Themeless 57

Words:  68

Average Length:  5.74

I set out to make a low word-count themeless with very few 3-letter entries and a minimum of crosswordese.  I hope you like the result – there are quite a few misdirects, so this one is likely to play on the difficult side.

As I say in the clue for 37 Across, I encourage everyone to read anything that Alan Lightman writes.  He’s a physicist with the pen of a poet.  His latest book, The Transcendent Brain, is a lyrical, personal exploration of how science leaves room for spirituality.

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