Typical John le Carré work / MON 12-14-20 / Greek goddess of the dawn / "Gangnam Style" rapper / Kendrick with 13 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize

Theme answers:

• ELLE MACPHERSON (Model/TV host on a record five Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers)
• SANDRA OH ("Grey's Anatomy" actress)
• SAMANTHA BEE ("Full Frontal" Host)
• KAY HAGAN (North Carolina senator who unseated Elizabeth Dole)

Word of the Day: ELLE MACPHERSON (Model/TV host on a record five Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers) —

Eleanor Nancy "Elle" Macpherson (/məkˈfɜːrsən/; née Gow; born 29 March 1964) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host and actress.

She is known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s, leading to her nickname "The Body", coined by Time in 1989. She is the founder, primary model, and creative director for a series of business ventures, including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie line, and The Body, a line of skin care products. She has been the host and executive producer of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model from 2010 to 2013. She is an executive producer of NBC's Fashion Star and was the host for the first season.

As an actress, Macpherson appeared in supporting roles in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) and as Julie Madison in Batman and Robin (1997) as well as lead roles in The Edge (1997) and South Kensington (2001). She also had a recurring role on Friends and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Hi all, Rachel Fabi in for Rex today. And, ok, I'll be honest, I didn't know ELLE MACPHERSON or KAY HAGAN, but that didn't slow me down too much, since the theme was pretty clear even before I hit the revealer, and it's a Monday, so most of the crosses were pretty straightforward. The solve was fairly smooth, with just a couple tough spots (again, by Monday standards), and a couple patches of fill that I could live without. 

The themers today were all women with a letter sound as either their first or last name. Although I'd probably have preferred consistency on that variable (either all first or all last names), I still appreciate this theme a lot— it's simple enough for a Monday, and the revealer WOMEN OF LETTERS [53a: Female scholars... or a hint to 19-, 28-, 34- and 42-Across] is *excellent*. It is also, coincidentally, the name of a fabulous crossword puzzle pack edited by Patti Varol and Amy Reynaldo, which solvers can receive in exchange for proof of a $10 donation to a women-centric charity. And today's puzzle is a debut for Jessie Bullock, who is herself a woman of letters, pursuing a doctorate in Government. Coincidentally, this puzzle puts the spotlight on [Female scholars] just as a(nother) national culture war is erupting around whether people with doctorates (and, in particular, one very important woman) should use the title "Doctor." (I'm not going to link to the piece, because it is garbage). In another strange twist of fate, this puzzle also coincides with the death of John LeCarré, whose work in the SPY NOVEL genre is celebrated at 34d [Typical John le Carré work].

Theme and serendipity aside, I have some issues with the fill of this puzzle (although of course clunky fill is hard to avoid when you have four theme entries and a revealer in a 15x15 puzzle!). Still, I could live without OTAY,YSL, ACH, SHA, and, especially, HAMAS (43d: Gaza Strip governing group) which the U.S. and several other countries classify as a terrorist organization. Not getting into the history or politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it seems likely that many solvers will be upset by their inclusion in the puzzle. These entries aside, the puzzle was pretty smooth, and the representation of groups that are often underrepresented in puzzles was excellent. Alongside the four WOMEN OF LETTERS, I was glad to see Kendrick LAMAR and ALVIN Ailey.

Signed, Rachel Fabi, Queen-for-a-Day of CrossWorld

[Follow Rachel on Twitter]
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]