no introduction. Today they explore different ways to LIFT OUR SPIRITS  17A. Mexican tradition that will 62-Across?: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS .  Today's Spanish lesson: " The Day of the Dead ", is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2 ( AKA All Saints and All Souls days) to commemorate the spirits of departed loved ones. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage.  Here the Tempest Quartet performs La Martiniana , a folk song popular during this celebration ( lyrics ): 27A. Celebratory moments to 62-Across?: WEDDING TOASTS .  These spirits are decidedly more animated than those in 17A , particularly after a few glasses of bubbly.  Here is soprano Zor...

This looks like a first for Michelle Kenney in the LA Times.  But she has been mentored by Jeff Chen, one of the best in the business.  For a snapshot of how she came to be here check this link at XWord Info.   Today's theme seems multi-leveled.  At the simplest level the themers and the reveal are concerned with some common state changes in water , one of the most abundant substances on the planet.  At a deeper level they seem to hint at state changes to our body politic , something that constructors don't normally deal with in these grids.  But we reviewers have to tread lightly on such matters, so to stay out of trouble I'll try to stick to literal, rather than historic-metaphoric, treatments of the themers and the reveal. 17A. Ended corruption: DRAINED THE SWAMP .  The first attempt to do this was a long, long time ago, and we don't seem to have made much progress: 27A. Vented: BLEW OFF ...