| 100% | BURST | 5 | "A ___ of Light" (essay collection by poet Audre Lorde) |
| 45% | ALBEDO | 6 | The proportion of light reflected by a surface |
| 44% | POETRY | 6 | "__ Is Not a Luxury": essay by Audre Lorde |
| 43% | GIRLSCANKISSNOW | 15 | Collection of queer essays by Jill Gutowitz |
| 43% | ODE | 3 | Lines of praise written by a poet |
| 43% | SWEETANDSOUR | 12 | 1954 collection of essays by John O’Hara |
| 43% | THESECOND | 9 | & 19D 2008 collection of essays by Martin Amis |
| 42% | ALBUMS | 6 | Collections of songs by an artist, e.g. on a CD |
| 42% | BETHLEHEM | 9 | "Slouching Towards ___," 1968 collection of essays by Joan Didion |
| 42% | HOLOGRAM | 8 | Illusion of a 3D image caused by light refraction |
| 41% | FREE | 4 | "Feel ___," collection of essays by Zadie Smith published in 2018 |
| 41% | ONOFFING | 8 | Title of an essay by a hit man? |
| 41% | BARRELFEVER | 11 | 1994 collection of stories and essays by David Sedaris (2 wds.) |
| 40% | LETTERS | 7 | "___ from a Stoic," a collection of 124 epistles by Seneca the Younger |
| 40% | ALBEDO | 6 | In physics, the fraction of the incoming light reflected by a planet |
| 40% | SHADOWANDACT | 12 | Collection of political, social and critical essays by Ralph Ellison published in 1964: 3 wds. |
| 40% | ICE | 3 | "Holidays on ___," 1997 collection of essays and stories about Christmas by David Sedaris |
| 40% | THEJUNGLEBOOK | 13 | 1894 collection of tales featuring Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves: 3 wds. |
| 39% | CANON | 5 | Collection of sources considered authoritative by a fan community |
| 38% | METALKPRETTY1DAY | 16 | 2000 essay collection by David Sedaris |
| 38% | BOOKENDS | 8 | 2019 essay collection by 30-Across |
| 38% | BADFEMINIST | 11 | 2014 essay collection by Roxane Gay |
| 38% | DAYBREAK | 8 | First light ... or a phenomenon suggested by this puzzle's seven sets of circled letters? |
| 38% | AIR | 3 | "February ___," 2009 song by Lights whose title means a mixture of gases needed for breathing |
| 38% | SKETCH | 6 | & 5D The — of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, collection of essays by Washington Irving first published in 1819 |
| 38% | ROMANCE | 7 | My Chemical ___, "Helena" band whose name is inspired by a collection of novellas by Irvine Welsh |
| 38% | DANRATHER | 9 | Former news anchor who's published a collection of essays called "What Unites Us": 2 wds. |
| 37% | ALI | 3 | "Happily ___ After" (2015 essay collection by comedian Wentworth) |